Sports

Hans Backe calls Red Bulls rookie Lade “a revelation”

Red Bulls coach Hans Backe has never believed in playing youth for developments’ sake, force-feeding rookies just for the sake of it. So when he uses words like “sensation” and hyperbolic comparisons like Bixente Lizarazu to describe Connor Lade, that’s a pretty ringing endorsement for the inexperienced fullback.

“He’s a huge sensation for me,’’ said Backe. “I’m half-shocked probably, with a player coming from college, playing that composed. He’s totally uncompromising in his game, good decision-making most of the time.’’

The Red Bulls signed Lade _ a Morristown (NJ) native and St. John’s University product _ to a Homegrown deal this offseason, telling the Post at the time it was a dream come true. He’d joined the Red Bulls Academy in Dec. 2007, and was part of the 2009 Super-Y League championship-winning Under-20 team with Matt Kassel. And while the latter has been cut, the former is now getting his chance to impress the coaching staff, and doing just that.

“You never know with these young guys. But he looks really, really sharp,” Backe said of Lade, who was the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Big East tournament, held at Red Bull Arena last year. “He looks like French National Team (defender) Bixente Lizarazu, the same size, two good feet, very very precise. I like his passing game, battling in the air. It’ll be very interesting to follow this guy.’’

Lizarazu starred as a left back for Bayern Munich and the French National Team _ winning the 1998 World Cup _ despite standing just 5-6 ½. And while the 5-5, 140-lb. Lade has a long way to go to even measure up to half of Lizarazu’s career, he’s off to a good start in carving out one of his own.

He got the start at left back last night for Roy Miller, and helped the Red Bulls knock off defending MLS Cup champion Los Angeles 2-1 in a preseason friendly. He was composed on the ball, fought hard, showed decent speed and when he moved forward was able to get the ball cleanly to his central midfielders Teemu Tainio and Dax McCarty.

Backe was impressed enough to say Lade will likely make the 18-man roster for the regular-season opener March 11 at FC Dallas.