Sports

Red Bulls roll over at New England

The Red Bulls matched some dubious MLS history today at New England, and they did it with a 4-0 capitulation that has to be the low point of their lowly season. Hell, it may be their lowest point since 1999, the losingest team in league annals _ and that’s pretty low.

Their 4-0 decimation ran their road winless streak to 19 games, tying Real Salt Lake’s MLS record. They’re 2-9-3, 9 pts., and no team that’s ever been this bad for this long _ nine points though 14 games _ has ever reached the playoffs. So they may need the greatest second half in MLS history just to sneak into the postseason. I’m not seeing it.

At this point, the focus should be on assessment; Juan Carlos Osorio assessing players and the front office taking a critical look at him. The goal may change from the playoffs to just avoiding one of the worst records ever. It’s come to that; and they’re just two games into this brutal road swing, where they play six-of-seven away from home. This could get nasty.

Of course, the lowlights on this video clip of today’s emasculation are nasty enough.

And once again, it was a last-minute lapse of concentration that cost them against New England (against whom they’re winless in 12 straight) and in Foxboro (where they’re winless in 12 straight. I see a pattern here).

They allowed Jay Heaps’ goal in first-half stoppage time. But unlike usual, this time they just rolled over and collapsed altogether in the second half, making Taylor Twellman (career goals No. 100 and 101) look like Pele.

“At this point, I don’t really know what it is. I guess we played good for the first 44 1/2 minutes and in the last :30, we gave up a goal that killed us. Everybody’s heads went down,” said rookie D Jeremy Hall. “I thought at halftime we talked about coming out strong; but then they got the second, third and fourth goals, and just buried us. So I don’t know what it is at this point, but it needs to turn around.

“It’s when there is injury time and stuff. I don’t know if people are falling asleep, thinking the ref is going to blow the whistle. Other teams keep figuring it out. They watch the tape and say well if we keep fighting then they will give up. That is what it seems like. It is just frustrating.”

Their latest mental breakdown was a costly one. Steve Ralston passed the ball to Shalrie Joseph, who shielded it from a defender and laid it off wide. Nobody marked Heaps, and he ran onto it wide open and blasted it past GK Jon Conway. That was it for Metro, who haven’t mustered a single solitary road goal all year.

Seven minutes into the second half, Heaps stripped rookie Nick Zimmerman _ who actually played OK _ and sent a cross into the box that Ralston just wanted more than anybody else, doubling the deficit. Twellman headed in a cross for his milestone goal, and finished off a Ralston pass for another.

“I take full responsibility for the second goal. That’s unacceptable,” Zimmerman said. “I misjudged it and made a mistake. It cost the guys a second goal early in the second half and it was just a huge uphill battle from there. So I take full responsibility. I should have done better and I let the guys down.”

The Red Bulls haven’t won at Foxboro since 2002, stunning on so many levels; up next is Toronto, and former fued partners Amado Guevara and Mo Johnston. The Red Bulls should get Jorge Rojas and Alfredo Pacheco back for that tilt, but at this point one has to wonder if adding Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo would make a difference.

Sure, they were shorthanded today, missing that pair along with Mac Kandji, Carlos Johnson, Andrew Boyens and Matthew Mbuta. But this team’s confidence is clearly beaten-down, and striker Juan Pablo Angel is so obviously hobbling it hurts to watch.

Unless Angel’s back actually heals, or they add a significant attacking player in the summer window _ and I have no reason to think they will _ this season is in serious danger. They have nine losses through 14 games, and their 11 defeats all of last year were the most of any team in the playoffs.

That 1999 team lost a league-record 25 games, but that shouldn’t be the metric and this comparison shouldn’t even be happening. That team _ which defender Mike Petke and journeyman forward John Wolyniec suffered through _ just plain stunk. But this squad has talent, talent being wasted by a penchant for underachieving.

Now Osorio has to find a way to hold his Red Bulls together, and hold onto his job _ which one has to think is hanging by a thread. Petke didn’t look overjoyed about being pulled early, we know Khano Smith is mad about being benched, and its easy to let discord creep in.

Think there’s any hope for the rest of the trip? Think they’ll win a road game the rest of the season? Think Osorio and sporting director Jeff Agoos can make any significant moves this summer? Or do you think one or both could be on the hot seat? Share your views….