Red Bulls Complete 2012 Preseason

The New York Red Bulls completed their 2011 preseason Saturday night, falling to Real Salt Lake, 1-0, in the third-place game of the Desert Diamond Cup.

The first regular-season MLS match for New York is on March 11 against FC Dallas (3 p.m., TV: NBC Sports Network).

The Red Bulls will be short-handed when the MLS season opens. William Conde, acquired to fortify the team's defense, has suffered a strained thigh and could miss as many as three weeks of action. Ryan Meara, projected as the team's starting goalkeeper this season, sustained an apparent broken bone (although no reports specified which bone). The rookie from Fordham is still expected to start against FC Dallas, however.

In addition. New York will be without midfielder Rafa Marquez. He will open the 2012 season serving a two-game suspension for his role in starting a melee after the final game of the 2011 MLS Cup playoff series between the Red Bulls and the LA Galaxy.

New York Red Bulls Preseason 2012: Final Week To Tune-Up Before Regular Season

The New York Red Bulls are entering their final week of the preseason before they start their 2012 campaign.

In the Desert Diamond Cup preseason tournament, New York is 0-2-0 with an opening game loss to the New England Revolution and a loss against Real Salt Lake. Their final opponent of the group stage will be the defending MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy. That match will take place on Feb. 29 at 10 p.m. The Red Bulls will play in either the Third Place match or the Championship on March 3.

The Red Bulls also picked up a draw in the Reto del Sol match against Mexican side UNAM Pumas on Feb. 23.

The first regular season match is on March 11 against FC Dallas (3 p.m., TV: NBC Sports Network).

-- For more on the Red Bulls preseason, stay tuned to our storystream. For more coverage of the Red Bulls, visit SB Nation's Once A Metro.

New York Red Bulls Transactions: Team Signs Midfielder Victor Palsson

The New York Red Bulls announced today that the club has signed Icelandic midfielder Victor Palsson. He will be added to the team’s roster pending receipt of his P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate.

“Victor is a promising young player who has gained some experience playing in Europe,” said New York General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. “He will certainly challenge for a spot in our squad and can provide us an option in midfield.”

The 20-year-old defensive midfielder joins New York after spending the past year at Scottish Premier League side Hibernian. Palsson joined the club in January 2011 and appeared in 34 overall games, scoring one goal. Before moving to Scotland, the Reykjavik, Iceland native was at renowned English club Liverpool in 2009, featuring for the club’s Reserve Team. In Nov. 2010, Liverpool loaned him out to League One side Dagenham and Redbridge, for whom he made three appearances.

Palsson has featured internationally for Iceland on its various youth teams, including the Under-19 and Under-21 levels. He started his career at Icelandic clubs Fjolnir and Fylkir before moving to Danish club, AGF Aarhus in 2007.

New York Red Bulls News: Goalkeeper Ryan Meara Signs Contract

The New York Red Bulls announced today that they have signed newly acquired rookie goalkeeper Ryan Meara.

“Ryan is a talented, young goalkeeper who we think can develop into a solid contributor,” said New York General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. “We are happy to sign him to his first professional contract and are also content to bring in another local player to the first team.”

The Red Bulls drafted Meara out of Fordham University with the 31st overall pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. The Crestwood, NY native enjoyed an impressive career at Fordham, registering 31 shutouts in 74 total appearances for the school. In 2011, Meara posted a .862 save percentage which ranked sixth overall in the NCAA Division I and surrendered just 0.65 goals per game on the way to being named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year and All-Atlantic 10 Conference First Team. In 2010, Meara played for the Newark-based Jersey Express S.C. of the Premier Development League and was voted the league’s goalkeeper of the year. Meara was born in Yonkers, N.Y.

Joel Lindpere Signs New Contract With New York Red Bulls

The New York Red Bulls announced Tuesday that they have signed midfielder Joel Lindpere to a new, multi-year contract. Lindpere, the team’s 2010 Most Valuable Player, is coming off a 2011 campaign which saw him start all 34 regular season games, a franchise record.

“Joel has been an important part of our progress over the last two seasons and has become one of our most popular players because of his work rate, performance and commitment to the club,” said New York General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. “We wanted to reward him with a new contract to recognize his efforts and are excited that we agreed to a new contract with him. We look forward to having him as a Red Bull in the coming years, as we aim to win the MLS Cup.”

“I am very happy to continue my career as a Red Bull,” Lindpere said. “I have enjoyed my time in MLS over the past two seasons. The support from the fans has been sensational and I hope to help bring a MLS Cup to New York this season.”

The Red Bulls signed Lindpere from Norwegian Tippeligaen side, Tromso, in March 2010. In his first season in MLS, Lindpere led the team with six assists and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. He was also a finalist for MLS Newcomer of the Year. Last season, Lindpere set club records in games played (34) and minutes played (3,048), recording seven goals and seven assists. He also has two postseason goals to his name.

At Tromso, Lindpere made 75 appearances from 2007-09 and scored five goals. The 30-year-old joined Tromso from Estonian club, FC Flora Tallinn. Lindpere had three different stints with FC Flora, from 2000-01, 2002-04 and 2005-06. In between, Lindpere also featured for Estonia’s FC Valga from 2001-02 and Bulgaria’s CSKA Sofia from 2004-05. He started his career in Estonia as a 15-year-old at JK Nomme Kalju in 1997 before moving onto Lelle SK for two years.

After making his international debut in 1999, Lindpere has been a stalwart for the Estonian National Team, earning 76 caps and scoring six goals.

Red Bulls Roster Update: Wilman Conde Obtained From Chicago Fire

The New York Red Bulls announced today that they obtained the right of first refusal for 2009 MLS Best XI defender Wilman Conde from the Chicago Fire in exchange for allocation money. New York has signed the out-of-contract Conde and he will be added to the team’s roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate.

“One of our offseason priorities was to solidify our defense and adding Wilman certainly does that,” said Red Bulls General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. “During his stint in Major League Soccer, Wilman quickly established himself as one of the league’s top defenders and he will play an immediate role in our back line. He is strong, physical and experienced and he will be a tremendous addition to our club.”

Conde was most recently with Mexican First Division side, Atlas de Guadalajara of the First Division, where he made 13 appearances and scored two goals. Prior to joining Atlas, Conde was a major contributor to the Chicago Fire from 2007-10. Over his three-plus seasons, Conde played in 73 games, starting in 66 and tallied four goals and four assists. Conde backstopped the Fire to three-straight postseason appearances from 2007-09 and was named to the MLS All-Star Team twice and earned a spot in the 2009 MLS Best XI.

The 29-year-old came to MLS from Colombian club, Millonarios, where he appeared in 33 matches from 2006-07. Conde started his career in 2000 with Deportes Quindio and moved onto Colombia’s Deportivo Cali a year later, where he stayed from 2001-05. He was also with Colombian side Cortulua (2004) and Ecuadorian club Aucas (2005) on loan stints.

Juan Agudelo Injury Update: Red Bulls Striker Out 3-4 Weeks

New York Red Bulls striker Juan Agudelo injured his ankle during a scrimmage against the U.S. Under-23 National Team during his training stint with the U.S. Men's National Team on Jan. 13.

Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe spoke with team trainers and told reporters today thatAgudelo will be out several weeks.

Agudelo was the subject of European transfer talk before the injury but that talk has seemed to have subsided. Backe expects that Agudelo will be with his team for the upcoming MLS season and not going to Europe.

Having finished his time with the U.S. National Team, Agudelo was back at the Red Bulls facility today but not in training. New York is about to head to Mexico for a preseason tour from Jan. 30 to Feb. 15.

-- For more on the Red Bulls preseason, stay tuned to our storystream. For more coverage of the Red Bulls, visit SB Nation's Once A Metro.

Tim Ream Transfer: Defenseman Leaves Red Bulls For Bolton Wanderers

2012 Red Bulls Roster Moves: New York Signs Former Syracuse Goalkeeper Jeremy Vuolo

The New York Red Bulls have signed former Syracuse goalkeeper Jeremy Vuolo (via New York Red Bulls.com). Terms of the deal were not discussed. Vuolo is still waiting on his International Transfer Certificate to finalize the deal.

Last season, Vuolo (6-3, 196) played for AC Oulu in Finland's first division. In 24 matches, Vuolo had 11 clean sheets. His team finished in third place.

At the collegiate level, Vuolu spent his senior season of at Syracuse University after three successful years at Hartwick College. As a senior in 2010 for Syracuse, Vuolo started 15 games and was named as a finalist for the LOWE's Senior Class Award for the nation's most outstanding student-athlete. He was named the team's Most Valuable Player after ranking fourth in the Big East Conference in saves and saves per game.

Red Bulls general manager Erik Soler expects Vuolo to compete for the starting job in net for New York this season.

-- For more on the Red Bulls preseason, stay tuned to our storystream. For more coverage of the Red Bulls, visit SB Nation's Once A Metro.

Red Bulls 2012 Preseason: New York To Play Pumas UNAM On Feb. 23

The New York Red Bulls announced that they will play Mexican club Pumas UNAM in a friendly on Feb. 23. The match, the Red Bull Reto del Sol ("Challenge of the Sun"), will be played in Phoenix at Chase Field at 8 p.m (via New York Red Bulls.com).

This match is a follow up to last year's match between the Red Bulls and Mexican side Atlas. Rafael Marquez scored in the 89th minute of that match to help the Red Bulls pull out a 1-1 draw against his old club.

Red Bulls general manager Erik Soler said about the matchup

"We are looking forward to returning to the Phoenix area to face Pumas, an elite Mexican side that will provide us with a big test," said Red Bulls General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. "We had a good match against Atlas in 2011 playing in front of a great crowd and we look forward to competing in a similar atmosphere at this year's Red Bull Reto del Sol."

The match against Pumas will come the day after the Red Bulls meet Real Salt Lake in the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup.

-- For more on the Red Bulls preseason, stay tuned to our storystream. For more coverage of the Red Bulls, visit SB Nation's Once A Metro.

New York Red Bulls 2012 Preseason: Vancouver Whitecaps Hire Carl Robinson and Jake DeClute As Assistants

The Vancouver Whitecaps have hired two New York Red Bulls away from the Big Apple and brought them to British Columbia as Whitecaps assistants, according to Martin MacMahon of MLSsoccer.com. The Whitecaps have hired Red Bulls midfielder 35-year-old Carl Robinson and Jake DeClute, who worked with Whitecaps manager Martin Rennie at the Cascade Surge and the Cleveland City Stars.

Of Robinson, Rennie said that he wanted somebody with MLS experience working with his players.

"I wanted to have someone on the staff who had MLS experience," Rennie told MLSsoccer.com on Friday. "He’s someone I’ve got to know over the last few years and I’ve been impressed with his knowledge of soccer and his knowledge of players."

While Robinson will be on the front lines, working with players and other coaches on the field, DeClute will be behind the scenes, recruiting and working in player development.

"[DeClute] is a highly qualified coach who studies the game in great detail and he’s great with people," Rennie said. "Jake will be more involved in the scouting, scouting the opposition, scouting other players and coordinating our scouting efforts. We need to centralize [scouting] and grow it a little bit, and he’ll also help with working with players as they transition from the academy to the first team."

-- For more on the Red Bulls preseason, stay tuned to our storystream. For more coverage of the Red Bulls, visit SB Nation's Once A Metro.

Juan Agudelo Injury Update: Red Bulls Striker Ruled Out Of USMNT Friendlies

New York Red Bulls striker Juan Agudelo is currently with the U.S. Men's National Team. He is also injured. The forward picked up a right ankle sprain during a scrimmage against the U.S. Under-23 National Team on Jan. 13. As of today, the squad ruled him out of upcoming international friendlies against Venezuela (Jan. 21) in Glendale, Ariz. and Panama (Jan. 25) in Panama. The severity of the sprain was not disclosed (via US Soccer.com).

After the U.S. team plays the match against Venezuela, Agudelo will rehab in the United States while the team goes to Panama. The Red Bulls are currently in preseason camp at Montclair State University. They will go on a preseason tour in Mexico beginning on Jan. 30. The Red Bulls will return to the New York area on Feb. 15.

-- For more on the Red Bulls preseason, stay tuned to our storystream. For more coverage of the Red Bulls, visit SB Nation's Once A Metro.

Red Bulls Preseason 2012: Rafa Marquez Ready To Move Forward, Have A Good Season

New York Red Bulls midfielder/defender Rafael Marquez ended the 2011 season on a sour note. At the end of the first leg of the conference semifinals with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Marquez picked up the match ball and tossed it at Landon Donovan. His action started a scuffle which led to both him and Juninho from the Galaxy being red-carded. Marquez was also suspended for three matches, two of which will be served at the beginning of the 2012 season. He also criticized Tim Ream, his partner on the backline. Marquez' performances were uneven at best and the Red Bulls seemed to play better without him in the lineup.

Marquez, the Mexican captain, doesn't want to look backwards. He said that there was some "misinterpretation" of what was said last season and left it at that. He now prefers to let his game do the talking.

"I'm going to leave my work speak for myself. I shouldn't be too worried about how the fans will welcome me in the first game. It's up to me to show them how they should be welcoming me through my work and through my performances on the field." (via NJ.com)

Marquez' coach, Hans Backe, says his player is ready to have a solid campaign this year.

We had good chats with him about the future. I know he's very, very keen to have a good season in 2012. (via Big Apple Soccer)

And where will Marquez be starting the season? While he might see time on the backline, Backe says

We will definitely play him in the beginning as a midfielder

The Red Bulls' season starts on March 11 against FC Dallas.

-- For more on the Red Bulls preseason, stay tuned to our storystream. For more coverage of the Red Bulls, visit SB Nation's Once A Metro.

2012 Red Bulls Roster Moves: Stephen Keel Gets New Contract

The New York Red Bulls announced today that it has signed defender Stephen Keel to a new contract. Per League and club regulations, specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Stephen had an excellent season last year and was a contributor in our postseason run,” said Red Bulls General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. “He provides us a physical and experienced option in central defense and we are pleased that we were able to sign him to a new contract.”

Keel enjoyed a breakout year in 2011, setting career highs in games played (16), starts (13) and assists (2). The 28-year-old also started in all three of the Red Bulls’ postseason matches. Keel earned a spot on the squad after coming in as a trialist in preseason. He officially signed with New York on March 9, 2011.

Prior to joining New York, Keel was with then-USL First Division side, the Portland Timbers, where from 2009-2010, he appeared in 53 games. The Littleton, CO native started his career with the Colorado Rapids, appearing in 10 regular season matches. Keel attended Wake Forest University.

Red Bulls Preseason 2012: New York Selects Three In Supplemental Draft

The New York Red Bulls added depth Tuesday in the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft. The Red Bulls selected Mike Volk, a defender from the University of Virginia, University of Pennsylvania midfielder Christian Barreiro and Nate Polak, a Hastings College midfielder.

Volk played for Rutgers before transferring to Virginia. He started 62 of 64 matches at Virginia. Barreiro scored 7 goals and had 7 assists as an All-Ivy selection for Penn in 2011. Polak finished 3rd on the Hastings College all-time goals and assist lists (40 goals, 30 assists). Last season, Polak had 18 goals and 17 assists.

The Red Bulls did not have a first-round selection due to a trade made with Houston Dynamo in 2010. The club picked up Volk in the second round, Barreiro in the third round and Polak in the fourth round of the Supplemental Draft.

-- For more on the Red Bulls preseason, stay tuned to our storystream. For more coverage of the Red Bulls, visit SB Nation's Once A Metro.

New York Red Bulls 2012 Preseason: Schedule Released, Camp Begins Thursday

The Red Bulls begin camp on Jan. 19 at 1 p.m. at Montclair State University.

New York Red Bulls Sign N.J. Native Jonathan Borrajo

The Red Bulls signed New Jersey native Jonathan Borrajo.