By BRIAN LEWIS
Some of the names and numbers are liable to change in the next few weeks, with the Red Bulls still hoping to ink up to three internationals and still negotiating with academy star Matt Kassel. But they finally have a full roster _ 18 senior players and ten developmental ones _ after signing Oscar Echeverry and five developmental players.
âOscar brings us immediate depth to the forward position and after seeing him train with us over the past few weeks, we expect him to compete for a starting role this season,ââ Sporting Director Jeff Agoos said in a release.
The 31-year-old from Medellin has been training with the Red Bulls since their first preseason trip to L.A. in February. The speedy striker had been with Atletico Nacional from 2004-07, helping them win the 2005 and 2007 Torneo Apertura; heâll provide cover for Jozy Altidore, who could miss as many as nine games with Olympic and National Team duty.
They also signing top pick Eric Brunner to a senior contract, and filled up their developmental roster by inking drafted midfielders Luke Sassano, David Roth, and Michael Palacio, and undrafted rookie strikers Ricky Schramm and Chris Megaloudis.
The latter has actually been capped by and scored for Puerto Rico, and is in national team camp with them now preparing for a friendly. (A young, capped international on a developmental pittance? I know Puerto Rico’s no Brazil, but that’s still pretty good work by the Red Bulls.)
That quintet joined already-signed developmental players Danleigh Borman, Kevin Mesa, Danny Cepero, Caleb Patterson-Sewell and John Gilkerson.
So, what does that mean for Kassel? Are they out of room? Or does it mean he has to sign a senior deal?
Really, it means next to nothing. Agoos told the Post that Kassel will be training with them for the next two weeks, and he said several weeks ago that there was a way for the Red Bulls to sign him to a Generation Adidas deal where heâd be roster-exempt and wouldnât have to go into a draft/lottery.
But naturally, thereâs a catch.
Agoos said as far as he understood, if the Red Bulls do that, it means they canât sign any other of their academy players to a Generation Adidas deal until Kassel graduates from Generation Adidas. That means if they want to sign Walter Hines or Johnny X, itâd either be a senior deal or developmental contract.
Itâs not that big a deal I guess, but it seemed counterintuitive. Then again, a whole bunch of things MLS does seem counterintuitive to me.
