Red Bull, MLS midday notebook
The Red Bulls are off today, but here are a few housekeeping notes for you.
The May 28 game at Vancouver was moved from 7 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., but it will still be aired live on MSG.
Red Bull Arena is up for Sports Facility of the Year at tonight’s Sports Business Awards 2011. You can watch a video of the nominees here.
And in hot stove rumors, one involves an incoming Frenchman and the other an outgoing young phenom half his age. For the record, I’m not banking on either.
Aston Villa veteran Robert Pires told the Birmingham Mail he got a call from ex-Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry asking to join him with the Red Bulls.
“Thierry has phoned me. He called me up and said ‘come over and play with me’ but there are no real offers yet,’’ Pires was quoted as saying, making the whole thing sound like a kid calling up another looking for a pickup game. Except from where I sit, the sides are all full, and Pires _ who is riding Aston Villa’s bench _ would be on the sideline.
Pires flirted with the idea of joining the Philadelphia Union in their inaugural season last year, but decided against it because the city was beautiful enough for him. But I just can’t see the Red Bulls shoehorning the 37-year-old into their midfield, unless of course they’re preparing to sell somebody.
And MLSsoccer.com reported that AS Roma is interested in acquiring U.S. stars Landon Donovan or Michael Bradley. The Boston Globe goes on to say the club has budgeted a U.S.-record $14 million (10 million euros) to bid on the former, and would match his $2.3 million annual salary; but the MLSsoccer.com story goes on to say Roma has also been keeping a watchful eye on 18-year-old Red Bull striker Juan Agudelo.
And in TV ratings, Saturday’s first meeting between old NASL rivals Sounders and Timbers as MLS teams did a 3.0 rating in Seattle/Tacoma and a 2.2 rating in Portland, according to the Oregonian. In the ESPN2 broadcast, no other market did better than a .7 rating, with the national average a .2 rating.

