After a rock-solid start to the season, the Red Bulls’ defense has turned into so much Papier-mâché. They’ve leaked goals in their recent four-game losing skid coming into tonight’s game vs. Houston, and are looking at defensive help _ both long-term and short.
Coach Hans Backe is considering trying to ink Brazilian defender Clebao, who practiced with the club and played well in their 3-1 friendly win over Juventus. He’s been with Uniao Sao Joao Araras in the Campeonato Paulista Serie A2, but after training with both Red Bull New York and with the Red Bulls’ team in Brazil, the two sides will talk about a possible move.
“He trained very well,” said Backe. “Physically he’s a beast, he’s good in the air, he has decent pace, not the best (pace), but he plays very simple. When he wins the ball, bang- bang as quick as possible he knows what he can do and not to do.
“He’s not the best passer of the ball (despite) being a Brazilian, but the defending game looked solid. So we will have a talk to see if it’s possible what we can do. I don’t know his situation in Brazil now, but we’ll have a talk next week definitely if we’re going to do anything. I have to be 100 percent sure.”
The bruising 26-year-old central defender is indeed physically imposing, not particularly quick but had a clattering rugby-style tackle against Juventus on May 23 and was otherwise not noticed _ something Backe noted wasn’t necessarily a bad thing from a defender.
The Red Bulls opened the season 5-1, scoring eight goals but allowing just four in that first half-dozen games. But they come into tonight mired on a four-game skid in which they’ve been outscored 11-3, allowing three or more goals in all but one of those defeats.
“We have to be more cynical in our defending game like we were in the beginning: No risks, clear the ball, know the team and find the position and go from there,” said Backe.
“We need to batter down and gut out a win even if it’s ugly,” said central defender Mike Petke. “We have to get back to the things we were doing early on, especially defensively. Last couple of games we’ve had our line a little too high, and that was the gameplan going in to squeeze the game. But we need to make an adjustment there.”
