The New York Red Bull will see if their many off-season changes will pay off tonight when they kick off their season tonight against the Chicago Fire. The most notable change will not be any player on the pitch, but the pitch itself. Red Bull Arena opened March 20 with a 3-0 Red Bull win over Santos. The new stadium eliminates the gripe that the Red Bulls were third-rate citizens and victims to a poor pitch in Giants Stadium, and can hopefully give the Red Bull a boost. Coming off of a horrendous 2009 season, the Red Bull still have several gaps in their squad. Juan Pablo Angel is the clear star of the squad, but he has little support in the midfield and up top. Forward Mac Kanji needs to step up this season, while center mid Joel Lindpere has the opportunity to set the tone in the center of the field.
Unlike the Red Bulls, the Chicago Fire have a consistent history of success. They’ve made it to the semifinals of the MLS playoffs in four of the last five seasons, but have yet to recapture the brilliance of their inaugual season in 1998. That year, as an expansion team, the Fire not only made the playoffs, they won the MLS Championship and the U.S. Open Cup. They’ve yet to reach those heights since. However, it doesn’t appear that 2010 will be their year either. After losing their star Blanco, the Fire are left with a talented yet inexperienced midfield. Marco Pappa will need to lead the team with his creativity and flair. A bright spot is up front where veterans Brian McBride and Collins John have the ability to put a significant amount of balls in the back of the net.
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