Pálsson (#44): The Newest VikingThe New York Red Bulls made the signing of Icelandic international Victor Pálsson official today, confirming the player's recent comments on his Twitter account that he had put pen to paper on a two year agreement. Pálsson, a rangy, physical player a bit in the style of Tony Tchani, joins a crowd of holding midfielders that includes Rafa Marquez and Teemu Tainio.

Coop Didn't Take Long to Get His FirstThe New York Red Bulls prevailed in the first of their 2012 preseason friendly matches, defeating FC Dallas 2-0, thanks to a first half goal by Kenny Cooper and a late penalty from Corey Hertzog. Despite Dallas striking the woodwork three times, RBNY goalkeepers Ryan Meara and Jeremy Vuolo combined to keep a clean sheet.

The Talking Bull boys are back with their latest, greatest and 40th episode. This week, our own Matt Conroy (aka Who Shot Sam) and Ben Schneider (of Once A Metro fame) discuss the Tim Ream transfer, the signing of Conde, Pálsson and (re-signing of) Joel Lindpere and goalkeeping options.

Photo Credit: Alfonso Jimenez via Wikimedia Commons
Ever since Amado Guevara was shown the door, I've been clamoring for an actual #10 Creative Midfielder for our team - to absolutely no avail. That genius Bruce Arena (besides destroying our pretty good backline in 2007) saddled us with the perenially injured Claudio Reyna, who (as a defensive midfielder) was absolutely not the creative player we needed.

Hector Rueda Lookalike Wilman Conde is New York Bound - FinallyThe New York Red Bulls, having just wrapped up Tim Ream's long-awaited transfer to Bolton, didn't waste much time in finding his replacement, announcing today the signing of Colombian central defender Wilman Conde. Conde was most recently on the books of Mexican club Atlas, where injuries limited his playing time in 2011 to just 13 games.

If the 2011-12 Premiership season in England has seen the issue of racism finally get the serious attention it deserves - with superstars such as John Terry and Luis Suárez either already punished for or charged with having made racist comments - the same cannot necessarily be said of discrimination toward the gay community.

The Hard Work Starts NowThe Red Bulls preseason got underway in earnest today at Montclair State University, as an expanded group of players reported to camp, including a massive 12-13 trialists. The size of the group is hardly surprising, considering the number of reserve and fringe players the club has shed since November.

So Long Timmy!The long-running transfer saga involving New York Red Bulls central defender Tim Ream appears to have finally come to an end this afternoon, with the BBC reporting that Bolton Wanderers have secured a UK work permit. There had been considerable doubt about Ream's qualifications for a visa, as he had only played in a total of two competitive fixtures for the US Men's National Team.

Agudelo: One Foot Out the Door?When the New York Red Bulls' disappointing 2011 season drew to a close, both Hans Backe and Erik Solér assured fans that they had identified the team's main weaknesses and would be taking steps over the winter to address them. But with 2012 preseason training camp having opened this week, the RBNY roster is still a work in progress, with question marks hanging over the heads of several players and doubts remaining about key positions and bench depth.

It's the latest, and greatest, episode of Seeing Red: The NY Soccer Roundup. This week is Mark Fishkin and Dave "The Emperor" Martinez have none other than NY Red Bulls President of Business Operations Chris Heck. Mr. Heck makes a massive 40 minute appearance here and lots of topics (Season Tickets, Harrison lawsuit, the 2012 schedule, Cosmos, etc.

The Red Bulls made it an eventful Tuesday as they drafted three players in the 2012 Supplemental Draft. The three are Defender Mike Volk (UVA), Midfielder Christian Barreiro (UPenn) and Midfielder Nate Polak (Hastings).
I wouldn't bank on any of these guys making the team, as Soler has stated that it would be hard to find a player that could make the team in the Superdraft, nevermind the Supplemental Draft.

Brian Nielsen Playing Soccer: A Rare SightThe bulk of the New York Red Bulls squad gathered today at Montclair State University for the first training session of the 2012 season. It was a chance for new arrivals such as Ryan Meara and Jonathan Borrajo to meet their new teammates (well most of them anyway) and begin the process of building up fitness.

Is Conde Worth the Price?Late yesterday evening, Big Apple Soccer's Michael Lewis broke the news that the Red Bulls had purchased the MLS rights of Wilman Conde from Chicago Fire. Lewis' story, citing an anonymous source, indicated that the Red Bulls would be sending a draft pick Chicago's way in return.

Kenny Cooper: Jersey-BoundOn what most people expected to be a relatively quiet 2012 MLS Draft day for the New York Red Bulls, Erik Solér and company made a surprising amount of noise. First, even before the draft began, the team confirmed the signing of defender Markus Holgersson from Swedish club Helsingborgs IF.

Bye bye Timmy?Good morning! With MLS preseason training beginning in just three weeks and the MLS Combine complete, there should be a lot of player movement and a ton of new signings announced in the coming days. The 2012 MLS SuperDraft kicks off tomorrow, and though the New York Red Bulls only have one selection (the 31st overall pick in round two), it's not inconceivable that we could see a trade or two happen while the general managers and coaches are assembled in Kansas City.