I have to admit; I've pronounced the season to be dead more than once before. But you gotta cut me some slack, I wasn't counting on the absolute ineptitude of the rest of the Eastern Conference. Thanks to their shortcomings, the Red Bulls found themselves clinging to the tenth and final playoff spot after a draw away to Toronto.

Well, here I am, once again reeling from another disappointment, trying to figure out just how to sum up yet the latest uninspired performance by New York. I swear, with all the talk of how great this team is better on paper, I propose we so all go out and cover RBA in 8 ½ x 11's on Saturday...

Man, the past week or so has been quite kind to the Red Bulls. After Irene washed away any hopes of the Galaxy match being played, New York saw their playoff position actually improve despite not playing a single match since August 20th. As of now, New York owns the 10th and final playoff spot, sitting behind Columbus, SKC, Houston, and Philly in the East.

With lone Union representative Faryd Mondragon on a MLS roster coached by and littered with Energy Drinks and other all-too-easy ho-hum selections, not to mention that fact that the Dragon isn't starting, does anyone around these parts really give a toss about the All-Star Game?

At first, the only kind of Philly related All-Star story Union fans seem to be able to expect is a retread of the Beckham/Mondragon meeting at the 1998 World Cup kind of story MLSsoccer.

Wow, well hopefully you haven't been using the Offside as your sole source for MLS news (as I know many of you do), because I haven't been very diligent in updating you on all things Red Bull New York. With the Bulls facing some adversity (understatement of the year?), the front office has taken action and enlisted the help of German backstop Frank Rost.

Can Backe right the ship?

The three-game winning streak of last month seems so distant now, doesn't it? For that matter, so does my last blog post, but that's neither here nor there (but apologies, nonetheless). The Red Bulls now find themselves in a precarious situation. They are no longer getting the results that seemed to come so easily earlier in the season, and the defense has been suspect to say the least.

Luke's aeroplane celebration... yea or nay?

Take a deep breath folks; the Red Bulls took home all three points tonight... but just barely. In a win that was very much different from the two matches that preceded it, New York played an incredibly strong first half that saw Luke Rodgers get on the board once again.

After all the trade-hype eventually died down, it was time for the Red Bulls to take the field. With Dwayne De Rosario in tow, New York was looking to get off on the right foot. But the Dynamo proved that there is plenty of work still to be done during the long season that lies ahead.

Can TH14 be the player Red Bull paid for?

That's the label that's pretty much been put on this Red Bulls team by fans and "experts" alike (please note the quotes). With all the expectations that come with having two world-class DPs along with the addition of quality European talent, New York has no other option but to go all the way.

Well, it seems as though Don Garber's "big announcement" was a big PR letdown and irked many MLS fans, but it works just fine for me. Red Bull Arena will play host to the MLS All-Star game for the first time since 1997 back at Giants Stadium, although the opponent has yet to be released.

No, not them. As the offseason winds down, the Red Bulls have undergone quite a facelift. New York has added plenty of new faces and parted with some old ones as well. With all these changes, the question on many fan's minds is, "How will Hans Backe make it all work?"

First things first, the Red Bulls have officially signed long sought after striker, Luke Rodgers from Notts County in England.