Looks like Mr. Backe has some decisions to make come opening day in Dallas. With a surplus of forwards and central midfielders, it'll be interesting to see what formation and personnel makeup the starting XI. With so many options and possible configurations at his disposal, how will Backe manage his depth?

A couple weeks ago, I put up the New York Red Bulls roster prior to the beginning of the off-season. Mr. Soler and Mr. Backe have been busy since then, and over at our facebook page, members of the Viper's Nest Editorial Board have been clamoring for an updated post to sum up the salary and roster ramifications of the moves thus far.

With the expansion draft just two weeks away, Red Bulls fans are debating the merits of who to protect and who to expose. Presented below, to assist in the discussion, is the current Red Bulls roster and salaries, according to the MLS Players Union website.

Name

Player Des.

By JONATHAN VERA

CARSON, Calif. – The Western Conference final second leg between the Los Angeles Galaxy and New York Red Bulls certainly lived up to its much-anticipated hype. Aggression was high, tempers flared and drama unfolded after a quick start by the Red Bulls, but in the end, New York took the long plane ride home broken and defeated.

Galaxy 1 New York Red Bulls 0

The forecast cold front has yet to move into the South Bay here in Carson.

Real Salt Lake awaits the winner of this series that the Galaxy lead from a Mike Magee goal in the 15th minute of last Sunday's game.

If the score is tied at the end of regulation, we'll have 30 minutes of OT, followed by PK's if the score is still tied.

As well, it should - and he has been dropped by Mexico, I'm guessing for his ghastly form of late, not anything related to the disciplinary action. Also, NYRB defender Teemu Taino, who appeared to grab Galaxy midfielder Juninho around the neck during the melee that followed Marquez throwing a ball at the Galaxy's Landon Donovan after last weekend's game, was given a fine:

NEW YORK (AP) -- Major League Soccer has extended the suspension of New York Red Bulls defender Rafael Marquez to three games.

If the New York Red Bulls manage to go on a run to MLS Cup, Designated Player Rafa Marquez won't be a part of it.

Major League Soccer suspended Marquez two additional games on top of his one-game suspension for a red card and fined him an additional $2,000 for his part in the postgame scuffle between the Red Bulls and Los Angeles Galaxy in the first leg of their Western Conference semifinal on Sunday.

The 2011 MLS Playoffs kickoff at 9 pm tonight on Fox Soccer Channel, as the New York Red Bulls head to Texas to take on recently slumping FC Dallas in the first Wild Card round game of the playoffs.

The winner affects the Philadelphia Union's start time on Sunday afternoon, along with the playoff match ups after the Wild Card round.

All MLS beware! Hide the women and children, for the New York Red Bulls are in the playoffs!

That's the story – or something like it – going around MLS circles this morning. Prevailing winds of conversation seem to suggest that now that New York has punched its post-season ticket, the talent will prevail.

Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Union

In a match that was billed as a great Eastern Conference showdown with both teams having plenty to play for, the New York Red Bulls dominated the Union with a 1-0 scoreline that could have been far more lopsided in favor of the hosts. A choppy game throughout, made worse by the poor nature of the playing surface, the Red Bulls bossed the game from the opening whistle, and captured a spot in the 2011 playoffs with a well deserved victory on a chilly Thursday night at Red Bull Arena.

The New York Red Bulls only needed a tie on Thursday night to secure their place in the 2011 MLS playoffs, but they stepped up despite missing their best player and delivered a victory and some hope for a dream ending to a largely disappointing season.

Playing without star striker Thierry Henry, the Red Bulls rode an own goal forced by Dane Richards and disciplined defending on their way to a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union at Red Bull Arena.

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.

"The Champagne of MLS Clubs"TORONTO (16th) VS. NEW YORK (10th)
　
BMO FIELD - SATURDAY 7:30 PM EDT
TV: TSN2 RADIO: FAN 590
　
THE KICKABOUT:
After the shock passed over Dwayne De Rosario's trade to New York this past spring, most TFC supporters scanned the calendar and circled October 1st as a must-see match.

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...

Rodgers With Another Huge Goal (Photo by Brandon Wade, Getty Images)The drought is finally over! After going more than two months (73 days to be exact) without a league victory, the Red Bulls pulled their act together on Saturday night and got a massive, massive three points in Frisco against FC Dallas, one of MLS' more formidable home sides.

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.

Do I even need to bother recapping this game? You might as well just read my last post. It meets all the requirements: disappointment, 2-2 draw, second half comeback, Ballouchy being useless... you know, the usual. Just when you think they can't draw against a crappier team, they do. The Revs, proud owners of the most anemic offense in the league, still managed to take a 2-0 lead against New York and it took a 87th minute equalizer to walk away with a point.

Two teams that started the season as title contenders met at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday night sorely needing victories, but only Real Salt Lake came away with the result they were looking for.

The New York Red Bulls continued their struggling ways, dropping a 3-0 result to a motivated RSL side.

So after playing on the west coast last weekend getting and getting pounded @altitude midweek, the Red Bulls returned home to face the second best team in MLS on Saturday. In the ensuing 90 minutes, the Red Bulls were lucky to get out of Harrison with hard fought 2-2 draw. But nevermind the result.

The Colorado Rapids Rapids lost Conor Casey for the year on Tuesday, but on Wednesday the Rapids attack didn't miss a beat as Sanna Nyassi's move from midfield to forward produced a hat-trick in a 4-1 thrashing of the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night.

Rapids head coach Gary Smith shifted Nyassi from the wing to forward, giving Colorado two fast forwards to dismantle a Red Bulls squad that sorely missed Rafa Marquez and Teemu Tainio.

Happy Carmageddon weekend from Home Depot Center where one press box colleague described the freeway traffic on the way to the game as being about as busy as it is at 3 a.m.

I heard of no problems for Galaxy fans on the Harbor (110) Freeway heading to the friendly against Real Madrid at the Coliseum that just kicked off, too, although I wasn't taking any chances, which is one reason I'm at the HDC (although a game that actually means something is far preferable to watching Kaka et al wander around for 45 minutes).

Photo credit: Chamber Images
Good morning! It's matchday again @The Cathedral of Football. The opponent today are the team every MetroBulls fan loves to hate - DC United - aka The Forces of Darness (7:30pm ET, MSG). With the Red Bulls still on a high from Wednesday's destruction of TFC, will we see another massive victory today?

Photo by ISIphotos.com

By THOMAS FLOYD

Already considered one of the best atmospheres in MLS, Jeld-Wen Field seems poised to reach a whole new level Sunday afternoon.

That's when the historic Pacific Northwest derby between the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders comes to the Rose City for the first time in league history.

Joel Lindpere is in form. With the 5-0 win over Toronto FC, the New York Red Bulls reaffirmed the belief that they have the potential to be an MLS Superclub. In recent weeks, MLS fans have seen New York drop points in draws that they should have won.
The Red Bulls have encountered many speed bumps this season, the most recent of which were the losses of personnel to the Gold Cup.

Picture credit: Daily Harrison
Good afternoon! After a death march of a road trip, the Red Bulls are finally back in MLS action @The Cathedral of Football against the hapless Toronto FC (8:00pm ET, MSG+). Let's see how both teams come into this one.
Toronto is firmly entrenched in the bottom half of MLS' weak Eastern Conference (7th place, 18 points).

Who says bicycle kicks are just for offense?

The New York Red Bulls' Teemu Tainio opted to use one on defense against the Portland Timbers last weekend, which not only saved a goal, but earned him the MLS Save of the Week honors for Week 14.
Read More

Last night, Seattle Sounders forward Roger Levesque - who just looks like a crazy person, but in a good way - unveiled a new goal celebration. It was quick, simple and brilliantly funny. Tenuous EPL connection, if you need one: Kasey Keller and Teemu Tainio played while Thierry Henry missed the match through suspension.

Solér: Pulling No PunchesAs the Red Bulls prepare for Thursday's nationally televised game against the Sounders at Seattle's newly-christened CenturyLink Field, they face a real dilemma at the forward position. Deprived of Luke Rodgers - the victim of an ongoing plantar fasciitis condition that will keep him out for at least several more games - and the suspended Thierry Henry (more on him below) - it appears that Hans Backe will opt for a Dwayne De Rosario/Dane Richards partnership up top.

In what may have been the most bizarre - and most entertaining - game of the MLS season thus far, the Red Bulls somehow managed to scrape a 3-3 draw last night in Portland, despite throwing away an early one goal advantage. Along the way, they conspired to make Jack Jewsbury look like Roberto Carlos and allowed Kevin Goldthwaite to resemble Lionel Messi, but it's the result that counts.

The New England Revolution are making the trek down I-95 to Harrison, NJ to take on Thierry Henry and the New York Red Bulls. New York hasn't won in their last six matches (five draws, one loss), but the Revs are looking to stop a three-loss slide and are still searching for their first goal from the run of play since April 23rd.

Charlie Davies hopes to return to the field tonight against LA. (Getty Images)

I love a four-day work week. Time just seems to go a little quicker with those kinds of weeks doesn't it? For me, it also means I'm one week closer to my summer vacation (more on that next week).

Well, we're at the weekend slate of MLS games here and once again everyone is in action.

It took some late heroics by, of all people, RBNY midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy to secure a 2-2 draw, down in Houston, on Saturday. Not a bad result, actually, but a less than impressive overall performance, nonetheless. This game brings up several questions still needing answers.
First, can the Red Bulls quickly learn to effectively defend set pieces?

After 81 minutes of missing chances, the Dynamo finally got the goal they needed to break the tie. Just minutes after entering the match in place of Will Bruin, Koke cleaned up a rebound left off a Greg Sutton save and netted his first career MLS goal. Then the dreaded lack of concentration moment that seems to haunt this team struck, as the Red Bulls equalized in stoppage time.

Good Afternoon! The Red Bulls are in action today, as they travel north of the border to beautiful Stade Saputo for a midweek friendly against the Montreal Impact. The Impact currently play in the second division NASL but are due to become MLS' 19th team next year.

Apparently, it can buy you damn entertaining 90 minutes of soccer, though. Throughout the week, everyone in MLS was hyping this game to be the greatest game of the year, and while hype is usually unsubstantiated, this game lived up to all the buzz surrounding the league's two marquee franchises.

Real Salt Lake may have lost its playmaker, but it still has its spot atop the SBI MLS Power Rankings.

Despite having Javier Morales exit its match with a broken ankle, Salt Lake powered through to a victory over nine-man Chivas USA to improve to 5-1 on the season. That victory, coupled with the New York-Los Angeles stalemate left the top three spots unchanged.

I don't think I've ever been this entertained by a 1-1 draw in MLS since I started watching the league back in 1996 as a half-season ticket holder for DC United. And it's not just because that's the scoreline I predicted yesterday (because it you read me regularly, you know that's basically a fluke).

Photo Credit: DailyHarrison.com
Good morning! It's a beautiful one here in Red Bulls Land. As we get ready for tonight's away match in LA LA Land, let's examine some RBNY stuff from the past week.
Red Bulls defensive midfielder Teemu Tainio picked up a soft groin injury during the game against KC, and had to be subbed at haltime.

If the New York Red Bulls are going to beat the Los Angeles Galaxy this weekend, they will have to do so without standout midfielder Teemu Tainio.

The Finnish midfielder has been ruled out of Saturday's Galaxy-Red Bulls match after he was unable to fully recover from the groin injury that forced him to leave last week's 1-0 victory against Sporting Kansas City at halftime.

The Houston Dynamo shook off a winless March to post an unbeaten April, and no player deserved more credit for the Dynamo's surge than midfielder Brad Davis.

The skillful left winger carried the Dynamo attack, recording six assists to help the Houston offense carry on without injured striker Brian Ching.