As far as individual performances go, Eddie Johnson of Kansas City has been (and rightly so) grabbing all the headlines with his back-to- back hat tricks, but the New York Red Bulls’ Juan Pablo Angel has been equally as important to his club, notching four goals and two assists in just four games in the league. He was even named the league’s Player of the Month for May, despite making his debut on May 13.
And aside from that tepid debut, a 1-0 loss to Colorado, Angel has been excellent, taking his chances superbly and created countless opportunities for others. Jack Bell of the New York Times calls the Colombian international the most “lethal goal scorer the New York/New Jersey area has seen since Giorgio Chinaglia of the Cosmos made Giants Stadium his predator’s paradise in the late 1970s and early ’80s.” A bold statement to be sure, but one that Angel has more than lived up to so far.
He has good vision, excellent ball control, he’s very strong in the air, plays well with his back to goal, and generally has, what Bell calls “a high soccer I.Q.” He also says that Angel is good enough to give the Red Bulls their first serious shot at a title in their history. But it won’t be easy. “This is a very tough league to play in,” Angel said. “It’s physical. It’s fast. And it looks like the teams are pretty even, which makes it more competitive because in Europe most leagues only have a few top teams.”