The New York Red Bulls “were very poor,” Coach Bruce Arena said following Sunday’s 1-0 loss at home to the Colorado Rapids — the team’s first of the season. The defeat exposed just how much the Bulls have relied on general Claudio Reyna, who was out with a leg strain, to control midfield. The term most often attributed to Reyna’s effect on the flow of play is his “calming influence,” which was noticeably absent at Giants Stadium on Sunday. It was a particularly bad outing for Dema Kovalenko, Reyna’s usual partner in the center, who suffered a broken nose, and Seth Stammler, called upon to fill the former U.S. captain’s big boots.
“Center midfield was not good for us today,” Arena said, “But I don’t think there was one aspect of our game that was impressive today.” Indeed, up front, Clint Mathis said, “We weren’t giving the extra effort like we normally do. I don’t know what to attribute that to, but I’m glad we just got that out of the way,” while Juan Pablo Angel, the Bulls other designated player, admitted his own performance was just “average.” Arena concurred: “I don’t think it was real good,” he said of the Colombian’s performance. Luckily for the Bulls, Reyna won’t be out long.