Red Bulls chase glory in Playoffs

By Fred Kaweesi

Today, Play-off, 2nd leg

New York Red Bulls v Houston

WHEN Ibrahim Sekagya signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with New York Red Bulls on July 11, soccer pundits of the Major Soccer League (MLS) in the US considered him a ‘squad member’ rather than a first team player.

The assumption was that the Ugandan defender would prove useful as a back-up for any first team defender in case of suspensions or injuries.

To them, there was no way the former Cranes captain would walk straight into the Red Bulls first team that was clustered with stars such as Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill. 

But while addressing the media within the same period, Sekagya insisted that he wasn’t at Red Bulls to make numbers.

He pledged to break into the first team and help the club to their first MLS title in history.

Four months down the road, Sekagya has not only defied his critics by earning a first team place in the side, the flamboyant defender has also claimed plaudits from fans and fellow players.

He has already inspired the team to the Eastern Conference title and if the Red Bulls successfully march to the MLS title, it will have a lot to do with Sekagya’s immeasurable contributions to the club.

Players in praise 

Sekagya and the club’s two other pre-season arrivals, English forward Bradley Wright-Phillips and Australian defender David Carney have each appeared in more than half of the games for which they have been available, and the common theme connecting their quick transition has been “experience.”

“These are really experienced players who have played at the highest level for quite a while,” midfielder Dax McCarty said of the trio on the club’s website newyorkredbulls.com

“There was a little bit of uncertainty with the roles they would play, but every signing we’ve had this summer has been tremendous for us.”

None of the three is the bigname Designated Player that many teams expected New York to add, but the decision to add three players rather than one was fairly straightforward for head coach Mike Petke.

“Those three acquisitions were better off than us just going out there to sign a DP for a DP, and I’m glad Andy [Roxburgh] was on board with that,” Petke said. 

“To bring in a guy midway through the season that’s a so-called superstar and have to fit him into your system, it wasn’t something we were big on, and I’m glad that we held off on it.”

Coach happy

Sekagya and Wright-Phillips arrived earlier than Carney; both played in that Reserve League game against Wilmington and several others before seeing the field for the first team. 

Petke said the process of researching the players — aided significantly by Sekagya’s six successful seasons with sister club Red Bull Salzburg and the familiarity of Tim Cahill with his international teammate, Carney — and the training time all three had before stepping into the lineup were key to their success.

“You don’t just sign a player from their ability; you sign a player for what you think their mentality is and how they’re going to be in the locker room,” Petke said.

“These are guys who were here for a little bit, and we got to meet and know (them), and (we) talked to a lot of people about (them) before.”

Wright-Phillips has a goal and an assist this season, both against the Houston Dynamo, who could be the Red Bulls’ opening playoff opponent.

Sekagya has scored opportunistic goals in the last two games, but his presence and that of Carney (7 starts in the last 8 games) has helped calm the back line.

McCarty added that: “You get three really, really good players who can contribute in four or five positions, and that’s just as valuable, if not more valuable, than bringing in one big game-changer that can only contribute in one position.”