The eight new players acquired by the New York Red Bulls in the winter transfer window will understandably receive the lion’s share of scrutiny this upcoming season. It is upon this foundation that recently-hired manager Gerhard Struber will build his church of up-tempo football. Head of sport Kevin Thelwell’s tenure will be judged on the strength of these signings (and the hiring of Struber) until enough time has passed where his actions can be viewed holistically with the more transparent perspective of hindsight.
The group recruited by Thelwell is an eclectic mix of American youth internationals, South American head turners, and synergy signings from Salzburg.