Such a silly picture for a club that just can’t pull their act together, but right now it looks good on them at the moment. This was suppose to be their tournament to save this pathetic season that they are apart of. Eliminated in US Open Cup Qualifying, an early elimination of the MLS playoffs & the only thing they had left was the Qualifying Round of the CONCACAF Champions League.

In the first leg on Thursday, July 30th they traveled down to Trinidad & Tobago to face W. Connection and they came out smelling like roses. Even though they gave up the first goal of the match to W. Connection inside the final five minutes of the first half, Ernst Obster got a hold of a great cross from Dane Richards and with a one time shot deflected off the arm of the defender and past the keeper in the 48th minute & a long double deflection rainbow into the net by Alfredo Pacheco in the 60th minute for an W. Connection own goal. But RBNY would allow the equalizer to go thru in the 72nd minute. After the first leg ended in a two goal draw it was RBNY ahead on the away goals rule.

So getting ready for the second leg this past Wednesday night and a feeling of confidence came to those entering Giants Stadium, but sadly there would be some news that made your stomach churn. RBNY’s Team Doctor Riley Williams informed the media that Juan Pablo Angel suffered a grade two concussion during the first minute of the first leg and played with it after doctors on sight decided he was okay to continue. Returning to New York Angel did complain a little of light-headedness. With a thorough exam earlier in the day he was out for this match, but is available for their league match against Chivas-USA.

So who would step up and score the goals? John Wolyniec answered the call in the 19th minute as he accepted the pass from Jorge Rojas. A quick one time strike past Marvin Phillips for the one goal to nil lead & the three to two aggregate lead. All of a sudden RBNY played with a purpose. They were attacking and looking sharp. W. Connection head coach Stuart Charles Feveier knew he had to change the situation because his side looked a bit tight. So in the 38th Minute he subbed in Matthew Bartholomew & out of nowhere it would pay dividends as Andre Toussaint found some energy and helped spark an attack in the 40th minute.  A great pass that sprung Toussaint and Seth Stammler stayed with the striker, but at the end of the run the ball was in the back of the net. The score was 1-1, the aggregate was 3-3, but the away goals were in favor of RBNY at 2-1.

Yet this was the 2009 New York Red Bulls. The worst hasn’t happened yet and sadly it came to quick. Inside the first minute of first half stoppage time a cross was stopped by New York’s defenders and Kevin Goldthwaite received the ball. Instead of booting the ball deep down the field or sending it towards the touchline, he turned to his right to cross and without looking handed Andre Toussaint & W. Connection a gift and it was buried in the back of the net. Two goals for Toussaint, 2-1 on the scoreboard and 4-3 on aggregate. The away goals rule advantage had been lost just as this match was lost. This entire series to advance into the group stage was gone.

No matter how many chances RBNY had, there was going to be no chance for them to make it up. Forget even thinking about forcing extra time & or penalties. There was no way this club was going to get two goals inside the final forty-five of the match. Half the players were still working hard while the other half just stood their moping around feeling sorry for themselves proving once again that they don’t deserve to wear those shirts regardless if it was Metro or Red Bull. If Angel didn’t earn his second concussion maybe things could’ve been different? But then again maybe for a moment if Kevin Goldthwaite didn’t have another brain fart in the middle of the field and in front of his area then this club would’ve advanced on a one all draw with the away goals rule advantage.

I honestly believe that Red Bull in Austria should just get the axe sharpened right now and cut loose Juan Carlos Osorio & Jeff Agoos. They have done too much damage and the supporters on both sides of the Hudson River have had enough. Officially I have had enough of this travesty called a football club that can’t seem to break out of a mini mental break down when the match clock reaches the fortieth minute, till the ref blows the whistle for halftime.

So much promise and high expectations were laid on this club to improve themselves in an important year of club football & international football with the US National Team. Now the supporters want another re-branding from Red Bull to the NY Cosmos, but let’s be realistic about it. It’s not going to take away the many stings from this season of failure. It’s not about because San Jose changed from the Clash to Earthquakes because it made sense, or Seattle coming in with the Sounders name, or the rebirth of the Portland Timbers from the days of NASL will make all these problems go away. Bringing back that famous shield with so much history would tarnish it and right now I don’t see it as a good option.

Who’s available for the club once Osorio has been chopped? Richie Williams deserves a second bite of the apple; Curt Onalfo has been sacked for no reason. A friend of mine said Jurgen Klinsmann might get a chance. While I’m disgusted and very upset, there is one positive I can point to. Now I really know what it feels like when a supporter of a club side in Europe feels when they are involved with the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League. There was joy, there was o.k., then there was pain and my stomach went straight to the bottomless pit of disgust and heartbreak. I wish I can have that fun again.