When New York Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe told New York Post writer Brian Lewis that his club was going to try to win it all this year, including the US Open Cup, many around the metropolis and the nation met it with disbelief. But maybe, just maybe, the coach learned something from last year’s occurrence and is approaching 2012 with a better plan of attack.
If there were any doubts out there, he tried to put them to rest, reiterating Monday on MLSsoccer.com’s Extra Time Radio podcast what he told Lewis.
“We will have much better depth, there’s no question about it. We will have at least 18-20 (solid) players, good footballers,’’ Backe said to Lewis in early February. “Also, now with the new schedule this season, not playing that many games during FIFA dates, we can definitely have a priority with the Open Cup.
“I say we should try to go for it all; the Open Cup, the Shield, the MLS Cup. We have a very good squad this year.’’
That was the shocking statement that incited chuckles. It was hard to believe he would actually say that given his apathetic approach to the quarterfinal against the Fire in which he sent Mike Petke, the third in command, to coach a squad of nearly all reserves in Chicago. While many teams in the past had given half-hearted efforts with reserve players in the lineup, arguably none had so blatantly snubbed the tournament.
Even the post-game report for the team’s site from the league contest before the Open Cup fixture openly flaunted Backe’s lack of concern for the game with the following:
Not a Priority – After the match, attention turned to Tuesday night, when the Red Bulls play the Chicago Fire in the U.S. Open Cup. Backe said that it will be mainly reserves and substitutes in the Starting XI for the quarterfinal match.
“I think we just travel with probably, if were a little bit lucky with no injuries, 13 outfield players and two goalies,” Backe said the story’s writer Kristian Dyer. “And it has to be two of these guys who played today probably as a starter has to be involved in the Cup game on Tuesday.”
The news of Backe’s decision was met with much derision at the time, prompting local writer M.L. Conroy of Once a Metro to say the following: "On Backe's current list of priorities, winning the US Open Cup would seem to rank somewhere behind re-arranging his sock drawer."
And it was not just in New York that the moves were met with discontent. Apparently the Chicago Fire players took the news as a slap in the face as well.
Soccer By Ives writer Anthony Zilis said that “though Chicago coach Frank Klopas didn't offer any comment on the matter, the Fire players definitely had it on their minds.”
"We took it personally," Fire midfielder Patrick Nyarko said after the game. "Before the game we talked about punishing this team, beating them 5-0."
Backe still says that the issue last season was the high number of international fixtures that pulled away many of his players, leaving him with little depth. The plan was to rest his starters, who had played in a 5-0 win over Toronto and 1-0 loss to DC, both at home, on July 6 and 9, respectively, prior to the July 12 Open Cup match. In hindsight it did not prove to make much difference as the club went without a win in their next seven league fixtures (0-2-5) after the 4-0 exit from the US Open Cup, leaving them in danger of not qualifying for the postseason. They would earn the final berth, ironically, over Open Cup finalist Chicago by three points.
On Extra Time, Backe discussed the club’s proactive efforts to build more depth into the roster, telling them they looked much more at USL players for more experience playing competitive soccer to give them better depth. He equated the better depth to better training and thusly better game performances.
Backe also expressed his pleasure over the new format of the MLS schedule that will see his team playing more games against conference opponents, meaning less travel, and a lighter schedule on the international front.
Then came the all-important question: What are his goals – did he want to aim for the Supporters’ Shield or MLS Cup?
And, believe it or not, Backe actually voluntarily led off talking about competing for the US Open Cup.
“I think we will look even for the open cup this year because of the schedule we have and the travels. And suddenly we can definitely try to have that as a priority - the open cup too. I think we would like to go for all of it. I think we just, I think we have still enough talented group to be up there and to compete for the cup shield or the MLS cup. Of course, normally you don’t just win everything, but we need to win something this year - one of these three cups.”
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