2011 New York Red Bulls season

On 4 November, due to the 2010 season ending with a disappointing home playoff loss to San Jose Earthquakes, the roster changes began immediately. The playoff loss marked the end of the careers for defender Mike Petke and midfielder Seth Stammler, each of whom had announced his retirement upon completion of the season. Petke joined the Red Bulls front office in January;[4] Stammler pursued an MBA degree at the University of Chicago.[5]

On 22 November, the Red Bulls traded midfielder/defender Jeremy Hall to the expansion Portland Timbers in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. Two days later the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft was held but neither Portland nor fellow expansion side Vancouver Whitecaps selected an available Red Bulls player.

The coaching staff saw assistant Coach Goran Aral leave the club after one season.

Internationally, forward Juan Agudelo and defender Tim Ream each earned their first senior caps with the U.S. National Team on 17 November. Playing in Cape Town against South Africa, Ream started and played 67 minutes while Agudelo came on as a 60th-minute substitute. Agudelo then scored the game's only goal in the 85th minute, winning the match and becoming the youngest scorer in U.S. Men's Team history at 17 years, 359 days.[6] Agudelo bested the mark previously held by Jozy Altidore, who also set the mark while a member of New York Red Bulls.

The departure of captain Juan Pablo Ángel was made official when Red Bulls declined his 2011 contract option and he opted to participate in the inaugural MLS Re-Entry Draft. Midfielder Luke Sassano and defender Carey Talley also elected to participate in the Re-Entry draft when their 2011 contract options were declined. On 15 December, Los Angeles Galaxy traded up in the draft order to select Ángel. On 19 January the sides agreed terms on a multi-year, Designated Player contract.

Sassano was also selected by Los Angeles Galaxy in the Re-Entry Draft but his rights were traded to Sporting Kansas City later that same day. He signed with Sporting KC on 12 January 2011. Talley was not selected and subsequently announced his retirement on 19 January 2011. Red Bulls did not select any players in the Re-Entry draft.

On 17 December, the club announced a trade with Houston Dynamo in which Red Bulls received an undisclosed amount of allocation money. In return, Houston received New York's natural third-round selection in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft and the rights to defender Hunter Freeman, whom Houston immediately signed. Red Bulls had traded Freeman to Toronto FC for the last months of the 2008 MLS season even though Freeman had already agreed a pre-contract with IK Start of the Norwegian Premier League. The trade with Toronto included a provision that Red Bulls retain Freeman's MLS rights should he return to the league.

In international duty, midfielder Dane Richards scored three goals over five games to help Jamaica win the 2010 Caribbean Cup.

The club was active in January 2011 with a number of players coming and going. The long-rumored acquisitions of Norwegian midfielder Jan Gunnar Solli and English forward Luke Rodgers were finalized on 26 January and 28 January, respectively. The club also signed young Brazilian midfielder Marcos Paullo, who had trialed with New York in 2010, on 30 January.

Red Bulls announced the signing of two more Homegrown players from Red Bull Academy in January: midfielder Matt Kassel and defender Šaćir Hot. Kassel and Hot joined prior Academy signings Juan Agudelo and Giorgi Chirgadze on the Red Bulls roster.

At the 13 January 2011 SuperDraft, the club selected Generation adidas forward Corey Hertzog in round one, English midfielder John Rooney (brother of English international Wayne Rooney) and defender Tyler Lassiter in round two, and defender Billy Cortes in round three. The following week, Red Bulls selected goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer and defender Teddy Schneider in the 2011 Supplemental Draft. Of the draft choices, Hertzog and Rooney were immediately added to the club's roster as both had already signed contracts with Major League Soccer. Lassiter, Cortes, Maurer, and Schneider were not guaranteed contracts and were invited to preseason training camp to earn a spot on the club's final roster.

On 17 January, the club announced that Jan Halvor Halvorsen had been hired as assistant coach, replacing Goran Aral.

In the final week of January, the club announced that midfielder Siniša Ubiparipović and defender Andrew Boyens would not be returning to the club in 2011. Boyens signed with Chivas USA in early February.

The club announced its preseason schedule would include training stints in Cancún, Guadalajara, Fort Lauderdale, and Arizona. The list of preseason opponents included Mexico's Chivas, D2 side Miami FC, plus Chicago Fire, Sporting Kansas City, and FC Dallas of MLS.[7]

On 1 February, MLS announced that Red Bull Arena would host the 2011 MLS All-Star Game on 27 July when the MLS All-Stars would take on perennial Premier League power Manchester United for the second consecutive season.

On 9 February, the preseason schedule kicked off when the Red Bulls defeated Mexican side Atlante F.C. 0–0 (4–3 penalties) in Cancún. Preseason continued with very little to report in roster changes or injuries. The club brought in a few trialists, most notably Teemu Tainio, and late in the month released third-round SuperDraft pick Billy Cortes.

A major shake-up occurred on 28 February when Red Bulls fired longtime assistant coaches Richie Williams and Des McAleenan.[8] Williams was a popular figure among club supporters and guided the club as caretaker manager in two different seasons. His MLS experience had been credited with helping Sporting Director Erik Solér and Head Coach Hans Backe adjust to the peculiarities of the league, such as the MLS SuperDraft. Williams had played the 2001 and 2003 seasons for the club before returning as assistant coach in 2006. McAleenan had been goalkeeping coach since 2002, a remarkable run given the ownership change and constant turnover around him in the coaching and front office ranks.

The club met the 1 March official MLS roster compliance of 30 players by waiving two second-year players, forward Conor Chinn and midfielder Irving Garcia. While neither made an impact during the 2010 regular season, each performed well as part of the "Baby Bulls" squad in the 2010 U.S. Open Cup.

A few injuries did hit the squad as preseason came to an end. Strikers Luke Rodgers and Juan Agudelo battled nagging injuries which limited their participation in exhibition matches. The club announced on 8 March that defender Chris Albright had undergone knee surgery and would miss 4–6 weeks.[9] On 9 March, Red Bulls announced the signings of two trialists, midfielder/defender Teemu Tainio and defender Stephen Keel. Tainio was penciled in for a starting role while Keel was signed to provide defensive depth from the bench.

The club released Giorgi Chirgadze, its first ever homegrown player signing, on 15 March. Though Chirgadze signed with the club in 2009 he never did appear in a league match with Red Bulls.

The 2011 Major League Soccer season officially kicked off for Red Bulls when the club hosted Seattle Sounders FC on 19 March. New York dominated possession 63%-37% and out-shot Seattle 13-8 en route to a 1-0 victory. The lone goal was scored in the 70th minute by Juan Agudelo off a long ball by MLS debutante Teemu Tainio.

Two days later the club announced it had waived forward Salou Ibrahim which was a bit surprising given New York's thin ranks at forward. Ibrahim's release left only four forwards on the roster: Juan Agudelo, Thierry Henry, Luke Rodgers, and Corey Hertzog. Salou spent the 2010 season with Red Bulls, scoring 3 goals in 19 league games (8 starts).

Red Bulls signed second-round SuperDraft choice Tyler Lassiter on 23 March. The rookie defender earned much praise from the club in pre-season, with coach Hans Backe stating, "The way he started this preseason, he looks better in February than Tim Ream did when he arrived."[10] Ream went on to be an MLS Rookie of the Year finalist. The club also signed Alex Horwath as the third-string goalkeeper on 25 March. Horwath was immediately placed into action on 26 March at Columbus Crew due to an injury to starting goalkeeper Greg Sutton and the international call-up of backup keeper Bouna Coundoul. Horwath and a lineup sprinkled with reserves earned a point with a 0-0 draw. Injuries kept Sutton and Thierry Henry from traveling with the club, while international duty removed Coundoul, Juan Agudelo, Tim Ream, Dane Richards, and Rafael Marquez from the Red Bulls lineup. In addition to Horwath, forward Luke Rodgers made his Major League Soccer debut, backups Carlos Mendes and Stephen Keel started in central defense, and backup Danleigh Borman started in midfield. Rookie Corey Hertzog made his MLS debut as a late substitute.

Several Red Bulls players enjoyed productive spells with their national sides during the late March international window. Forward Juan Agudelo came on as a second-half substitute and scored the tying goal for the United States in its 1-1 draw with Argentina on 26 March. Three days later, Agudelo and defender Tim Ream went the full 90 for the U.S. in its 1-0 loss to Paraguay.[11] Midfielder Dane Richards scored two goals for Jamaica in a 3-2 victory over El Salvador on 29 March while defender Rafael Marquez earned his 100th cap for Mexico when he captained El Tri to a victory over Paraguay on 26 March.[12]

MLS Results for March: 1 victory, 1 draw, 0 losses
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 1 victory, 1 draw, 0 losses; 4 points, 7th overall through 2 matches

The month started off with a blockbuster trade to acquire the #10 that Red Bull fans have long wanted. On 1 April, the club pulled the trigger and sent second-year midfielder Tony Tchani, defender Danleigh Borman, and a first-round pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft to Toronto FC in exchange for midfielder Dwayne De Rosario. The deal provided New York with its most dangerous midfield playmaker since Amado Guevara left the squad in 2006. The trade of De Rosario by his hometown side was predicated on his demand for a new contract. The money issue was solved by Red Bulls with De Rosario's agent stating, "We have a very satisfactory agreement with NY and Dwayne can't wait to get on the field for them.[13] Press reports also stated that Toronto would pay "a significant amount" of De Rosario's salary for 2011 and that De Rosario possesses a U.S. green card so he would not occupy an international roster slot for New York.

De Rosario debuted for New York as a second-half substitute versus Houston on 2 April. His assist to Dane Richards proved the lone New York goal in a 1-1 draw. One week later, Red Bulls fell at Philadelphia Union by a 1-0 score, the lone goal a result of a horrible gaffe by defender Tim Ream.

Red Bulls then dominated the next two matches, winning by scorelines of 3-0 over San Jose Earthquakes and 4-0 at D.C. United. Luke Rodgers was named MLS Player of the Week for his 2-goal, 1 assist performance against San Jose. The thrashing of rivals D.C. United was especially sweet for Red Bull fans, marking New York's first 4-goal margin of victory on the road since 1996 and the largest ever margin of victory against DC. New York finished the month with a 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City with Rodgers again supplying the goal, giving him 3 goals in 3 matches. Likewise, strike partner Thierry Henry closed the month with a tally of 4 goals in 4 matches.

The club signed Supplemental Draft pick Teddy Schneider on 12 April to provide defensive cover. Two days later Red Bulls added Todd Hoffard as goalkeeping coach.[14] Sporting Director Erik Solér stated, "Todd has a great deal of experience in American soccer and will be a valuable asset to our coaching squad."

Red Bulls also announced on 28 April that the club would go to London in late July to participate in the Emirates Cup, hosted by English Premier League side Arsenal. Red Bulls would become the first MLS club to participate in the tournament. It was widely viewed that the invitation came due to the storied past of New York Designated Player Thierry Henry with Arsenal. Opponents were announced as Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.

MLS Results for April: 3 victories, 1 draw, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 4 victories, 2 draws, 1 loss; 14 points, 2nd overall through 7 matches

7 May 2011 witnessed the most expensive match in MLS history as New York traveled to play at Los Angeles Galaxy. For the first time ever five designated players were on the field for a league match: Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez for Red Bulls and Landon Donovan, David Beckham, and former Red Bull Juan Pablo Ángel for Los Angeles. The game did not disappoint. Henry's early goal was matched by a Donovan score just before half. Tim Ream made an outstanding goal-line clearance, winning MLS Save of the Week, to thwart a second Donovan scoring chance before the break. The match ended a 1-1 draw, a fair result for Red Bulls against a quality opponent.

From Los Angeles, the club traveled cross-continent to Montreal for a mid-week friendly versus Montreal Impact. The timing of the match, which New York lost 1-0, left fans perplexed as Red Bulls had an upcoming match versus Chivas USA in just 4 days time. Sure enough, Red Bulls lost at home to Chivas USA in a driving rain by a 3-2 scoreline. Two Goats' goals came from set pieces, which quickly emerged as Red Bulls largest defensive failing for the rest of the season.

The remaining three matches of May all resulted in draws: at Houston 2-2, home to Colorado 2-2, and at Vancouver 1-1.

Near month's end, five players were called to international duty for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup: Juan Agudelo and Tim Ream for the United States, Rafa Marquez for Mexico, Dane Richards for Jamaica, and Dwayne De Rosario for Canada. New York faced the prospect of losing the services of these 5 players for the entire month of June.

MLS Results for May: 0 victories, 4 draws, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 4 victories, 6 draws, 2 losses; 18 points, 5th overall through 12 matches

The loss of the regulars was keenly felt during a 1-1 draw at Columbus on 4 June. A makeshift squad including Mehdi Ballouchy, Stephen Keel, Carlos Mendes, Austin da Luz, and substitute Matt Kassel conceded a 92nd-minute goal to drop 2 points. This match exposed the lack of depth on the squad, a shortcoming exacerbated by the reluctance of Hans Backe to give his younger players any meaningful minutes. The lack of depth, the unwillingness to use the bench, and consistently poor set piece defending became the defining points of the 2011 Red Bulls.

On 10 June, Red Bulls saw their first victory in over a month when they defeated New England 2–1 at Red Bull Arena. GK Greg Sutton played hero as he saved a penalty in the 33rd minute.

Off the field, the club announced on 10 June that Chris Heck, a former National Basketball Association executive, would take over business operations from Erik Stover, who had overseen the construction of Red Bull Arena.[15] As the season progressed, Heck expanded marketing and promotions geared more toward casual fans and families, including the use of Groupon.

The club signed rookie defender Mike Jones on 12 June. Jones was released earlier in the season by Sporting Kansas City.

On 19 June, Red Bulls made a fighting comeback against Portland Timbers to draw 3–3. After being down 3–1 and with less than 20 minutes to play, Henry started the comeback with a goal in the 73rd minute and De Rosario sealed the draw with a penalty goal in extra time by converting the spot kick in the 96th minute.

From Portland, Red Bulls traveled to Seattle Sounders FC and left with a tough 4–2 loss in front of a crowd of over 46,000. Seattle forward Roger Levesque came off the bench to score two goals within 10 minutes to assure his side's victory. GK Greg Sutton this time played goat, conceding one goal while arguing with the referee and another after being stripped of possession under little pressure. Also, New York played without Henry after the captain was controversially red carded late in the Portland match.

The road warrior segment of the schedule continued with a 26 June match at Chicago Fire. The match ended in a 1–1 draw with Joel Lindpere scoring the Red Bulls goal.

Internationally, the Gold Cup concluded with Rafa Marquez's Mexico squad beating Tim Ream and Juan Agudelo's United States side in the final on 25 June.

On 28 June, the first New York Derby was contested when Red Bulls faced F.C. New York in the third round of the 2011 U.S. Open Cup. The match ended with a 2–1 Red Bulls victory at Red Bull Arena. Rookies Corey Hertzog and John Rooney were the Red Bull goal scorers.

The shock of the month - if not the season - was provided on 27 June when the club announced it traded Dwayne De Rosario to rivals D.C. United for midfielder Dax McCarty. Red Bulls General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler said "Dax is an exciting young player who will immediately add his dynamic style of play to our midfield," and "he is an excellent two-way player who will contribute both to our defense and to our attack for seasons to come."[16] The trading of perennial All Star De Rosario after only three months with New York stunned fans and media alike.[17] That the club received only McCarty, who was left exposed in the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft just months earlier and had since fallen out of favor with his new D.C. club, was difficult to understand as captured in this actual column title from a Washington Post article: D.C. United trades McCarty for De Rosario, New York watches, giggles.[18] The bewildering trade left Red Bull fans questioning the competence of General Manager Erik Soler.[19] With only one league victory in the past two months, the abilities of Coach Hans Backe also became a growing subject of consternation.

MLS Results for June: 1 victory, 3 draws, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 5 victories, 9 draws, 3 losses; 24 points, 6th overall through 17 matches

Red Bulls opened July in similar fashion as June, with a 2-2 draw against San Jose Earthquakes at Stanford Stadium. Joel Lindpere saved the point for New York with his first brace of the season. He earned MLS Player of the Week for his performance.

On 6 July, the team emphatically beat Toronto 5–0 with goals from Henry, Rodgers, Lindpere and a brace by Agudelo. The win was the club's biggest of the season and gave hope heading into the 9 July home match against D.C. United and De Rosario. The hope was misplaced, as a De Rosario goal gave D.C. a 1–0 victory at Red Bull Arena. This match would also prove to be the last started by Luke Rodgers for two months as the striker battled plantar fasciitis.

The league announced on 10 July that forward Thierry Henry and defenders Rafa Marquez and Tim Ream were selected to the 2011 MLS All-Star Game to be held at Red Bull Arena on 27 July. Later in the month MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced that Juan Agudelo had been added to the MLS All-Star Game roster and that Joel Lindpere had been added as an inactive participant.

Another season low point was reached on 12 July when Red Bulls were eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup by a 4–0 thrashing at Chicago Fire in a quarterfinal match-up. Despite the fact that New York is the only original MLS club to never win a major trophy, team management decided that the U.S. Open Cup was not a priority and sent a squad lacking any regular starters to Chicago.[20] Making matters worse, neither Coach Backe nor top assistant Jan Halvor Halvorsen traveled to Chicago. Instead, first-year assistant coach Mike Petke and injured player Carl Robinson were assigned to coach the squad of reserves against the Chicago starters.[21] The ambivalence toward the Open Cup quarterfinal match infuriated Supporters Groups.[22]

The following day, Red Bulls announced the signing of veteran German goalkeeper Frank Rost from Bundesliga club Hamburger SV. General Manager Erik Soler stated "Frank is a very experienced goalkeeper who will provide a strong presence in-between the posts for our club during our quest for a MLS title," and "we are thrilled that he has decided to join us in the middle of our campaign and look forward to his contributions for the remainder of the season."[23] Rost became the club's third Designated Player.

The club traveled west to face Chivas USA on 16 July and came away with yet another draw, this one scoreless, in Rost's debut.

Off the field that same day, the club announced that goalkeeper Greg Sutton, made redundant with the arrival of Frank Rost, had been loaned to North American Soccer League side Montreal Impact for the remainder of the season. This marked a homecoming of sorts for Sutton, a native Canadian who spent six years with Montreal earlier in his career. The club also announced that it had acquired an international roster slot from D.C. United for future considerations. Two days later, the future considerations were confirmed as second-year midfielder Austin da Luz. Supporters were again confused by the move, this time for trading an inexpensive, capable, domestic player to rivals D.C. for an international slot that reverts to D.C. at season's end.[24]

Coach Backe did not help his standing with the fanbase by publicly conceding his preseason goal of winning the Supporters Shield. Backe told the New York Post on 18 July: "...even if I wanted to win the Shield, but that is gone."[25]

The downward spiral continued with a 4-1 loss at Colorado on 20 July. Three days later, Red Bulls did rescue a point from FC Dallas in a 2-2 home draw. Playing in stifling heat, Thierry Henry scored a late equalizer after Dane Richards had been sent off for his caution. That concluded league play for the month, with Red Bulls having now won 2 league matches in 3 months and having slipped to 9th place overall.

The All-Star game was held at Red Bull Arena on 27 July. Coach Backe managed the MLS squad to a 4–0 defeat at the hands of English Premier League champions Manchester United.

On 31 July, Red Bulls did manage to win a (meaningless) trophy: the 2011 Emirates Cup. After defeating Paris Saint-Germain of French Ligue 1 on 30 July by a 1–0 scoreline,[26] Red Bulls then drew 1–1 against hosts, Arsenal of the English Premier League.[27] Returning hero Thierry Henry was warmly received by Arsenal fans.

MLS Results for July: 1 victory, 3 draws, 2 losses
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 6 victories, 12 draws, 5 losses; 30 points, 9th overall through 23 matches

The next league match was 6 August at Real Salt Lake. Red Bulls showed the effects of the long journey from England, losing badly 3–0. The loss dropped New York back to a dead even won-lost record. To make matters worse, new goalkeeper Frank Rost was removed at halftime due to an injury he suffered while sitting on the airplane on the flight from London to America.[28]

Draws by a 2–2 scoreline followed against Chicago on 13 August and New England on 20 August, Dane Richards netting both goals in the latter game. The Chicago game featured emergency goalkeeper Chris Konopka as starter due to Rost's injury, the loan of Greg Sutton, an international call-up for Bouna Coundoul, and an apparent lack of faith by Coach Backe in third-string keeper Alex Horwath. It proved to be Konopka's only appearance of the season.

The marquee match of the month, the visit by first place Los Angeles Galaxy on 28 August, was postponed until 4 October due to Hurricane Irene.

During August, Red Bulls traded a 2013 MLS SuperDraft pick to Sporting Kansas City for midfielder Stéphane Auvray and loaned rookie defender Tyler Lassiter to North American Soccer League side Carolina RailHawks. The club also continued its shakeup of staff members, relieving athletic trainer Rick Guter of his duties following 5 years of service. A replacement was not named.

The consistent lack of victories resulted in a continued fall in the standings. At month's end, Red Bulls had fallen to 11th place through 26 rounds. For the first time all season the club was outside the playoff picture.

MLS Results for August: 0 victories, 2 draws, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 6 victories, 14 draws, 6 losses; 32 points, 11th overall through 26 matches

With 8 matches to go and fighting for the playoffs, New York could ill afford to lose a starter but they did just that when Roy Miller was injured while playing internationally for Costa Rica on 6 September. Miller missed two weeks. The club did regain the services of Luke Rodgers after 2 months out of the starting lineup.

Red Bulls hosted last place Vancouver on 10 September and earned another draw, this time 1–1. One week later Rodgers scored the only goal in a surprising 1–0 victory at Dallas. The joy of a victory was short-lived as the club returned home on 21 September and fell flat versus Salt Lake, losing 3–1. All 3 Salt Lake goals were conceded in the first 21 minutes of play.

After the Salt Lake match, Designated Player Rafa Marquez, who had been singled out recently by fans for his indifferent performance and lack of hustle, gave a scathing interview in which he denigrated his teammates, Tim Ream specifically.[29] Among Marquez's statements were: "I think I am playing at my maximum level, and doing everything I can. I don't have, unfortunately, four defenders on my level that can help me out."; "Tim is still a young player with a lot to learn. He still has quite a lot to learn, and well, he has committed errors that are very infantile and cost us goals."; and "I think that this is a team game, and unfortunately, there isn't an equal level between perhaps (Thierry Henry) and myself, and our teammates." Despite Marquez's initial claims that he was misquoted, the interview was videotaped and posted in its entirety at a fan website. Two days later the club suspended Marquez for one match.[30]

Red Bulls won the match that Marquez missed, beating Portland 2–0 on 24 September. This result meant that Marquez had not played in any of the four most recent Red Bulls victories or in any of the four most recent Red Bulls shutouts. The win moved the club back into playoff position, 9th overall.

MLS Results for September: 2 victories, 1 draw, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 8 victories, 15 draws, 7 losses; 39 points, 9th overall through 30 matches

Marquez returned for the 1 October match at Toronto and his impact was felt. His early second-half giveaway and failure to hustle back defensively resulted in a Toronto goal. Only a sterling late game finish by Thierry Henry allowed Red Bulls to rescue a point through a 1–1 draw.

The rescheduled home match against Los Angeles was played on 4 October. Red Bulls looked sharp and earned a 2–0 victory which placed them on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot. However, in the inconsistent manner exhibited by the club all season long, a flat New York squad next fell at Kansas City 2–0. Henry was issued a straight red card in the match, causing him to miss the final league match with the club needing a result to ensure a playoff spot.

Prior to the final match, General Manager Erik Soler told The New York Times that Coach Hans Backe would return for 2012. Soler also addressed the June trade of Dwayne De Rosario to D.C. United, deflecting blame by stating: "He didn't work out, he didn't score. He's a great player as long as he has the ball, and we already have those kinds of players here. Our problem is not scoring goals, our problem is defensive mistakes. He's not a guy who likes to play a complementary role. He didn't fit in. I'm happy for him. He's a great guy, but he wouldn't score 15 goals here. We know that Thierry Henry needs the ball, and on a smaller scale DeRo is the same. It's not our mistake. It just didn't work out."[31]

The last league match was home to Philadelphia on 20 October. An early Dane Richards goal proved enough for a 1–0 victory that clinched the 10th and final playoff spot for Red Bulls.

MLS Results for October: 2 victories, 1 draw, 1 loss
MLS Results Regular Season (Final): 10 victories, 16 draws, 8 losses; 44 points, 10th overall

New York opened the postseason with a one-game Wild Card round playoff at Dallas. Goals by Joel Lindpere and Thierry Henry led Red Bulls to a surprising 2–0 win.

The victory over Dallas earned New York a two-game series with Supporters Shield winners Los Angeles Galaxy. The first match was played 30 October at Red Bull Arena. Former Red Bull Mike Magee scored the game's lone goal to win the match for Galaxy. After the match, a skirmish erupted when Marquez threw the ball at Galaxy captain Landon Donovan, hitting the American international in the foot. Nearby Galaxy player Adam Cristman took offense and confronted Marquez, who responded by punching (and missing) wildly and seemingly attempting to headbutt Cristman. Other players joined the fray, with Los Angeles midfielder Juninho landing an elbow to the face of unsuspecting Red Bulls defender Stephen Keel. Marquez inexplicably grabbed his face and flopped to the ground when other players approached, though no player was near enough to make contact with him. He and Juninho were both shown red cards for their actions, causing them to miss the return leg in Los Angeles. Two days later, the league suspended Marquez an additional two matches for: "attempting to head butt Adam Cristman, attempting to punch Adam Cristman; striking Cristman, and simulating that he had been struck in the face."[32] The extra suspension ended Marquez's 2011 season.

MLS Playoff Results: Wild Card victory over FC Dallas; trailing 1–0 in aggregate to Los Angeles Galaxy

Red Bulls faced a daunting task needing to win in Los Angeles, something no visiting club had managed all season. In the return leg on 3 November, an early Luke Rodgers goal tied the series and gave Red Bulls hope. New York carried play until midfielder Teemu Tainio was forced out with injury at 16 minutes. From there, the match turned toward Los Angeles with Galaxy finally regaining the aggregate lead on a Mike Magee goal minutes before halftime. A second-half goal by Landon Donovan cemented the series victory for Los Angeles and ended another disappointing season for New York Red Bulls.

On 9 November the club announced team awards for 2011: Most Valuable Player - Thierry Henry; Newcomer of the Year - Luke Rodgers; Defender of the Year - Jan Gunnar Solli; Humanitarian of the Year - Stephen Keel.[33]

To add insult to injury, Dwayne De Rosario, discarded after less than three months with New York, was named 2011 Most Valuable Player of Major League Soccer.[34]

Rafa Marquez's suspension will carry over to the first two matches of 2012.

MLS Playoff Results: Conference Semifinal defeat to Los Angeles Galaxy

At close of the 2011 season.[35]

No.	Name	Nationality	Position	Date of Birth (Age)	Previous Club
Goalkeepers
1	Frank Rost		GK	(1973-06-30) June 30, 1973	Hamburg
18	Bouna Coundoul		GK	(1982-03-04) March 4, 1982	Colorado
24	Greg Sutton		GK	(1977-04-19) April 19, 1977	Toronto
31	Alex Horwath		GK	(1987-03-27) March 27, 1987	Unattached
Defenders
3	Chris Albright		RB	(1979-01-14) January 14, 1979	New England
4	Rafael Márquez		CB	(1979-02-13) February 13, 1979	Barcelona
5	Tim Ream		CB	(1987-10-05) October 5, 1987	St. Louis University
7	Roy Miller		LB	(1984-11-24) November 24, 1984	Rosenborg
8	Jan Gunnar Solli		RB	(1981-04-19) April 19, 1981	Brann
12	Tyler Lassiter		CB	(1989-04-07) April 7, 1989	N.C. State University
23	Mike Jones		LB	(1988-04-07) April 7, 1988	Kansas City
26	Stephen Keel		CB	(1983-04-11) April 11, 1983	Portland (D2)
27	Mateo Gallego		RB	(1994-01-29) January 29, 1994	New York Redbulls
39	Teddy Schneider		CB	(1988-11-23) November 23, 1988	Princeton University
44	Carlos Mendes		CB	(1980-12-25) December 25, 1980	Rochester
91	Šaćir Hot		CB	(1991-06-10) June 10, 1991	Red Bulls Academy
Midfielders
2	Teemu Tainio		CM/DM	(1979-11-27) November 27, 1979	Ajax
10	Mehdi Ballouchy		CM	(1983-04-06) April 6, 1983	Colorado
11	Dax McCarty		MF	(1987-04-30) April 30, 1987	D.C. United
15	Matt Kassel		RM/AM	(1989-10-30) October 30, 1989	Red Bulls Academy
16	John Rooney		CM/DM	(1990-12-17) December 17, 1990	Macclesfield Town
19	Dane Richards		LW/RW	(1983-12-14) December 14, 1983	Clemson University
20	Joel Lindpere		CM/LW	(1981-10-05) October 5, 1981	Tromsø
21	Brian Nielsen (on loan from Red Bull Salzburg)		AM/LW	(1987-02-25) February 25, 1987	Vejle (loan)
25	Stéphane Auvray		DM/CM	(1981-09-04) September 4, 1981	Kansas City
32	Marcos Paullo		LW/AM	(1990-03-28) March 28, 1990	Atlético Paranaense
33	Carl Robinson		DM/CM	(1976-10-13) October 13, 1976	Toronto
Forwards
6	Corey Hertzog		ST/RW	(1990-08-01) August 1, 1990	Penn State University
9	Luke Rodgers		ST	(1982-01-01) January 1, 1982	Notts County
14	Thierry Henry		ST	(1977-08-17) August 17, 1977	Barcelona
17	Juan Agudelo		ST	(1992-11-23) November 23, 1992	Red Bulls Academy

The following players on the club have received international call-ups during the season or within the previous year:

Country	Player	Position
	Roy Miller	DF
	Dane Richards	MF
	Rafael Márquez	DF
	Jan Gunnar Solli	MF
	Bouna Coundoul	GK
	Juan Agudelo	FW
	Tim Ream	DF

Updated to match played October 19, 2011
Source: Competitions

Kickoff times are in EST.

Atlante v New York

February 9, 2011 Mexico Tour	Atlante	0–0 (3–4 p)	New York	Cancún, México
21:00		Report	44' Solli  73' Ibrahim	Stadium: Andrés Quintana Roo Attendance: 6,002 Referee: Ricardo Arellano
	Penalties
	Maldonado Landín Ortiz Fonseca Muñoz Guadarrama		Lassiter Hertzog Robinson Rooney Ibrahim da Luz

Atlante Reserves v New York

February 12, 2011 Mexico Tour	Atlante Reserves	1–3	New York	Riviera Maya, México
16:30	Toloza  33' Vigil  83'	Report	30' Henry  80' Kassel  85' Hertzog	Attendance: Closed Door

Guadalajara v New York

February 15, 2011 Mexico Tour	Guadalajara	3–2	New York	Zapopan, México
21:00	Fabián  35' Álvarez  43' Jesús Sánchez  71' Mendes  80' (o.g.) Dávila 90+1' Jorge Mora  90+3'	Report	29'  80'  85' Richards  39' Agudelo	Stadium: Estadio Omnilife Referee: Roman Rafael Medina

Chicago v New York

February 23, 2011 Florida Tour	Chicago	1–1	New York	Fort Lauderdale, Florida
13:00	Pappa  53'	Report	18' Lindpere	Stadium: Lockhart Stadium Attendance: Closed Door

Fort Lauderdale v New York

February 26, 2011 Florida Tour	Fort Lauderdale	0–2	New York	Fort Lauderdale, Florida
15:30	Wheeler  44' Mowouve  79'	Report	2' Henry  75' Ballouchy	Stadium: Lockhart Stadium Attendance: 3,000

Kansas City v New York

March 5, 2011 Desert Cup	Kansas City	2–2	New York	Tucson, Arizona
22:00	Arnaud  20' Kamara  61' (pen.)	Report	22' Henry  76' Richards	Stadium: Hi Corbett Field Attendance: 10,087

Atlas v New York

March 8, 2011 Red Bull Reto del Sol	Atlas	1–1	New York	Glendale, Arizona
22:00	Ream  78' (o.g.)	Report	23' Ballouchy  82' Henry  90' (pen.) Marquez	Stadium: University of Phoenix Stadium Attendance: 23,644 Referee: Silviu Petrescu

Kickoff times are in EDT.

New York v Seattle

March 19, 2011 Match 1	New York	1–0	Seattle	Harrison, New Jersey
19:30	Agudelo  70'	Report	Hurtado  61'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 20,982 Referee: Jair Marrufo

Columbus v New York

March 26, 2011 Match 2	Columbus	0–0	New York	Columbus, Ohio
16:00		Report	Keel  29' Miller  89'	Stadium: Crew Stadium Attendance: 10,306 Referee: Abbey Okulaja

New York v Houston

April 2, 2011 Match 3	New York	1–1	Houston	Harrison, New Jersey
19:30	Richards  47'	Report	Weaver  50'  73'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 13,664 Referee: Ricardo Salazar

Philadelphia v New York

April 9, 2011 Match 4	Philadelphia	1–0	New York	Chester, Pennsylvania
19:00	Torres  68' Mwanga  77'	Report Live TV: ESPN2	Márquez  14' Richards  29' Miller  82'	Stadium: PPL Park Attendance: 19,027 Referee: Alex Prus

New York v San Jose

April 16, 2011 Match 5	New York	3–0	San Jose	Harrison, New Jersey
19:30	Rodgers  2', 15'  55' De Rosario  32' Henry  87'	Report	McDonald  55'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 14,308 Referee: Chris Penso

D.C. United v New York

April 21, 2011 Match 6	D.C. United	0–4	New York	Washington, D.C.
20:00		Report Live TV: ESPN2	Henry  11', 37' Lindpere  76' Agudelo  90+2'	Stadium: RFK Memorial Stadium Attendance: 18,052 Referee: Jorge González

New York v Kansas City

April 30, 2011 Match 7	New York	1–0	Kansas City	Harrison, New Jersey
19:30	Rodgers  22'  32' Tainio  42' Ballouchy  90+3'	Report		Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 20,636 Referee: Andrew Chapin

Los Angeles v New York

May 7, 2011 Match 8	Los Angeles	1–1	New York	Carson, California
23:00	Donovan  41'	Report Live TV: ESPN2	Henry  4' Rodgers  57'	Stadium: The Home Depot Center Attendance: 27,000 Referee: Edvin Jurisevic

New York v Chivas USA

May 15, 2011 Match 9	New York	2–3	Chivas USA	Harrison, New Jersey
19:00	Henry  21'  62' De Rosario  35' (p)	Report Live TV: Galavisión	Braun  6', 31', 55' Cortez  81'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 16,375 Referee: Alex Prus

Houston v New York

May 21, 2011 Match 10	Houston	2–2	New York	Houston, Texas
20:30	Davis  12' (p)  64' Boswell  50' Koke  82'	Report	Richards  1' Márquez  62' Ballouchy  90+1'	Stadium: Robertson Stadium Attendance: 25,314 Referee: Juan Guzmán

New York v Colorado

May 25, 2011 Match 11	New York	2–2	Colorado	Harrison, New Jersey
20:00	Henry  29'  31' Rodgers  33' Mendes  44'	Report	LaBauex  10' Larentowicz  27', 32'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 18,081 Referee: Jorge González

Vancouver v New York

May 28, 2011 Match 12	Vancouver	1–1	New York	Vancouver, British Columbia
19:00	Hassli  23' (p)	Report	Rodgers  33' Ream  75'	Stadium: Empire Field Attendance: 21,000 Referee: Mark Geiger

New York v Columbus

June 4, 2011 Match 13	New York	1–1	Columbus	Harrison, New Jersey
19:30	Ballouchy  9' da Luz  55'	Report	Balchan  32'  90+2' Ekpo  72'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 20,393 Referee: Niko Bratsis

New York v New England

June 10, 2011 Match 14	New York	2–1	New England	Harrison, New Jersey
20:30	Cochrane  37' (o.g.) Keel  33' Henry  50' Ballouchy  57'	Report Live TV: FSC	Boggs  54'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 21,201 Referee: Terry Vaughn

Portland v New York

June 19, 2011 Match 15	Portland	3–3	New York	Portland, Oregon
22:00	Jewsbury  48' Goldthwaite  50' Keel  68' (o.g.) Wallace  74' Moffat  90+3'	Report Live TV: ESPN2	da Luz  5' Henry  73'  90+3' Lindpere  74' Sutton  76' Tainio  89' Mendes  90' De Rosario  90+6' (p)	Stadium: Jeld-Wen Field Attendance: 18,627 Referee: Ricardo Salazar

Seattle v New York

June 23, 2011 Match 16	Seattle	4–2	New York	Seattle, Washington
22:00	Friberg  11' Alonso  12'  60' Riley  52' Levesque  68', 78' Rosales  90'	Report Live TV: ESPN2	Tainio  29' Richards  31' da Luz  50' Scott  58' (o.g.) De Rosario  90+3'	Stadium: CenturyLink Field Attendance: 46,065 Referee: Michael Kennedy

Chicago v New York

June 26, 2011 Match 17	Chicago	1–1	New York	Bridgeview, Illinois
14:00	Cuesta  14' Paladini  37' Nyarko  49' Pappa  58'	Report Live TV: ESPN	Lindpere  40' Mendes  53' Tainio  77'	Stadium: Toyota Park Attendance: 16,961 Referee: Kevin Stott

San Jose v New York

July 2, 2011 Match 18	San Jose	2–2	New York	Stanford, California
22:30	Hernandez  32' Stephenson  37' Johnson  40' Busch  64' Lenhart  68' Burling  80'  90+1'	Report Live TV: ESPN2	Lindpere  7', 85' Miller  60'	Stadium: Stanford Stadium Attendance: 41,028 Referee: Edvin Jurisevic

New York v Toronto

July 6, 2011 Match 19	New York	5–0	Toronto	Harrison, New Jersey
20:00	Henry  33' Rodgers  38'  39' Lindpere  52' Tainio  59' Agudelo  67', 89'	Report Live TV: TSN	Stinson  62'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 15,269 Referee: Geoff Gamble

New York v D.C. United

July 9, 2011 Match 20	New York	1-0	D.C. United	Harrison, New Jersey
19:30	Richards  82' Miller  85' De Rosario  61' Davies  85'	Report		Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 22,200 Referee: Jair Marrufo

Chivas USA v New York

July 16, 2011 Match 21	Chivas USA	0–0	New York	Carson, California
22:30	Trujillo  39' Zemanski  59'	Report Live TV: Galavisión		Stadium: The Home Depot Center Attendance: 14,838 Referee: Mark Kadlecik

Colorado v New York

July 20, 2011 Match 22	Colorado	4–1	New York	Commerce City, Colorado
21:30	Nyassi  2', 30', 61' Thompson  26'  26'	Report	Ballouchy  27' Solli  36' Richards  60' Henry  67'	Stadium: Dick's Sporting Goods Park Attendance: 15,227 Referee: Silviu Petrescu

New York v Dallas

July 23, 2011 Match 23	New York	2–2	Dallas	Harrison, New Jersey
18:00	Agudelo  39' Richards  50'  80' Ream  59' Henry  85'	Report Live TV: Galavisión	Chávez  51', 78' Guarda  79' Jacobson  83'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 17,276 Referee: Jorge Gonzalez

Real Salt Lake v New York

August 6, 2011 Match 24	Real Salt Lake	3–0	New York	Sandy, Utah
21:00	Borchers  13' Gil  44' Saborio  77' Johnson  84'	Report	Márquez  76'	Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium Attendance: 19,081 Referee: Elias Bazakos

New York v Chicago

August 13, 2011 Match 25	New York	2–2	Chicago	Harrison, New Jersey
19:30	Henry  9' Lindpere  63'  64'	Report	Oduro  16' Grazzini  24'  26'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 25,177 Referee: Jair Marrufo

New England v New York

August 20, 2011 Match 26	New England	2–2	New York	Foxborough, Massachusetts
19:30	Caraglio  15', 37'  17' Mansally  33'  55'	Report	McCarty  45' Tainio  49'  69' Richards  53', 87' Miller  89' Márquez  90+2'	Stadium: Gillette Stadium Attendance: 18,882 Referee: Juan Guzman

New York v Vancouver

September 10, 2011 Match 27	New York	1–1	Vancouver	Harrison, New Jersey
19:30	Márquez  31' Solli  45+1' Agudelo  68' Henry  73'	Report	Chiumiento  23'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 19,684 Referee: Terry Vaughn

Dallas v New York

September 17, 2011 Match 28	Dallas	0–1	New York	Frisco, Texas
20:30		Report	Rodgers  36' Richards  70' Lindpere  75' Ballouchy  85'	Stadium: Pizza Hut Park Attendance: 17,019 Referee: Jair Marrufo

New York v Real Salt Lake

September 21, 2011 Match 29	New York	1–3	Real Salt Lake	Harrison, New Jersey
20:00	Rodgers  47' Lindpere  69'	Report	Saborío  7' Espíndola  11', 21'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 14,266 Referee: Jorge Gonzalez

New York v Portland

September 24, 2011 Match 30	New York	2–0	Portland	Harrison, New Jersey
19:30	Richards  21' Rodgers  66' (p)	Report	Jewsbury  40' Alhassan  64'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 25,008 Referee: Alex Prus

Toronto v New York

October 1, 2011 Match 31	Toronto	1–1	New York	Toronto, Ontario
19:30	Koevermans  50'	Report Live TV: FSC	Keel  78' Henry  88'	Stadium: BMO Field Attendance: 20,132 Referee: Hilario Grajeda

New York v Los Angeles

October 4, 2011 Match 32	New York	2–0	Los Angeles	Harrison, New Jersey
20:00	Rodgers  32' Lindpere  33' Henry  58'	Report Live TV: ESPN2	Hejduk  13' DeLaGarza  45+2'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 25,186 Referee: Jair Marrufo

Kansas City v New York

October 15, 2011 Match 33	Kansas City	2–0	New York	Kansas City, Kansas
16:00	Bunbury  57' Sapong  74'	Report Live TV: TeleFutura	Henry  28'	Stadium: Livestrong Sporting Park Attendance: 19,921 Referee: Kevin Stott

New York v Philadelphia

October 20, 2011 Match 34	New York	1–0	Philadelphia	Harrison, New Jersey
20:00	Richards  8' Tainio  29' Rodgers  66'	Report Live TV: ESPN2	55' Carroll	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 25,044 Referee: Mark Geiger