Eye brows certainly took an upward tilt when it was announced the New York Red Bulls would be holding preseason training camp in Cancun, Mexico. After all, the party capital of the Western hemisphere certainly doesn’t inspire the casual observer to think soccer first.
And that seems to be the idea behind the move.
Last season wasn’t a letdown simply because the team lost it’s defensive form, or could not excel in set piece situations; it was lost because the locker room became a toxic environment. Long before Rafa Marquez declared the team beneath his level, there was a simmering culmination of angst amongst the boys that was sinking morale to new lows. International call-ups, team injuries and the overall failure to live up to expectation’s decimated the Red Bull’s confidence. Once Marquez had his say on Tim Ream and his teammates, that decimation became division.
Before you could say “infantile,” New York was left staring in wonder as the Galaxy celebrated their advance towards an eventual MLS Cup.
Morale needed about as much attention as any goalkeeping or defensive void ever did. Where better to find that much needed boost than Cancun? Early critiques (and there certainly are plenty around these parts) have focused on the fact that the team looks to be doing more swimming and tweeting than actual training and grunt work …
What’s being missed here is the bigger picture. Turnover has consistently muddled this teams growth. For all the question marks surrounding New York (and there are many), they have managed to keep their core together; a rarity around these parts. The amusing part about that is the core they have brought back ended the season a divided bunch.
If you are looking for a training focused solely on drills, and tactics, this isn’t camp for you. Cancun is a place to mend fences. Make no mistake about it; the time for healing is now. After the Red Bulls defeated FC Dallas 2-0 in their first competitive action of the season, Coach Hans Backe alluded to the importance team building has had in this particular trip. “We’ve been almost training everyday now, and I must say, almost from the start of this preseason, looks that we have been quite successful to create a better environment,” Backe observed.
If New York hope to be competitive this season, they must start with bettering themselves first. Maybe a little pool time can make that happen.
DJ – Thanks! (hopefully informative too?!)
DS – Ya, I am well aware. This year has a different vibe to it though. Just take a look at some of the latest things they have been doing (as DJ mentioned). Looks like they are emphasizing fun and footie, which is a good thing for this team to do.
They went to Cancun last year for pre-season as well.
Dude, they are zip lining! Can I be a pro soccer player too?!
Btw your twitter feed is hysterical.