 Can a new stadium, new manager, and a few new players right the ship for the New York Red Bulls? One example which may help answer that question may be New York's 3-1 victory over Santos. While only an exhibition, this match featured a far different looking squad than the one that often took the field in 2009. The Red Bulls have achieved quite a bit since their inaugural 1996 season. The team's best result in MLS play was the MLS Cup final in 2008, resulting in a runner-up finish. In the U.S, Open Cup, the MetroStars reached three semi-finals (1997, 1998, 2000) before finally reaching their first final in 2003, losing 1-0 to the Chicago Fire. Internationally, the Red Bulls do have one championship to their name, having won the La Manga Cup in 2004. On August 26, 2000, the Metros' Clint Mathis set an MLS record by scoring five goals in a game against the Dallas Burn. Besides Mathis, there have been quite a few other famous players to have played for New York, such as Roberto Donadoni, Lothar Matthäus, Adolfo Valencia, Youri Djorkaeff, and Amado Guevara. The team has had its share of famous coaches as well, including Carlos Queirós, Carlos Alberto Parreira, Bora Milutinoviæ, as well as Bob Bradley, Mo Johnston, and Bruce Arena. American stars Tony Meola, Tab Ramos, Tim Howard, and Eddie Pope have all played for the team, while Alexi Lalas also played in addition to being the team's General Manager for a brief time. With new manager Hans Backe motivated with some better players and a glorious new home stadium to defend, is it hard to believe that good times are ahead? For the answer to that question, order your New York Red Bulls tickets today and settle into your seat at Red Bull Arena in order to see for yourself.
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