What's wrong with Rafa? The Red Bulls have a real problem

What is it about playing soccer in New York that makes good players want to go on vacation? What is it about the most visible MLS franchise that makes heralded, respected athletes put their reputations at risk by shifting into early retirement mode while still collecting a hefty paycheck? And being so damn obvious about it?

I’m speaking of Rafa Marquez, the New York Red Bulls defender/midfielder, whose latest piss-poor outing marked the Red Bulls’ 1-1 tie with expansion Vancouver.

If you’re counting the days since the Red Bulls’ last MLS win, you’re almost at 70. How ridiculous is that?

Look, this is analysis from afar. I haven’t gotten inside the Red Bulls locker room, but I feel sure there are stories begging to come out of there, tales that speak of internal issues or examples of flagging motivation, etc. One really can draw no other conclusion from watching the floundering franchise, one of the few in MLS with three highly paid Designated Players.

Marquez remains in the Mexican national team scene, having just returned from his latest trip with El Tri.  So, how in the world can a player who can still pass muster with a good national team look so inept, unfocussed and apathetic about his club?

We’ve seen it all before, of course. Lothar Matthäus set the N.Y. standard in 2000, when he managed to squeeze in 16 MLS matches between Central Park jogging sessions with his girlfriend. (In fairness, this isn’t a phenomena exclusive to New York; we’ve certainly seen it elsewhere in MLS as decorated men try to wring a few more paychecks from MLS clubs too naïve or star struck to recognize a bad fit.)

If you ask me, benching the clearly uninspired Marquez might provide a boost for Hans Backe’s team, some sort of inspirational addition by subtraction. At the very least, the coach would be saying to the team, “I care enough to make a bold move here, so it’s time for you to care, too.”

I write more about it in the SI.com weekly MLS review (posted here; check it out).  

Read on for more on MLS Week 26, and what else you’ll find in the SI.com piece:

Seattle, Real Salt Lake and perhaps even Dallas remain within striking distance for Los Angeles – but only mathematically.  Go ahead and engrave the Supporters Shield, because it’s going to the Home Depot Center. Things are going so well for the side that they didn’t even need new striker Robbie Keane in Week 26 to brush aside the reigning champs, Colorado.  Further, what seemed clear before is even more obvious today: this is the Galaxy’s MLS Cup to lose.

One reason is Paolo Cardozo. Don’t know the man? Read the SI piece – and remember the name. You’ll hear it again.

Speaking of the Galaxy AND the Red Bulls: In New York, three DPs have created a club with precious little depth. Meanwhile, Bruce Arena and the Galaxy have exploited the MLS draft, finding a way to create a useful layer of depth while also employing three DPs.  That’s not easy, and Arena deserves credit for doing so.

It’s the kind of depth the Red Bulls can only dream of.  And that’s a big issue around Red Bull Arena. Because, as I said, I think it’s time for the Red Bulls to sit Marquez on the sideline.  That also means, of course, putting someone in his place. Without the right kind of depth, there’s a chance the problem just got worse, not better.

I also write about a wacky game in Seattle, one that was as strange as it was important in the overall playoff picture. Here’s one thing you won’t read in that item:

I spoke to RSL coach Jason Kreis last week as part of the Soccer Today radio show. (The link is here.) It was a huge win for RSL, not just because it adds pressure on Dallas and Seattle in the race for a top-three spot in the West, but also because the visitors overcame significant obstacles. Kreis spoke of this when we talked to him on the radio show, one that was dedicated to Bobby Rhine, who died suddenly last week at age 35. But the RSL coach also revealed that he had attempted to trade for Rhine in the past. And even more recently, he was talking to Rhine about an organizational post in Utah. Rhine was in FC Dallas’ broadcast booth, but Kreis had hoped to carve out a spot for his friend and highly respected former teammate in the RSL front office, perhaps in some technical director-type role.