Tim Cahill adds to the Red Bulls' class, and pays tribute to it
Tim Cahill. Howard Megdal
9:30 am Jul. 31, 20123
When Thierry Henry joined the New York Red Bulls two years ago, it marked a dramatic move forward for the club.
As Henry posed for photographs on the Red Bull Arena pitch, he was an anomaly, a recognizable face around the world (if not yet in New York) and part of a team in Major League Soccer's biggest market.
No championships have followed just yet, but the new normal has been astonishing to behold. The Red Bulls lead the Eastern Conference, even after losing on Saturday to Montreal, 3-1.
Two years later, almost to the day Henry made his debut for the Red Bulls, Red Bull Arena was a hub for international soccer: The team introduced Tim Cahill, the longtime Everton attacking midfielder and Australian international, just in time for an Tuesday night exhibition match against Tottenham Hotspur. Players like Rafael Van Der Vaart, Tom Huddlestone and Brad Friedel trained for Tuesday night's friendly between Tottenham Hotspur and the Red Bulls.
Meanwhile, the Red Bulls are eyeing the possibility of importing the Brazilian star Kaka to replace the injured Mexican star Rafa Marquez.
Cahill isn't joining M.L.S. because his skills have left him. He is 32, and joined the New York Red Bulls instead of accepting one of multiple offers from other Premier League clubs.
And he isn't just joining the Red Bulls because he is a big name. He's actually filling the team's greatest positional need.
At a press conference with Backe at the arena in Harrison, N.J., Cahill already looked and sounded appropriately intense when talking about the prospects of his new team. He discussed off the team's current position and upcoming matchups and their chances of winning the M.L.S. Cup on December 1.
"I've traveled here the last six or eight years with Everton," Cahill said, dressed in a white t-shirt with black stripes on the sleeve, along with a Red Bulls scarf. "Obviously, Landon Donovan's come online twice [with Everton], Tim Howard's a great friend, we've had Marcus Hahnemann and Edson Buddle. The M.L.S. is such an enticing league for players. I've watched a lot of games, spent a lot of time watching football from around the world. The All-Star Game the other night is a perfect example of how technical football is starting to be, how undercredited this league is. I know I need to be in top form."
All of the teammates he cited are Americans who started in M.L.S., then headed to the Premier League.
Cahill was asked by an Australian reporter why he hadn't considered going home to play in the A-League.
"It's simple," Cahill replied. "This is a massive move for me. Moving to the A-League, in all fairness, would have been a step backwards. And it's no disrespect..."
Cahill appeared to fumble briefly for words, not wanting to offend the domestic league of his home country, but continued. "It's that, I want to play at a high level, there's still another World Cup for me to play in, to qualify for with the Australian team," he said. "This is a massive opportunity. So I didn't speak to any A-League club, and it was never in my plans."
Cahill easily could have sounded like almost any American who went overseas for many years, talking about M.L.S.
The longtime Evertonian tends to stay put once he arrives at a new club, having spent eight years with Everton after seven years with Millwall. For Hans Backe, he is something quite new: a real attacking midfielder to give the Red Bulls a final link between midfield and strikers Henry, Kenny Cooper and Sebastian Le Toux.
"Naturally, I think, Tim will go forward," Backe told a smaller group of reporters who gathered around him near the player entrance to Red Bull Arena following the press conference. "He is dangerous in the attacking game as a late runner from midfield. Teemo [Tainio] is more of a holding guy, Dax [McCarty] is more of a holding guy, so the balance, I feel, the balance will be much better."
Cahill never reached the kind of heights Henry did as a player, but he is an elite talent who still has prime years left, and he's choosing to spend them with the Red Bulls.
Which, happily, may say as much about the Red Bulls as it does about Cahill.
Red Bulls has world class players, but Red Bulls itself has no class and is far from being a world class soccer team. Same goes for MLS, far from being a world class league. Money does not buy or equates to class. As for MLS, it stands for Major League Seniority.
@ JOR If money does not buy or equal class, what do you say of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona and even Manchester City? Truth is these teams spend millions to get their so called "class." Not enough money makes MLS not as world class as their European counterparts. Red Bulls and MLS may not yet be world class but their definitely on their way. You can't say investing doesn't not lead to "class," because its how the Europeans do it. Just remember a collection of players from a league that you say is far from being world class, just defeated the so-called Champions of Europe in a friendly. Be it a friendly or not or preseason for Chelsea it was still a defeat. Goals came from Wondowloski, Chris Pontius and Eddie Johnson players you may say aren't world class, also whose salaries combined probably don't even match up to that of Lampard's. In fact I'll go as far as saying MLS probably does have alot more class than European teams considering we've been able to keep up with glorious teams from Europe in friendlies all with salaries being a fraction of what European teams have. I see more class in creating more competitive teams with less salaries than just buying championships.
Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Chelsea have class? Just because those teams bought their players and their trophies do not mean they have class. I never mentioned those teams have class. Yet just another Penis envy of the MLS from the European League. I'm talking about teams who do not buy their players and still manage to win and have class. Swansea, Newcastle, Marseilles, Montpellier, Atletico Madrid, etc.
European Leagues, overall has class. MLS does not. Just wash-out players, players who can't cut it in the European League, or the South American League. MLS is just a symbol of the U.S.A. They just want dominate everything. For once they can't just be humble and and let other countries, continents, sports thrive. All pride and arrogance. I.E. classless. And anything to or for a win, putting the MLS All-Stars win against Chelsea as an example, referring to them as the Champions of Europe, being defeated by non name MLS All-Stars -- classless. Just rubbing your nose on someone after defeating them. Just like a child back in recess. Classless. Typical American attitude in winning. Classless.
"I see more class in creating more competitive teams with less salaries than just buying championships." And MLS isn't doing it? It's only classless if Europeans do it, but if MLS or USA is doing it because hey, 'they're doing it, then we must have class'. Football/futbol is a beautiful game. MLS with mostly ugly arrogant Americans playing soccer will never be beautiful or have class. Stick to beisbol and basketball and American football. Just remember, pride is Satan's downfall.