By BRIAN LEWIS
The Red Bulls’ mystery trialist is Guillermo Imhoff, and the 25-year-old Argentine central defender was at practice today. He’s out of contract and not bound by today’s close of the transfer window; he just has to impress Juan Carlos Osorio, who won’t sign a player for the sake of signing one. Imhoff, who played for Austria’s Wacker Innsbruck, is the latest in a litany of trialists. Chris Innes hasn’t been completely ruled out, but for the moment the former Gretna captain is on the back burner with Osoro’s attention on Imhoff and one final defender on his radar.
Imhoff fits the bill of being left-footed _ Osorio is big on that _ and will have to prove he can play the ball on the ground. Innes was stellar in the air and a great organizer, but playing the ball out of the back has been one of Osorio’s mantras since taking the job.
The 6-foot-1 Imhoff played for Colon de Sante Fe before moving on to the Austrian Bundesliga. He hurt himself and had been at a training center in Argentina for out-of-contract players to keep fit. He drove six hours to the airport and flew ten hours to New York for this trail.
“I hope it’s about one week, then with all the stuff that we will see sooner than later that this is the guy that we’re looking for,’’ Osorio said. “I keep saying that over and over, because I will resist the temptation just to sign a player for the hell of signing him.
“I think Chris Innes was good in the air but he is not left-footed. It’s a subjective matter. Is he better than we have?’’
Even if neither he nor Imhoff are, Osorio still has at least one more iron in the fire.
“If this doesn’t work out and I don’t think this is the player I have one more left-footer that I expect to bring here very soon,’’ Osorio said. “And if he is not that player than I will keep my money in my pocket and wait until the next window and bring the central defender that will come here. It is not easy to sign left footed defenders as you know.’’
The rub is unlike Imhoff and Innes, that defender isn’t available _ yet.
The problem is the other one is playing,’’ Osorio said. “He’s under contract, so I have to wait. I will bring him when it’s appropriate. I know he will be free when he is finished in three weeks time. I can’t say anymore.’’
OK, that player isn’t Colombian defender Mario Yepes. He’s friends with Juan Pablo Angel _ who was just running today at practice _ and was interested in playing for the Red Bulls, but he’s going to make far more at PSG or elsewhere than the Red Bulls can pay.
*** Osorio still hadn’t heard from Austria on his request on Red Bull winger Ernst Obster, and didn’t think he would _ at least not for this window.
“For their own reasons they cannot make a decision. I was told if there was somebody we would be interested in go ahead. That’s what I did. It hasn’t happened yet; that’s all I can say,’’ Osorio said. “I think if he comes here he will be helpful and we will be able to make him a better player, too.’’
When asked if he was hopeful of getting Obster in the summer window, he said “Yes. I don’t know how much patience there can be. I’m juggling so many things at the moment make sure I make the right decisions and spend the money in the right places.’’
*** On Lider Marmol, Osorio didn’t sound hopeful, saying “I think you’d better ask him because he’s very disappointed. I know what he told me. One thing I can tell you is we told him to make his own decision. He still wants to stay here and train and hope for the best. I don’t know.’’
In essence, the Red Bulls can’t sign him unless Chicago drops its discovery claim or signs a player so as not to be able to afford him. The latter sounds more likely, but surely no guarantee.
*** And the Sebastian Garcia that played in the reserve game is not the Argentine U-20, but a local player from New York City.