The Red Bulls inked midfielder Eric Alexander, fullback Kosuke Kimura and striker Peguy Luyindula to contract extensions Wednesday.
“Coming off of winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield, we wanted to ensure that we maintained some continuity in our roster and all three players contributed to our success in 2013,” Red Bulls Sporting Director Andy Roxburgh said.
New York acquired Alexander from Portland in February, ostensibly to be cover for central midfielders Tim Cahill, Dax McCarty and Juninho. But the 25-year-old was forced to play out of position on the right flank, and acquitted himself well. He was the only field player to play in every regular-season tilt, with career highs in games (34), starts (30), goals (4) and shots (33).
“Eric emerged this year as one of our most dependable players and we are pleased to reach a new deal with him,” Roxburgh said. “His versatility in the midfield and his technical quality helped us throughout the season and we think that he has a bright future ahead of him.”
The 29-year-old Kimura also came from Portland (along with a second-round pick) in exchange for allocation money and the Homegrown rights to Bryan Gallego. He played in 24 games – starting 15 – and provided competition for Brandon Barklage, whom the Red Bulls surprisingly parted ways with after the season.
But coach Mike Petke played with Kimura in Colorado, and long has been a fan of the right back. Kimura renegotiated his contract, though it’s unclear exactly what he will make next season.
“Kosuke is an outstanding character who provides us with experience at full back and we are happy to re-structure his contract for next year,” Roxburgh said. “We believe that he has a lot to contribute on the field and his professionalism in the locker room and around his teammates was certainly an asset this year.”
The 34-year-old Luyindula – who had played at Paris Saint-Germain and on the French National Team, where he formed a friendship with Red Bulls captain Thierry Henry – signed on March 19 to get back into shape after a long period of inactivity.
He made 22 appearances – nine starts – and came on down the stretch. He had a goal and seven assists, second on the team behind Henry’s nine. Luyindula had three assists in a 5-2 rout of Chicago on Oct. 27 that capped the regular season and clinched the Supporters’ Shield, the club’s first-ever meaningful trophy.
“Peguy showed especially towards the end of the 2013 season that he can provide a different dimension to our attack,” Roxburgh said. “He brings a tremendous amount of experience from his time at the top level in Europe and we think he can contribute to our squad once he has a full preseason under his belt in 2014.”