2014 Red Bull Home Opener

2014.03.15 Red Bull v Colorado Rapids

Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ

Another season starts. Mike is home on spring break while the Red Bulls play their home opener against the Rapids. Colorado started off slowly, not getting aggressive until after Thierry Henry made a beautiful diving header for the first goal of the game. Shortly after Colorado was awarded a penalty kick on a soft fall in the box, when Jamison Olave bumped Marvin Chavez from behind. Vicente Sanchez easily scored on the PK, to tie the game, to end the first half.

The second half again saw the Red Bulls as the aggressor, with several good chances at the end of the game. However neither team would be able to put the game away with a winning goal. The final 1-1 score tells the score of a rather uninspired game. 

Luis Robles made some nice saves to keep Colorado off the score board...

It was a beautiful afternoon, which was a nice change from all the snow and frigid weather we have been experiencing. Red Bull usually sets up a street of activities before the game for the fans. In the past there were demonstrations from their drift car and motorcycle drivers. There was none of that this year. Now named the BULLevard, as you entered guests were asked to register to participate in the activities.  Being the kind of person who goes against the grain, I did not register. Red Bull already has my life data on file since I buy my tickets online. We walked down the BULLevard to see the activities. There were demonstrations from the Red Bull street team, the Red Bull Academy booth (where they try to sign your kid up for summer camps) kids 3v3 soccer (always a big attraction), have your picture taken with the Supporters Shield. That was it...

Mike, who is a supporter of Liverpool FC, will always argue that the Supporters Shield is meaningless and the MLS cup is the true prize of the league. He could not see the value of the shield and was even more down on the prize as the supporters club raised a huge banner with Coach Mike Petke holding the Shield. 

We had expected Red Bull to start the game in their usual fashion of parachuting the game ball in, however this year they went with a different approach. A young woman, I believe to be Angela Eiter a free climber, climbed the rafters of the stadium to reach the game ball which was hanging over the supporters clubs. When she reached the ball and dislodged it, they were both lowered to the playing surface. A banner proclaiming the Red Bull Supporters Shield was also unveiled...