Thu Jul 3 21:13:24 2008

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Red Bulls, Rapids hoping for fireworks at DSG Park

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Commerce City, CO (Sports Network) - The New York Red Bulls are soon going to be called the new look Red Bulls, with Venezuelan national team veteran midfielder Jorge Rojas and Argentine defender Juan Pietravallo being added to the squad this week and numerous others being rumored to be added soon.

Unfortunately for the Red Bulls (5-4-5), none of those players will be available until the July 15 domestic transfer window opens, meaning they won't be in the lineup when the team travels to Colorado for a Major League Soccer fixture on Friday.

Those players will eventually add a much-needed boost to the squad that has won just two of its past eight games and is tied for second-to-last in the Eastern table after a 1-1 draw at Chivas USA in its last MLS match.

The draw was made disheartening by the fact that the Red Bulls dominated the game, but a defensive blunder lead to the equalizer, forcing the team to share the points with the Goats.

"We really let them off the hook in the first half by basically giving them that goal to equalize the game, and after that it was just a very sloppy game," New York coach Juan Carlos Osorio said. "There are many things that you can say about the goal but certainly one of them is miscommunication."

The Rapids are currently in worse shape than the Red Bulls, stuck in second- to-last in the dreadful Western table. At 5-8-1, the team needs to snap its four-game losing streak to get back into the hunt for a playoff spot.

The latest setback was a 2-1 loss at Columbus last week.

"It's something that's been getting the best of us this season, it's something that we really need to put an end to, especially coming on the road," Rapids' Nick LaBrocca said. "We put in a great effort and put ourselves in a good position to win the game, or get a point, and it's very disappointing to let it go."

The Rapids will probably have to break out of their slump without their most influential midfielder, Christian Gomez, who is doubtful with a leg injury.