New York Red Bulls’ http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chris-Albright-c9007
When Major League Soccer franchise New York Red Bulls added Norwegian International Jan Gunnar Solli to their roster, Coach Hans Backe praised him as a box-to-box player and called him a ‘versatile actor on the Red Bulls’ stage’.
Owing much to roster injuries, the midfielder has somehow ended up at the right-back position. However, the player is not complaining and better still, he assisted two of the four goals that The Red Bulls scored against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/DC-United-c38901 last week. The selfless
sacrifice has paid off and Solli has become a permanent fixture in Backe’s team sheet. The Norwegian now feels that he is more effective in his new position.
“I saw it like a challenge," Solli said of his new assignment. "The way we play here, I have a lot of space to run into – that’s one of my strengths. As a right fullback here, I’m on the ball so much.”
Against DCU the player came into the scene in 12th minute. His pass to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Thierry-Henry-c34918 was converted into a goal, which gave his side an early lead in the encounter. The second assist came in 38th minute of the game and it was Henry again
who benefited from it; the former Barca man completed his brace off a great back pass from Solli.
The versatile skill of the player has made him the first choice to replace Chris Albright, the regular right-back for RBNY. The player has been sidelined because of a knee injury that will keep him out of action for a majority of the 2011 MLS season. Solli,
for his part, has performed exceptionally well, showcasing his attacking flair on a routine basis.
A central midfielder by nature, the player has showcased his ability to surge into the opposition area while performing his defensive duties. In addition to being a central midfielder, the player has also played as a right winger and his ability to cross
the ball into the box was evident in the last match. His partnership with Mexican purchase, Rafael Marquez, has flourished and assistant manager of the outfit, Jan Halvor Halvorsen, is more than happy with the progress.
“Now all the crosses are very good,” Halvorsen said. “Two assists is not bad as a right fullback.”
With Marquez manning the right-centre-back spot, the team has more options to push forward and create chances from the flanks. “Especially when people see that we had a good game crossing against DC, they’ll have to close that down now,” Solli said.
Versatile players like Solli and Marquez in the defence align perfectly with Backe’s overall formation and will certainly assist the team’s attack. The Bulls’ fans will be hoping that the Hans’ new system pays dividends, especially in the MLS playoffs.
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