Junk Drawer, 06.19: Limping Red Bull, U-20s, CONCACAF

A second, successful wrap of the interesting stuff I found around the Web today....

- While few seem willing to cut Red Bull New York much slack for their injury problems - I mean, they just kinda have to work it out, right? - it's fair to acknowledge they're real. And, speaking from personal experience, playing in an unfamiliar position ain't easy at any level. Fortunately for them, they've got a bye week ahead.

- Speaking of Red Bull, Ives Galarcep did a piece on their youth program...good stuff.

- Even though I have seen most the players named to the U.S. U-20 roster first-hand, I'm still having trouble believing, as Andrea Canales repeatedly states in her analysis, that we're fielding the best anything in that tournament (we've got South Korea, Poland, and Brazil in the first round and that still holds?) Still, she's watching closer than me, so I hope she's right.

- Speaking of Canales, I have to give her props for something she wrote about the competitiveness in the CONCACAF region:

"...So I disagree that Mexico and the U.S. qualifying for the World Cup is going to be a foregone conclusion. In fact, I predict that within the next couple of cycles, one of the two won't make it. On current form, it could be Mexico.
"

Let's hear it for bold, beautiful calls.

- It sounds like FC Dallas picked up a Brazilian (not the body wax...yucky!), at least that's what 3rd Degree tells me. The post throws in a couple more names as well...glad I found that site again.

- Finally, if you're in the mood for a depressing look at the Real Salt Lake defense, the Deseret News obliges.