Paraguayan midfielder Lider Marmol (right) connected for an impressive goal in the Red Bulls intrasquad scrimmage Saturday.
By Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editor
Salzburg, Austria -- The day certainly wasn't a total waste for the Red Bulls.
On a day that saw the Red Bulls' exhibition against the Red Bull Salzburg reserves postponed due to inclement weather, the New York team got an opportunity to see a player on trial standout.
Paraguayan midfielder Lider Marmol connected on a brilliant 28-yard bullet past goalkeeper Zach Thornton in the Orange team's 4-1 intrasquad win over the Green Saturday.
After he scored, the 22-year-old Marmol crossed himself.
Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio might have as well.
Osorio brought Marmol in on a tryout with the Chicago Fire last season, but the MLS didn't want to sign the midfielder.
Osorio left the Fire to coach the Red Bulls in December and he brought Marmol into training camp. He has been impressive.
"When I first saw him, knowing his background, I really wanted to sign him back then," Osorio said. "Obviously now I want to sign him for the club. We'll see."
If the team does sign Marmol, that would allow Osorio to put midfielder Dave van den Bergh "at his favorite left position," the coach said. "And you have a team that is very capable of keeping possession. You saw when I made that substitution, he played right away very good."
The Fire, according to sources has put a discovery claim on Marmol. But the Red Bulls want to sign him as well.
The Fire could be bitter over losing Osorio to the Red Bulls, who had to give up their first round pick of this year's MLS SuperDraft to obtain the coach.
It looks as though the league office will be called on to decide the issue.
Marmol played the entire first half at central midfield for the Green team and was replaced at halftime. He came on midway through the second half for the Orange side before scoring.
Marmol played as a defender with Hercules of the Spanish Second Division in 2007. He also has played for four Paraguayan clubs -- CD 4 de Agosto, River Plate, Club Sol de America and Club Guarani.
The 6-2 Marmol also has performed for the Paraguayan Under-20 National Team.
Osorio said that he hopes to play the Salzburg reserves Monday.
About the game
The Orange team was the first team, the Green was the second team.
Both goalkeepers -- Jon Conway and Zach Thornton played a half for both sides.
Jerrod Laventure gave the Green team a 1-0 lead, but Orange rallied behind goals by Claudio Reyna and Juan Pablo Angel for a 2-1 halftime advantage.
About the weather
Austrian Bundesliga officials were so concerned with the storm that they cancelled all matches in the country, including Red Bull Salzburg's home match. It snowed in the morning and let up in the afternoon. It started to rain near the end of the second half as Osorio wisely called it a day.
Lineups
Orange
Zach Thornton (Jon Conway); Hunter Freeman; Jeff Parke; Carlos Mendes; Jesus Mendoza; Dave van den Bergh; Seth Stammler, Dane Richards; Claudio Reyna; Juan Pablo Angel, Oscar Echeverry.
Green
Conway (Thornton); Scott Palguta, Eric Brunner, Chris Leitch; Luke Sassano, Danleigh Borman, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Teddy Nizolek; Mike Magee; John Wolyniec, Jerrold Laventure.
