Feb. 1, 2008 MAKING THE GRADE Megaloudis, Mesa, Gaudette heading to Cali
Chris Megaloudis was among the Red Bulls trialists who earned a trip to Carson, Calif. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook SID
By Dylan Butler
BigAppleSoccer.com Associate Editor
East Rutherford, N.J. -- The full list has yet to be announced, but a few players with local connections have made the cut following the Red Bulls' five-day mini-camp at the Giants Stadium practice bubble.
Among those heading to Carson, Calif., with the first team are Chris Megaloudis, Ricky Schramm, Kevin Mesa, Bill Gaudette, as well as Martin Nunez, Scott Palguta and Marshall Leonard.
"The way I organize is, I’m trying to bring maybe three or four players per position," Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio said Friday.
Leonard and Gaudette have the most MLS experience out of that group. After six seasons with the New England Revolution, Leonard was waived in December and Gaudette, who spent the past three seasons with the Columbus Crew, is also out of contract.
"I think he has done enough to convince me he is probably is a good candidate to compete for a position on the 18-man roster," Osorio said of Leonard. "As I said to him, I want to see him against better opposition and against our top strikers and see how he does."
The chances for Gaudette to make the team are slim, with three keepers -- Jon Conway, Zach Thornton and Danny Cepero -- already signed, but Osorio said he wants to have four goalkeepers for training camp at the Home Depot Center.
But Gaudette, who spent most of his three seasons in Columbus as a back=up goalkeeper, is happy to be back in the New York area.
“I just wanted to come in and get some good work in,” said Gaudette, who played collegiately at nearby St. John’s University. “Anytime you get an offer to come in train with one of the best goalkeeping coachs (Des McAleenan) you have to take it and it’s a good opportunity to get involved with a premier club in MLS.”
Gaudette will travel to California because Osorio wants to train with four goalkeepers. Gaudette said he’s got an Irish passport during the off-season, which opens up his options for this season.
“I’m probably the fittest I’ve ever been and just getting back and getting ready to see what happens,” he said. “(MLS) is one of those leagues where you never really know. You play good for a while and you impress some people and you never know what’s going to happen here or another club in the league or an oversees connection.”
Megaloudis is also in top shape after a busy month playing for the Puerto Rican national team and playing with a select group of New York players in a tournament in Los Angeles. Tryouts for the Red Bulls couldn't have come at a better time for the former Stony Brook standout.
"I think it went well," he said. "Toward the last couple of days I was fatigued, I didn’t have any breaks at all. I was traveling and plane rides and everything. The game goes so fast and you have such a short time to show what you have, but I think I did pretty well. We’ll see what happens"
Mesa, a former standout on David Price's New Rochelle Raiders and Storm Academy teams, is hoping to hook up with the Red Bulls after an opportunity playing for F.C. Schaffhausen of the Swiss Super League never materialized because he couldn't get a work permit.
"I think I did a great job," said Mesa, a natural forward who played left back and midfield during the week. "They put me in various position and I tried my best."
The remaining players were to be notified by early Friday evening.
"It was very productive and very rewarding I could say," Osorio said of the mini-camp. "Me, personally, I feel like I have done my job. We have given the opportunity for many players to come here and display their ability to play football and to see if they can come into our team."
