July 25, 2010 END OF THE LINE? Backe: Wolyniec offered coaching position by Red Bulls
John Wolyniec may have played his last game with the Red Bulls. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
By Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editor
HARRISON, N.J. -- John Wolyniec's career with the Red Bulls appears to be over.
According to Red Bulls coach Hans Backe, the veteran forward has been offered a coaching position with the team.
"He has to take the decision on what he wants to do," Backe said after the Red Bulls' 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the Barclays New York Challenge at Red Bull Arena Sunday.
Backe would not confirm whether the 33-year-old Staten Island native has been released by the MLS club.
Wolyniec is considered a folk hero by fans of the MLS club because of his work ethic and history of scoring vital goals during his nine-year career with the team.
He was not one of the available players for Sunday's game. He is still listed on the team's roster, but hasn't trained with the club in 10 days, or since Thierry Henry joined the team. Wolyniec's name was not included among the Red Bulls player bios in the team notes given to the press prior to the match.
Wolyniec could not be reached for comment.
He probably is mulling his future -- whether to continue as a player, accept the coaching position or perhaps enter another endeavor.
He has played in four MLS games, starting two, participating in 190 minutes without a goal or an assist. Wolyniec's best moments this season came during Lamar Hunt/U.S. Open Cup games, scoring twice in a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rapids on May 26.
Wolyniec last game with the Red Bulls was in the 1-0 Open Cup loss to the Harrisburg City Islanders on June 29.
Woly, as he is nicknamed, is one of the most celebrated players in the club's 15-year history.
The 6-1, 172-lb. Wolyniec is fifth on the career goal list with 36 goals in 164 matches and is tied for second with Clint Mathis with 10-career winning goals.
A graduate of Fordham University, Wolyniec was selected when the team was known as the MetroStars in the first round of the 1999 MLS draft, but was cut by then coach Bora Milutinovic prior to the season. He was recalled by the MetroStars during an injury emergency and scored five minutes into his MLS debut as a sub in a 4-2 loss to the Columbus Crew.
It seemed that Wolyniec has saved his best for Columbus, scoring a spectacular goal in extratime to lift the MetroStars to a 1-0 win in 2003 and connecting for the Red Bulls' lone goal against the Crew in a 3-1 defeat in the 2008 MLS Cup.
He is in his third stint with the club, also having performed for the Chicago Fire, New England Revolution, Columbus and Los Angeles Galaxy.
Woly's best season was his first full year in 2003, when he connected for a career-high 10 goals under then MetroStars coach Bob Bradley, who is now U.S. national coach.
