July 30, 2010 TO STAY OR TO GO Agent: Coundoul invited to play for Senegal, but fears losing Red Bulls starting spot
Red Bulls goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul has been invited to play Senegal for its Aug. 11 international friendly with the Cape Verde Islands. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
By Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editor
Is it Bouna's time to start playing regularly for the Senegal National Team?
Red Bulls goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul faces an intriguing dilemma.
He has been invited to play for Senegal in an international friendly against the Cape Verde Islands on Aug. 11. But he doesn't want to lose his starting spot with the Red Bulls, who play Toronto FC that night.
That date is an official FIFA international playing date, so club teams are required to release players. However, MLS schedules games on those dates.
Yet, Coundoul doesn't want to miss any Red Bulls games as he enjoys arguably his finest MLS season.
"He's obviously concerned he would lose his spot," Coundoul's agent, Richard Trafford, said by telephone from England on Thursday night. "He doesn't want to miss any Red Bull games.
"In terms of his career, he should be playing internationally. He's going to miss one games. That's not good."
Trafford said Coundoul has been told that he would start for Senegal.
"If he wasn't going to start, he would be going," he said by telephone from England Wednesday night. "There wouldn't be any benefit."
Coundoul would leave immediately after the Red Bulls-Chicago Fire match on Aug. 8, fly to Senegal, play in the game on Aug. 11, and either return that Wednesday or Thursday and be back in time for the Saturday, Aug. 14 home game against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
It would be up to Red Bulls coach Hans Backe to determine whether Coundoul was in shape or over any jet lag to play against Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle and company at Red Bull Arena that Saturday.
"Senegal is a good side," Trafford said. "They're going to make the World Cup. . . . This is the start of a four-year campaign."
Trafford realizes that Coundoul would be in bigger spotlight if he stayed with the Red Bulls for the Toronto match.
"There is a bonus for him staying with the Red Bulls," he said. "There's going to be more interest in the Red Bulls than Senegal-Cape Verde Islands."
Coundoul, 28, is seventh among goalkeepers with a 1.19 goals-against average playing in all 16 games. He is tied for fourth in the league with six shutouts.
A graduate of Martin Luther King High School in Manhattan, Coundoul has made two appearances with the Senegal National Team.
Coundoul's back-up on the Red Bulls is Greg Sutton, who played in the Lamar Hunt/U.S. Open Cup matches. He did not play well in last week's Barclays New York Challenge.
