The New York Red Bulls might be able to close in on another young American player. Monday afternoon, a variety of sources reported Terrence Boyd to the Red Bulls for the 2017 season.
.@TBoyd91 is looking to be going on loan with @NewYorkRedBulls for the 2017 @MLS season. Took a tour of the facilities last week.
— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) December 12, 2016
RBNY source confirms @TaylorTwellman report that Boyd interested, but has options he’s evaluating. Cash would be key in deal for club. #MLS
— Julie Stewart-Binks (@JSB_TV) December 12, 2016
Rumor: Terrence Boyd Looking To Join NYRB
There is currently no information beyond the dreaded off-season words “report”, but the move would boost an already potent offense with a proven goal scorer.
The 25-year old striker is coming off of a major injury, tearing his ACL and facing complications from a cyst in his calf. The situation forced Boyd to face the possibility of an early retirement. Alas, his knee healed, and he slowly got back onto the playing field. Since returning, his club team, Red Bull Leipzig rose to the top of the Bundesliga. Boyd finds himself the victim of circumstance and is surplus to requirements for the German club.
Boyd, the son of an American serviceman, became a U.S. player after being recruited to the U-20 team by Thomas Rongen. He quickly progressed through the youth ranks to the senior team under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. While he has failed to score a goal for the U.S .Men’s National Team, he did assist Michael Orozco’s goal, defeating Mexico at the Estadio Azteca.
Boyd’s strike rate is very impressive everywhere he has gone. Before his time with Leipzig, he averaged 0.45 goals per game in stints with Hertha BSC II, Borussia Dortmund II, and Rapid Wien. An impressive tally for sure. With the injury in December of 2014, Boyd had scored just twice in seven starts. A drop in form after joining a new squad is expected, and his injury kept him from improving his stat sheet. Since coming back to the field, he has spent time with Leipzig’s B-squad, scoring five goals in nine appearances.
The Red Bulls need for a “plan B” saw Jesse Marsch try out a two forward system that never found its legs. The midseason loan of Omer Damari looked to add a powerful target striker to the front line, but Damari suffered his own injury problems and never caught on with the team.
Before Damari, NY had attempted to play that two-striker system with Anatole Abang, and then Gonzalo Veron. Veron shined in preseason in the striker role, but mostly against lesser competition. Abang was unable to stake a claim to the spot, and his development seemed to hit a snag. This past summer, he sipped out on loan and will remain on loan for the coming season.
Terrence Boyd when healthy fits the bill, but questions about if he can remain healthy for a long stretch will be on fans minds. Expensive, injury prone players pose a significant risk to MLS squads. NY fans will be wary after the team was plagued with such injuries in 2016. Players like Gonzalo Veron, Gideon Baah, Ronald Zubar, and the aforementioned Damari.
The winter months are a bastion of false leads for the New York Red Bulls. This rumor feels a bit different. The connection to sister club Leipzig, young American player, and intimate knowledge of the RB system make this one look much more real. Ali Curtis and Jesse Marsch both mentioned system familiarity as a major factor in bring Omer Damari to the team. Until there is more news however, it all remains a dream.
