Crooks: Jesse Marsch Is Doing Wonders For Red Bulls In Tough, Tough Situation

By Glenn Crooks
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Although he was raised in a laid-back Midwestern town, it appears that first-year New York Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch is well-suited to the high energy -- sometimes brash lifestyle -- of the Northeast.  He's got a bit of Jersey in him after spending four years playing at Princeton University, where he was mentored by former Princeton and U.S. men's national team coach, Bob Bradley.  More recently, Marsch returned to his alma mater as a volunteer assistant before agreeing to replace a metro-area legend, thus entering the Red Bulls cauldron.

On January 16, the Red Bulls hosted a town-hall meeting on the third floor of Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. (yes, another New Jersey team utilizing the New York moniker).  Three-hundred season-ticket holders were invited to voice their concerns after the sacking of Mike Petke.

Petke was the face of the franchise, first playing for the MetroStars-turned-Red Bulls and then becoming their coach.  A Long Island boy, he embodied the hard-working, blue-collar, passionate mentality of the supporters.  They adored him, especially since he had just guided their team to the Supporters Shield and a near MLS Cup final in back-to-back seasons.

"Why did you fire Petke? This is bull----, best coach ever," were the first words bellowed from the hostile gathering as Red Bulls sporting director Ali Curtis tried to explain the decision.

"How long will it take for the new coach to win the MLS Cup before you fire him?" someone shouted.

The new coach, on the dais, sat there for 15 minutes before he was asked to speak.

"I'm being totally honest, I really enjoyed it (the meeting)," Marsch told me after Thursday's practice session at the impressive Red Bulls training facility in Whippany, N.J.  "I've gotten a lot of different comments about how people thought that went.  It was a little crazy, and I'll admit at certain moments I was sitting there saying, 'How did I get to this point in my life?'"

"If they want to do it again, I'll do it again," added the upbeat Marsch, whose native Racine, Wisconsin, was voted "best city tap water in the country" and has a local bakery that was featured on the Food Network.

After the Petke firing, the hashtag #RedBullOut was created, which led to a fund-raising campaign that fueled the January purchase of a digital billboard. Appearing before the entrance of the Lincoln Tunnel, it read, "THANK YOU PETKE, #REDBULLOUT."

A second billboard emerged less than a month ago on I-280 near the exit for Red Bull Arena. Petke is pictured holding the Supporters Shield -- awarded to the MLS team with the most points -- high above his head.

"They may or may not like me, but my concern is that they like our team and like our guys and like the way we play," said Marsch, who was the head coach for the expansion Montreal Impact for one season and had a 14-year playing career in MLS.

After three matches, Marsch and the Red Bulls sit atop the Eastern Conference of MLS with two wins and a draw.  At the home opener, which attracted over 21,000 spectators (capacity 25,000), the pro-Petke chants were audible.  A comment on the Red Bulls' webpage after the home debut -- a decisive 2-0 victory over DC United -- might sum up the current sentiment of the hordes:

Rusty B.: "Ownership, we still hate you, but well done to the players and Marsch, regardless of our disgust at Red Bull, you played a great game."

Even Petke himself chimed in.

"It makes life easier, but it also makes life more difficult," said Marsch of the impressive start. "We didn't listen to the hype that we were going to be the worst team in the league and that everything going on here is a joke. Now we're not going to buy into the hype that we are this really good team."

Marsch is engaging, honest and straightforward. He's perhaps the ideal replacement for Petke in a media market that crucifies those who fail to be transparent.

Throw-Ins

The current U.S. men's national team has struggled since the World Cup, and coach Jurgen Klinsmann has come under scrutiny for recent selections and performances against both Denmark and Switzerland.

"It looks to me like a bunch of guys just thrown onto the field," Marsch told reporters last week.  "There is no consistent message, and I'm not sure what the identity is."

Marsch, a former USMNT assistant under Bradley, admitted on Thursday that "I got caught saying a few things that maybe I shouldn't have said."

The USMNT lost advantages in both recent friendlies, and since the World Cup the team has been outscored 12-1 in the second half.  In their last 15 matches overall, they have surrendered 15 goals after the 75th minute.

"I'm a fan and I want to see them succeed," said Marsch, who worked with current members Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Brad Guzan and Tim Howard. "It's been frustrating as a fan, not always what you want it to be."

After the USMNT friendly against Switzerland, a 1-1 draw, I decided to watch "Garbage Time with Katie Nolan."

Here is one of the responses I received:

Yes, I have entered my sixth decade. But the entertainment suggested in the myriad promos of "Garbage" escaped me. Compare her delivery to that of Rachel Bonnetta, the new face of Major League Soccer who is producing lighthearted features on the league's website. Like Nolan, she's young, attractive and energetic. But Bonnetta is funny AND knowledgeable.  It works.  Perhaps Nolan's show needs more time to develop. I promise to give it another test.

In the meantime, I'm heading over to IHOP for my regular order: the 55-and-over discount on the 2x2x2 special.

Glenn Crooks is the color commentator for New York City FC on WFAN and the former head soccer coach at Rutgers University. You can follow him on Twitter at @GlennCrooks and glenncrooks.sportsblog.com.