Less than 24 hours after starters Jon Conway and Jeff Parke became the first players in Major League Soccer history to test positive for performance enhancing substances, the New York Red Bulls addressed the situation at their training facility at Montclair State University on Friday afternoon.
Conway and Parke, who were each suspended 10 games by MLS Commissioner Don Garber for testing positive for androstatriendione (ATD) and boldenone metabolites, were not at training and were not available for comment.
Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio said he was notified about the league's sanctions on Tuesday at 10 p.m. when he received a call from Red Bulls sporting director Jeff Agoos. Osorio said Conway and Parke, though, have known about their positive test for about a month.
"I think it's disturbing and disappointing," Osorio said. "I can only guess that a situation like that takes a toll on you mentally. It would be impossible to focus completely on the games. I think that hurt us. ... We would have definitely dealt with this in a different way (had we known)."
So, without the backbone of their defense, the Red Bulls are preparing to face a Columbus Crew team that has already won the Supporters' Shield.
New York is also in desperate need of a victory after being pushed outside the playoff picture by D.C. United Thursday night, and will also miss starting defensive midfielder Juan Pietravallo, who is serving a one-match ban for a red card in a 1-1 draw Oct. 9 at Real Salt Lake.
"I think it's the worst-case scenario, but we have tried to limit it and make it as less of a distraction as we could," Osorio said. "But it's very difficult to accomplish that because of what happened, the outcome of the suspension, two good professionals involved. We're trying to manage the best way we can."
Without Conway, who has played every minute of every game for the Red Bulls in his first season as starting goalkeeper, the Red Bulls look to untested Danny Cepero, who will make his MLS debut under less-than-ideal circumstances.
"When it comes down to it, it's an unfortunate situation to be losing two of our starters in Jon and Jeff, but at the same time the reality of the situation is you have to move on," Cepero said. "There's a big game for us tomorrow night, playoff implications obviously against the best team in the league. Our focus right now is playing well against Columbus and getting a result here at home."
The 23-year-old from Baldwin, N.Y. on Long Island, returned to the Red Bulls in August after a loan spell at USL Second Division side Harrisburg, where he had six clean sheets in 18 matches and had a 1.00 goals against average.
"He has experience in the USL," Osorio said. "We consider his previous year and I think he has done well where he went. Sooner or later he, or one of the other goalkeepers, will have to step up."
To fill the void left by Parke, who anchored the backline, starting 23 of 24 games and playing 2,025 minutes this year, the club is likely to use New Zealand international Andrew Boyens in his place, while Seth Stammler and Carlos Mendes will slide into the defensive midfield role normally filled by Pietravallo.
"They're very good guys and obviously everyone is surprised but most importantly they're human beings and we want to support them," Angel said of Conway and Parke. "All of the squad is right behind him, but we were more worried yesterday about the final score in D.C."
John Wolyniec, the Red Bulls' player union representative, said players are told by the union not to notify team officials until the appeal process has run its course and penalties are handed out. He also said the players are given a list of banned substances in an annual preseason meeting with league officials.
The Red Bulls have been tested three times this year as a team, the latest Wolyniec believes was about two to two-and-a-half months ago. Red Bulls trainer Rick Guter said about six players were also tested during the preseason.
According to Guter, the over-the-counter supplement Conway and Parke purchased at a vitamin store that is part of a national chain did not have androstatriendione listed among its ingredients.
Guter also said that players are encouraged to speak to him about supplements, but Conway and Parke did not seek out his advice.
"This is a horrible situation, they made a mistake, but they're still part of our family," Guter said he told the Red Bulls players before training. "They made an honest mistake, they unknowingly did this and we can use this as a learning experience. When these situations arise when you have something you're not sure about, please use me a reference, the drug-testing people as a reference. There's a lot of different places you can go to find stuff out."
Angel, who joked that he's too old to take supplements, said the team was shocked to learn Conway and Parke tested positive and reiterated the Red Bulls players are supporting the two suspended starters.
"I think it's a wakeup call for all of us to be more careful for what we put in our bodies," he said. "They're very important players, very important human beings and we want to support them, but right now we want to get on with it and focus on [Saturday's] game and that's the only thing I would like to say about it."
And, as Angel said in an attempt to provide a bit of levity, "the biggest news for me was that D.C. won."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
