Red Bull Gives You Sprains!

(Photo: "Crushed" by Kevin Steele)

Red Bull New York is currently on tour in Austria, visiting the parent company's headquarters in Saltzburg, and played a friendly Monday afternoon against the reserve team of its sister club, Red Bull Salzburg Juniors in what the organizers figured would be a spirited kickaround between corporate brothers in arm.

But they get that Red Bull in them and they get all antsy in the pantsy. Jack Bell of the New York Times, who traveled with the club characterized the match was chippy and ill-tempered, and RBNY speedster Dane Richards had to leave with a sprained MCL.

So it was a good thing we could count on New York captain Claudio Reyna to be diplomatic and even-keeled:

They’re diving cheats,” Reyna said, not mincing words. “The referee lost control, and I told him in German that he had to do a better job. For us, it was really just an exercise and the object was not to get injured. We were just trying to get a game and they were playing like it’s the World Cup.

Nevermind.

Michael Lewis of the Daily News got more quotes from Reyna and other members of the New Jersey contingent.

Salzburg beat New York 1-0, but obviously, the big concern for RBNY is the loss of Richards, who is about the team's only source of speed on the right, uh, wiiiing. The club hasn't announced a prognosis, but he will most likely miss the April 5 season opener against Columbus. Kinda makes me glad Jozy Altidore was allowed to skip the Austria trip to prepare for Olympic qualifiers.