Gulbrandsen, 24, made nine appearances for Red Bull Salzburg this season (Photo credit: Werner100359/Wikimedia Commons)
I never thought I would string these words together in the same sentence.
How could an injury possibly have any sort of positive impact on a team? Well, the ever sharp Red Bull transfer center found a way to utilize it.
With Gideon Baah yet again being ruled out for the season after a short training stint and perceived return to health, the Red Bulls were able to free up an international spot on their roster by placing him on the injury reserve. Although we may not have seen the last of Baah in a Red Bull shirt this season (as he may be eligible to return for the USL division of RBNY), we will be seeing a new face in training soon.
Continuing with the Red Bull soccer’s notion of global synergy between its teams, Red Bull Salzburg announced on Thursday afternoon they had loaned out struggling Norwegian forward Fredrik Gulbrandsen to sister club Red Bull New York. The loan is slated to last a year and offers a temporary solution to the injury prone Gonzalo Veron who is currently on a week-to-week basis for his return to action. The 24 year old Gulbrandsen, fits the usual profile of the typical Red Bull candidate; a pacey player comfortable pressing for much of the game.
What the Norwegian forward lacks in height, he makes up for in speed and incisive runs. Although not a dead-eyed scorer, he may be able to occupy a supporting forward role up top next to Red Bull New York marksman Bradley Wright-Phillips. Gulbrandsen spent much of his early career bouncing around clubs in Norway before being picked up by Salzburg in June of 2016.
Due to delays in acquiring his visa, Gulbrandsen is set to fly out to New York on March 10th which was originally later than anticipated.
The biggest question on the minds of Red Bulls supporters is whether or not Fredrik will be a flop for New York like Omer Damari or a solid and consistent player like Ibrahim Sekagya, both of whom had tenured pasts in the other branches of the Red Bull organization.
As the famous Asia song goes, only time will tell; only time will tell as to whether or not Gulbrandsen is a success story in New York.
New York Red Bulls
