NYCFC, Red Bulls are polar opposites
Wednesday will be a huge day for New York City FC, sources have told The Post, because Andrea Pirlo will officially sign on the same day Frank Lampard finally arrives to join David Villa at practice.
Meanwhile, across the river, the Red Bulls have gone into a full costcutting mode that would make the Mets cringe, slashing 75 percent of their budget in just three years.
As the teams prepare for Sunday’s second New York Derby — the first at a nearlysold out Yankee Stadium — one question comes to mind: Has any club outside Barcelona, Real Madrid or the Premier League giants brought in three bigger names in a single year than NYCFC has?
The flip side of the question is: If NYCFC’s starryeyed ambition is a plus for MLS, is the Red Bulls’ sudden frugality a negative?
The Red Bulls had a $15 million payroll in 2012, with the next closest MLS team at $10 million. But with Bradley WrightPhillips now the only Designated Player on the roster, that figure is a quarter of what it was three years ago. Attempts to land Kaka, Xavi and most recently, James McClean, have failed.
NYCFC will top a $20 million annual payroll. Villa and Lampard each make $6 million annually, with Lampard’s prorated because he just got his P1 visa and starts practice July 1. Pirlo should sign for a similar sum and will join NYCFC next month, contrary to reports from Italy claiming he would wait until January.
Bring ’em all on, says Red Bulls captain Dax McCarty.
“If he does come and sign here, it’ll be a lot of fun to play against worldclass players,’’ McCarty said. “We’re the established team in New York/New Jersey. We have a lot of history. NYCFC came in, made a big splash. That’s good for our league. To have bigname players, they bring legitimacy for the league.’’
NYCFC’s move for Pirlo was first reported as a done deal last Friday in The Post. The Italian star — who has won five straight Scudettos and was named Serie A Player of the Year three of the last four years — attended Yankees OldTimers’ Day on Saturday then spent the week in Miami on a family vacation.
“Clearly he’s a worldclass player who played in the Champions League final,” Garber said. “He’s a legend.’’