Montclair, N.J. -- Is Andrew Boyens the answer or one of the answers to Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio's search for a central defender?
He could be if his first few days of practice are any indication.
"Andrew is good in the air," Osorio said Wednesday. "The most important thing is that he enjoys defending. He's decent on the ball. I think he has some good tools.
"He has a lot more to offer than some people think. . . . I think he can be the right central marker."
So the 6-4, 180-lb. Boyens could very well be just what the doctor ordered. He's tall, good in the air and can play the ball. In the Red Bulls reserves' 1-0 win over their New England counterparts Sunday, Boyens played at central defender.
"I think he's got a specific style of football that he wants to play," he said of Osorio. "A lot of that revolves keeping the ball and playing out from the back. So that was a big one he wanted to see. And just be ruthless defensively -- not give up anything. I really enjoy that."
Boyens, a New Zealand native who played 1,825 minutes over 23 games (21 starts) as Toronto F.C.'s first-round choice in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft, was cut by the club last week. That allowed Toronto to sign Toronto could sign Ivory Coast defender Olivier Tebily.
"I sort of saw it coming, but I was surprised," he said. "I played a lot of minutes last year. I got a lot of experience. So it was a tough one to take. Hopefully a lost opportunity up there as a new opportunity somewhere else. Maybe New York can be that place.
Boyens, 24, wound up as a victim of the numbers game on defense.
"There were a few diffeent things to do with it," he said. "At the end of the day we had a lot of depth on defense."
If things don't work out with the Red Bulls, Boyens said there were some other teams interested in his services.
"There are definitely some more possibilities throughout North America," he said. "So I have to explore all options, but I would be very interested in playing here at Red Bulls."
Boyens appears to have settled in with his teammates, even with the short time he has been with the Red Bulls.
During a drill in which the Red Bulls were broken up into four separate sides, Boyens joined in the banter between rival factions. When Jozy Altidore claimed that one team was "cheating," Boyens told the 18-year-old to worry about his side.
"I've really enjoyed it," Boyens said about his experience with the Red Bulls. "I've have enjoyed every minute of it. It's been good."
