NEW YORK FRANCHISE ENERGIZED BY RED BULL TAKEOVER

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Major League Soccer’s New York club has been enjoying the benefits associated with its takeover by Austrian energy drink manufacturer Red Bull. The club – which switched its nickname from Metrostars to Red Bulls – was bought shortly before the start of the MLS season.

“The things Red Bull has brought are incredible,” New York striker Mike Magee said. “They're giving us resources, little things like plasma TVs in the locker room and just the overall environment is 100 times better with all the changes that have been made.”

Red Bull bought the team from Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) and has made immediate change on and off the field. The team changed its colors to blue, white and red, mirroring the energy drink’s bottle, and 16 new players have been brought in to a team that lost to New England in last year’s playoffs.

Financial terms of the deal were not revealed, although media reports suggest the price was close to US 100 million.

The new owners will also “join the investment” in the club’s football-specific stadium, set to be named the Red Bull Arena. The stadium is scheduled to open in time for the 2008 season 10 kilometres from the team’s current home in Harrison, New Jersey.