The New York Red Bulls held their annual Media Day yesterday, where they confirmed the team will host Tottenham Hotspur in late July. We spoke with coaches and players alike about how the team plans to bounce back, their preparation for their opening match against Colorado this Sunday, thoughts on changes to the league's officiating, and much much more. There may have even been a Tim Tebow question!

What did you take away from the 2011 season?

Defender Stephen Keel: Obviously, you look back on it, ultimately it's a disappointment. With the team we had, the talent we have, to go out in the playoffs like we did was a disappointment. I think everyone from the top down, you know the coach just said our goal is to win the MLS Cup, and I think that's no different this year as it was last year.

Midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy: We can't do too much thinking about the long future, I think we've just got to talk about one game at a time. And we've got to be very competitive in training, we've got to be competing for spots. We've got to somehow create competition for spots, which will push everybody to play at a higher level, and eventually the team will be good for that.

One recurring issue in 2011 was goalkeeping, as the team started five different goalkeepers over the course of the season. None of those five have returned, with newcomers Ryan Meara and Jeremy Vuolo being the two options in goal. How will goalkeeping pan out for New York in 2012?

Goalkeeper Ryan Meara: Well first and foremost, it's an honor to be playing for the Red Bulls, and be on the field with guys like Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez...Hopefully, between me and Jeremy [Vuolo], we can bring some stability, because I think it's the kind of position where you need to have some sort of familiarity back there between myself and the defense.

Coach Hans Backe: They have started very well. Ryan is only 21 years old, he played most of the pre-season friendly games, played both games now, Dallas and Salt Lake, and has done it very well. I mean, he hasn't done a mistake since he signed for us. I think definitely, there will be mistakes when you're that young, but we will support him. I'm really thinking he's a goalkeeper for the future.

2012 has started with two tough road losses to FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake. What went wrong?

Midfielder Dax McCarty: For whatever reason, we haven't gotten going these past couple games. We definitely worked hard in training, we know what we need to fix, and we're looking forward to coming home and enjoying the home support...I think, like a lot of the guys on the team, I think I was a little bit inconsistent, a little bit up and down, some good things mixed in with some bad things...I think as a team, our mindset is that it's still early. We're not panicking. We know what happens in this league - teams start out hot, they cool off. Teams start out bad, they go on nice runs. Kansas City is a good example last year. While people might look and say "Oh, the Red Bulls are in trouble"...we don't feel like that. We know that we're a good team. We know that we haven't played well the first couple games, and I think there's room for improvement.

Backe: We were disappointed, of course. Games always come down to key moments, and we weren't effective enough in defending, attacking. We made two, three individual mistakes. We just need to be sharper, because if you do that kind of mistakes, you will not win any games. I would say we gambled a little too much in the middle to concede those goals against Dallas and Salt Lake. We can't do that any more.

This Sunday, the team finally opens at home, but against a Colorado side that has posted a 2-0 start to the season, both wins coming at the expense of the Eastern Conference. What are your thoughts on facing Colorado?

Striker Thierry Henry: Well, it's always the same thing - you always want to start well at home, first game, so hopefully we're going to do well. But we're going to play against a difficult side. You know, Colorado, they've been a good team, they won two games. They got a win in Philly, so hopefully they won't do the same against us, as we need three points. I mean after those two games - as I said, it was kind of weird, because we got a good goal in Dallas, and I don't think we were that bad against Salt Lake, but again, if you make a mistake, you pay the price.

Backe: This year, they look like they have a little bit more of a mix in the attacking game. They have got some creative players in to get hold of the ball, you could say it looks like they have a little bit more of a possession side. Last years, they've been quite direct in the attacking game...as they've been the two years I've been here, a very hard working side, hard to break down.

McCarty: I know this week, passing has been a big focus, making sure that we're keeping possession, but not just keeping meaningless possession - keeping possession in the right areas of the field, where we're going to be able to create chances. We haven't been able to create enough chances these first couple of games. When we have created chances, it's been when we're down - losing. So that's something we want to work on, coming out on the front foot, getting the first goal. I think if we get the first goal in a game, we're very very tough to beat.

Meara: Mainly, heading into Sunday, we need a result. Ideally, a win, being our home opener and coming off two tough losses...For me, even if I have a decent game but we lose, it means nothing to me. It means I didn't play well enough. So hopefully we can put it all together, and reward the fans, everyone who comes out Sunday, with a good win.

What are you bringing to the team this season?

Keel: Just kind of what I have before. Just real solid, consistent, nothing too flashy or any of that stuff. Just, come do my job, help the guy next to me, win balls and deliver to the guys who go forward, and keep clean sheets for ourselves.

Ballouchy: I want to compete. I want to push for a spot. I want to push the guys who are playing now, so if they're not playing as well, for me to play.

What will Rafa Marquez's return from suspension on Sunday mean for this side?

Henry For me, it's vital. I'm not having a go at anybody, but it's difficult. We don't come up well from the back.

Backe: With the way he's been training, and the way he's been playing in the preseason, he's a totally different player. He's top fit now. You will see a totally different player this year...we have missed him in two games.

There was a very public blow-up last year with Erik Soler receiving a $10,000 fine for "public criticism of League officials" after a perplexing red card. With the league now offering a challenge process, as well as announcing a new unit dedicated to bettering referees, do you feel things have improved?

GM Erik Soler: Well, first and foremost, the fact that they fined me was totally correct. I was out of bounds, and I shouldn't have done what I did. So yeah, my general thinking is that we have to protect the referees so they can do their job in a decent manner. At the same time, the league has done quite a bit of work now with the clubs, to upgrade the referees and give them better education, and have more professional referees, and I think that's what we need to do. We fully support that, both personally and on behalf of the club, so you know, we trust the referees and hope that they develop so they become better like the teams.

Citing travel concerns, the league moved from a balanced schedule in 2011 to an unbalanced, conference-centric schedule in 2012. How do you feel about the change?

Soler: It's one of the things where you think, you have to learn the business in the US. Because when I came, people mentioned unbalanced schedules, and I was like "Are you nuts? You are not serious." Today, I fully support it. Because the fact is, you spend so much time traveling, that you are losing out so much training sessions, so much recovery time, so much messing up with people's body clocks and all that. So it makes sense to me.

McCarty: Obviously, it's good that you're going to be playing teams in your conference more, you get to know them a little bit better. It's good for the league that you're going to be playing your rivals more than twice. For us, we're very excited about it.

What happened to Brian Nielsen, who after two years on loan from Red Bull Salzburg FC, mysteriously dropped from the roster during the preseason?

Soler: Brian is still not 100% fit, that's the problem. We're discussing with him now how to solve that. He's under contract with Salzberg, so we might take him to Salzberg, or we might let him work out with some Danish club...it's all about him getting fit. And you know, with the system you have in the US with the roster, you can't put people on your roster that aren't fit, because it just hurts you. And that's why he's not here now.

What's going on with Mehdi Ballouchy's green card? He has been in the league since 2006, but due to the green card application process, cannot travel with the team to Mexico for the preseason or to games in Canada. And what does he do when he cannot travel with the team?

Ballouchy: It's something that's pending, that's going to get resolved. Do I have a set time? I don't know. Would I have loved to be with the team? Of course. [In the offseason] I do programs they set up for me, the team. I do the fitness parts on my own, and I do the playing wherever I'm at. Like whether it's Florida or California, and then I join up with the team. And then I'm someone that's always doing stuff, and I'm always fit. Whenever I join the team, I'm one of the fittest guys on the team. So it's not like something where I'm sitting at the beach, smoking a cigarette.

Is Twitter and social media important as a method to connect with fans? And when will Stephen Keel, who has given other members of the team grief for having a poor "tweet game", join Twitter himself?

McCarty: Each player is different, but I think it's a very important tool. I think the fans, especially in the time we live in know, want to really get to know players a little bit better. For me, it's a good way to interact with people, it's a good way to show your personality, show a different side of you...I just try to have fun with it. I don't try to be too serious, I don't take myself too seriously, I'm very sarcastic, I like to enjoy myself and joke around. I think people like to see a different side of a player. It's fun for me.

Keel: Oh, man! I feel like I always have the same answer. I'm strongly considering it, but every time I see a Twitter account, I just see someone who said something that they regret, and their Twitter account's been deleted, and I was like "I don't want to be that guy". But I do need to get on there...I'll say before the midway break I'll get on there. Or at least I'll try.

Is Ryan Meara tired of being compared to Larry Bird?

Meara: Aww, man, I've been hearing that my whole life, ever since I was 7, 8 years old. It's nothing new to me. It's funny hearing it on TV, though.

So, Tim Tebow...?

Backe: He should've signed for Bengals! My team need a quarterback...they've been suffering for 25 years.

The Red Bulls home opener is March 25th vs. Colorado Rapids, 4 p.m. (tickets are available; game will also be broadcast on ESPN)