E. RUTHERFORD, N.J. - When Luke Sassano looks around the New York Red Bulls locker room for a player to look up to, his search begins and ends with Juan Pablo Angel.
"I've been in the training room this week nursing my toe and he's in there before everybody's there, two hours before training, just to get out there and play for us," the rookie midfielder said. "He doesn't have to be out there in training. We know he's going through a lot of pain, but when he steps on the field we know we're a better team with him."
Angel's second season in Major League Soccer has been anything but enjoyable. A nerve-related back problem is the culprit. It's caused the former Colombian international tremendous pain in his left hamstring and hampered his ability to score goals.
"I need to be pain free, first of all," Angel said. "My problem is not about confidence. It's about getting rid of these needles and pain because obviously they are restricting me from playing to my full strength."
Despite that, Angel still managed to leap up and score the game-winning goal in the 75th minute in a 1-0 win against Chivas USA Thursday night at Giants Stadium.
A frustrated Angel couldn't even celebrate the goal, just his second of the season, properly.
"I normally try and jump with my left leg, but that is the one that is hurt right now," he said. "So I tried to avoid the jump."
Dane Richards is also inspired by Angel's grit. The two talk almost daily about how Richards, in his second year in MLS, can improve as a professional.
"I go to him and ask him what can I do to be better and he always tells me," Richards said. "He motivates me a lot so we try to support him through his injury. I know last year this time he had about six goals, but now the injury is holding him back so we just try and support him every day."
Richards set up Angel's goal, getting the ball from Chris Leitch and taking on Francisco Mendoza, Chivas USA's converted fullback. Leitch picked up his first assist since Aug. 19, 2006 when he set up the game-winner in a 1-0 win for the Columbus Crew against New York.
"I know Mendoza," Richards said. "He's an attacking player like me. There's no way he can defend. So each time I get the ball, I just keep going at him."
Richards found enough space to get a quality cross into the box, where Angel headed it past Chivas 'keeper Brad Guzan from 11 yards out. Angel spent much of the final 10 minutes of the game limping up and down the field, barely able to walk, let alone run. Juan Carlos Osorio was unable to take him off the field because he had to use his final substitution to bring on Carlos Mendes for Richards, who rolled his left ankle late in the match.
"That's what Juan's whole mentality is," Seth Stammler said of Angel. "He wants to be out there every game that he can and he's willing to play through the pain, maybe too much. Some people want him to sit out and just get 100 percent better, but he just can't do it."
Richards and the rest of the Red Bulls had a marked improvement going forward in the second half.
"I have to be honest, I just told him to go out there and express himself and play without any restrictions," Osorio said. "I think he found the game himself, which is what we said at halftime to everyone: find the game yourself."
The Red Bulls caught a glimpse of their future Thursday night with Jozy Altidore sidelined with a left ankle contusion suffered in training Monday. On Wednesday, MLS and Villarreal agreed in principle to transfer the 18-year-old phenom to the La Liga club and it's a strong possibility Altidore has played his last match for the Red Bulls.
"I think what it means to him is to take a further step in his career," Osorio said of Altidore. "It's a dream come true not only for an American player but for any player to go and play in Europe. For us, there's nothing you can really say. I was notified by the MLS that they came to terms with Villarreal and that's the end of it. We just have to concentrate on what's the best for this club."
From a Giants Stadium suite, Altidore watched the Red Bulls break out of a four-game winless streak against a Chivas USA team that came into the Meadowlands winners of three in a row.
"I think it's great, especially against a very decent side -- I think they're one of the best teams in this league -- without important names on the team we got a win," Angel said. "Those are the things that hopefully lift up our confidence and we're looking forward to the next game."
While Osorio is off to search for a striker immediately, the Red Bulls players will get the weekend off. That certainly comes as welcome news to Richards and Jeff Parke, who rolled his right ankle after being stepped on by Justin Braun in the first half, as well as Claudio Reyna, who missed the match with a herniated disc in his back. And especially Angel, who on Thursday carried his team on his injured back.
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