The 2010 New York Red Bulls season was their fifteenth in Major League Soccer, and in their existence.
Following a dismal 2009 season, the Red Bulls saw the arrival of Swedish head coach Hans Backe. Backe replaced interim coach Richie Williams, who became an assistant.
In part of an entire overhaul to the club, the Red Bulls made several notable signings throughout the season including retired French international Thierry Henry; Mexico's national team captain, Rafael Márquez; as well as players including Tim Ream and Joel Lindpere.
The Red Bulls went on a worst-to-first campaign, topping the Eastern Conference by one point over Columbus before losing 3–2 on aggregate against San Jose in the quarterfinals of the 2010 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Monthly overview
November 2009
The contract for defender Leo Krupnik was terminated and he returned to Israel. Midfielder Nick Zimmerman was selected in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft by the Philadelphia Union on November 25. Veteran midfielder Albert Celades retired after one year with the club.
December 2009
Erik Solér was named Red Bull New York General Manager and Sporting Director on December 7 and made responsible for the overall management of the New York Red Bulls, including its sporting division – comprising the First Team, the Red Bulls Academy, its developmental system and scouting. His most pressing concern was to name a head coach.
January
The Red Bulls named Sweden's Hans Backe head coach on January 7. "I have followed Hans' career for many years and I think he will be an excellent coach for this team", said Red Bull New York General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Solér. "Hans brings a vast amount of experience from a variety of different clubs in Europe and he has been a fantastic mentor for many young and established players. We are confident that he will be able to help our club accomplish our goal of competing for a MLS Cup."
The new regime made many roster moves during the month. The club said goodbye to disappointing midfielder Jorge Rojas when he signed with a club in his native Venezuela on January 1. One week later the Red Bulls signed Costa Rican international defender Roy Miller. At the 2010 MLS SuperDraft on January 14, the club picked midfielder Tony Tchani and midfielder Austin da Luz in the first round, defender Tim Ream in the second round, forward Conor Chinn in the third round, and midfielder/forward Irving Garcia in the fourth round. Tchani signed with MLS as a Generation adidas player, meaning he has no salary cap impact for 2010 (and possibly a year or two more). The club also traded picks in the second and third round to acquire defender Chris Albright from the New England Revolution.
Also, on January 29, the Red Bulls traded their No. 1 slot in the MLS Allocation Rankings to the Philadelphia Union in exchange for the No. 6 slot and allocation money. Philadelphia used the pick to sign defender Michael Orozco Fiscal.
The Red Bulls opened preseason training in Spain where the club played CSKA Moscow to a 1–1 draw and defeated Polish club Lech Poznań 1–0.
February
The Red Bulls cut goalkeeper Danny Cepero, and defenders Walter García and Carlos Johnson. The club also declined the contract option for midfielder Matthew Mbuta and hired Goran Aral as an assistant coach. Head coach Hans Backe confirmed that the club signed Estonian international Joel Lindpere, though the paperwork was not yet complete.
In preseason play, the Red Bulls won the 2010 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic tournament in Orlando, beating Toronto FC 4–0 in the final behind three goals from captain Juan Pablo Ángel.
March
Personnel moves dominated the month with the start of the regular season scheduled for March 27. SuperDraft picks Tim Ream, Conor Chinn and Irving Garcia were signed to contracts as was veteran goalkeeper Greg Sutton and Estonian import Joel Lindpere. The club acquired midfielder Carl Robinson from Toronto FC for a 2011 MLS SuperDraft pick, watched Enar Jääger and Yevhen Levchenko come and go as trialists, and sent Ernst Öbster back to Austria. On March 26, the club signed forward Juan Agudelo as a Homegrown Player from Red Bulls Academy. The U.S. Youth international had also been courted by sides in his native Columbia. The club announced that forward Giorgi Chirgadze, the first player signed from Red Bulls Academy, would likely miss the season due to a hip injury.