The Red Bulls Take The Lion Head On
Pre-Match Thoughts
It was another gloomy day in the tri-state area. Orlando City SC, one of the best teams in MLS, made their way up the coast to face off against a beaten and bruised Red Bull New York side. Coming off back-to-back loses, RBNY would look to bounce back against one of the few remaining undefeated sides left (at least at the time). To be honest, my hopes were not high going into this game. With major injuries, suspensions and an overall lack of finishing in the last few games, there didn’t feel like there was much to build on. However, you really can’t count Red Bull out - this team looked hungry even in their losses this season. One thing that did play into New York’s favor was the suspension of Orlando City star Nani, making him unavailable for Saturday’s game. Nani is the best player on Orlando City by a mile – without him in the game, there was at least a glimmer of hope in getting a result. RBNY have been excellent at home this year – paired with increased stadium capacity, perhaps their home field advantage would continue. With all that said, I was still eager to see the starting lineups - if RBNY could pull out a result today against an undefeated team, it would be a huge morale boost.
Starting XI
The lineups came out and, of course, some rotation was needed due to Andres Reyes’ red card and the injuries that continue to hinder Aaron Long, Andrew Gutman, and Amro Tarek. Despite some backlash from the fans, head coach Gerhard Stuber chose Carlos Coronel to start between the posts. Though the back line included some usual faces in RB Kyle Duncan and CB Sean Nealis, it was also great to see RB Tom Edwards (who played out of position at CB) and LB John Tolkin enter the starting eleven - I was looking forward to seeing what these two guys show what they have to offer on the day. In the midfield, there were no surprises - Captain Sean Davis was joined by Frankie Amaya, Christian Casseres, Jr. and Caden Clark. I am glad that Struber is sticking with the same group of guys in the middle of the pitch. Last season, Chris Armas rarely kept the same group playing together - I felt that lack of consistency hindered the team. Finally, there were some interesting changes up top that caught my eye - Danny Royer gets the start again, but with a new partner. Instead of Fabio, Patryk Klimala would get the start, which seemed to be a huge talking point amongst RBNY fans. This lineup is probably one of the stronger ones we have, considering all the injuries and suspensions. I also believe that if we can maintain the same hunger we've had over the past few weeks, we can get something out of this game.
Game Time
As we got underway at Red Bull Arena, the game got off to a quick start. Orlando looked a bit lost without their star and leader Nani in the lineup. RBNY took full advantage by bullying Orlando in the middle of the field, perhaps knowing they would struggle to create anything offensively. Both teams spent some time feeling each other out, exchanging fouls and free kicks in dangerous areas, as well as a few corners. New York were taking advantage of the space behind Orlando’s wing backs, using Royer and Klimala’s speed to open up play and pin Orlando back. It was not long before a great ball from Klimala would just miss a sliding Royer at Orlando’s goal mouth. Luckily, Clark continued his run and was able to tap in an easy goal, giving Klimala his first MLS and RBNY the lead just thirty minutes into the contest. It was clear that New York were feeding off the crowd’s energy - maybe that’s why they look like a different, more confident side at home. Just before the end of the half, RBNY midfielder Amaya went down with an injury – though he was able to walk off the field on his own, which is always a good sign, he would be unable to continue. Dru Yearwood would replace Amaya just before the half, fresh off of his one game red card suspension. Going into half time, RBNY appeared to be completely outplaying this Orlando team. Fans could only hope this would continue throughout the second half.
As the second half kicked off, RBNY looked to continue to implement their game plan by controlling the midfield with their high press and quick build up play. New York’s young squad appeared to be taking to the system that coach Struber has put into place. Both teams continued to battle back and forth, exchanging fouls and free kicks in interesting areas – that said, there was nothing to worry either side, in my opinion. As the tension and aggression increased, Orlando were shown a few yellow cards, a clear sign that the Lion’s were becoming frustrated with RBNY’s play style as time ticked off the clock. This led to a foul on Clark just outside the box on the RBNY supporters side of the pitch. With all of the new additions to the roster, many were wondering who would lineup for the free kick. It feels like it’s been years since RBNY have scored from a direct free kick, so hopes were not high, to say the least. As Casseres, Jr. stood over the dead ball alone, many fans, including myself, wondered if CCJ had ever even taken a free kick. To everyone’s surprise, he banged in the free kick, leaving the goalkeeper rooted to the pitch in what could be the goal of the season for New York. This incredible goal gave RBNY a 2-0 lead with only thirty minutes left. The crowd was electric after that strike, giving them a sense that this team really can compete with anyone in MLS.
As both sides made necessary changes to their lineups, RBNY looked to continue to rotate their squad. Fabio would come on for Klimala, who had a great performance. Though both teams would battle back and forth, neither team would be able to build much momentum, which was ideal for RBNY. New York would continue to kill time and frustrate Orlando. However, in the blink of an eye, a missed tackle, missed clearance and some beautiful, defense-splitting link-up play would lead to a goal by Orlando midfielder Silvester van der Water. Though it was Orlando’s first goal of the evening, there was concern amongst Red Bull fans, as this could be the spark that Orlando needed for a comeback. Fortunately, RBNY were able to shut Orlando down following the late goal, as they sealed a 2-1 victory and handed Orlando their first loss of the season.
Final Thoughts
All you can say after a close game like that is, “wow”. This team is something special, which is something this fan base has not enjoyed for several years. I’m proud of the fact that this team and its “next man up” mentality enables them to go after any opponent, no matter who they are or how well they are playing. This team is young and hungry, making them a side that everyone in the league should be afraid of. Heading into the two-week international break, I am hoping to see some injured players make their way back to the starting XI or, at the very least, become available off the bench. Once healthy, I think we can really see what this team can do. The fans poured out of Red Bull Arena with smiles on their faces and hope that the next game will bring another result and more good times. As for me, I continue to remind myself that this is a project that is under construction, so we cannot expect things to be perfect every week. However, when you play with the pride that this young squad does, you can’t help but believe.
As always I am here for it all,
