Harrison, NJ (October 30,2014) – Thursday night, the New York Red Bulls certainly put the wild in Wild Card. Bradley Wright-Phillips scored his fourth in two games to carry the Red Bulls to a 2-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City in front of raucous, if not sparse, crowd at Red Bull Arena. It was the first Home playoff victory for the club at RBA, but also their first Home playoff victory since 2005.
History looked likely to repeat itself. The Red Bulls had just three shots in the first half, all off target. Then in the 53rd minute, a costly turnover by Eric Alexander led to a break for Kansas City. Benny Feilhaber, who had missed last week’s encounter due to injury, slotted a perfect ball to Dominic Dwyer right at the top of the box just past the outstretched foot of Jamieson Olave. The Golden Boot runner-up finished easily first time with his left foot. With just under 35 minutes to play, the Red Bulls season hinged on a result that would need to defy history. For the players, it was just another game. “No, those kinds of things don’t come into a players mind, I don’t think. It surely doesn’t come in mine. You go out there are do what the manager says, you don’t really think about the history…”, said Bradley Wright-Phillips after his two goal performance.
In truth, history probably had less to do with the result than the insertion of two substitutes (Peguy Luyindula and Ambroise Oyongo), and SKC’s tactics after they had the one goal advantage. Instead of SKC continuing to press as they had the first half, they dropped back into a defensive posture, looking to maintain their one goal advantage. MIke Petka had this to say about the shift, “They threw me for a loop, coming in and sitting the way they did, but it was effective. They did a great job with it, we really couldn’t break them down, as deep as they were.”
With more space to operate, Peguy Luyindula was able to take charge of the midfield and was involved in the build up to each goal. Petke inserted Luyindula for this very reason. “Peggy, when he’s on, is able to control the ball, is able to do things with the ball that not many people can. Spreading the ball out, holding the ball for us when we’re giving it away too much… I thought he did well.” Luyindula’s had his first real impact in the 77th minute when he quickly transitioned the ball into the box, drawing three defenders, and finding an on rushing Henry, who managed drop the ball back to Wright-Phillips with his first touch. BWP finished first time low to the far post.
It was a connection Red Bulls fans have seen many times this year, and it was not lost on the golden boot winner. “[Henry], in the second half especially, he was quality. He rode down memory lane. He was a young man out there, he was taking on that guy for fun. I did have a feeling something would come from him, from the left, if it came from anywhere. He did what he does best.”
While the Red Bulls continued to create chances, the fireworks came nearly as late as it could. In the 90th minute, who else would find the winner but Bradley Wright-Phillips? A throw in taken by Oyongo saw the ball make its way to Peguy Luyindula in the middle of the field. Luyindula nearly had the ball stripped, but he took a calm touch away, left his defender on his back, and found and wide open Ambroise Oyongo streaking down the right flank. Oyongo’s cross with his weaker right foot hung in the air for an eternity before it found the glancing header from the aforementioned BWP. Somehow, someway, SKC had left Wright-Phillips open and the mistake cost them dearly. Matt Besler had this to say, “He’s a goal scorer. Simple as that. I mean he, did he touch the ball three times, three or four times tonight? He got two goals. He doesn’t need much, doesn’t need much space. He proved that he’s very dangerous.”
The win sets up an Eastern Conference semi-final with rival DC United in just three days. Petke lamented the short turn around and insisted that the team must leave this game behind and refocus and prepare. “They’re a quality side, they got a goal and the guts that we showed, I’m very proud of. Now we’ve got what, three days, two and a half days left? Three days maximum to get ready for D.C.” Whether they can repeat this evening’s feat remains to be seen. For now though, the Red Bulls survive.
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