Three Things I Noticed: RBNY v. Philadelphia Union

Three Things I Noticed: RBNY v. Philadelphia Union

The Red Bulls disappointing loss to the suddenly motivated Philadelphia Union was a gut punch, not just to the team but to the fanbase as well. The doomsayers have begun to circle, but it would be premature to say that the good times are over just yet. The 2-0 score line on its own paints a picture of a game thoroughly controlled by the Union, and in some ways it was. The truth however, lies within the numbers. The good news? The Red Bulls seem to understand that, but are struggling to come up with answers for how to fix what is broke. As GI Joe has taught us, knowing is half the battle. The trouble is the Red Bulls continue to do the same things, but expect different results. The definition of insanity displayed for all to see. Some of the same issues were on display in the heroic draw at Dallas, but the score line is what separates our perception of the New York failures of late. Here’s what I noticed:

1. Depth in the back

When Ronald Zubar and Roy Miller went out injured way back in March, the Red Bulls team looked to be in deep trouble. Since then, Damien Perrinelle ,Kemar Lawrence, and Matt Miazga have emerged as unlikely heroes on the unlikely successful team. Last weekend, with Perrinelle injured, and Matt Miazga away on international duty, Karl Ouimette and Roy Miller manned the central defense. Ouimette might have stood out as being responsible for the second goal, but all of the credit needs to be shared. Ouimette’s poor pass led to the turnover that became the insurance goal for the Union, but Roy Miller’s lackadaisical positioning and effort were just as culpable.

Exhibit A

C.J. Sappong isn’t even in the frame yet. Here’s more than 10 feet behind Miller.

Exhibit B

Sappong finds himself ahead of Miller, and what is Miller doing. Is he lunging for the ball or trying to impede his man? No, Miller is watching the ball go by just before Sappong easily taps it in.

While it’s one thing to get caught ball watching, it is another to be out of position entirely. Miller may have been playing as a center back, but he played far enough up field to look like defensive midfielder. While venturing up field at the same time as Lade, Miller was effectively leaving Ouimette on an island to deal with a speedy and athletic attack.

Exhibit C

Ouimette is back defending with the occasional foray into the midfield. Miller? He has almost no touches on the backline. If the Red Bulls are going to be successful with their high press, the defense has to be able to contain the counter. It becomes impossible to do that if the backline is out of position. A good attacking team will punish that every time. This time around, Philly got the job done.

2. Doomed by their history

At this point in the season, the Red Bulls game plan is laid bare for all to see. They like to dictate the pace of the game. They out possess the opposition and look to press after any giveaway. Teams in response have started game planning better to match the Red Bulls. Jose Mourinho has been as successful with the same game plan at various points with Chelsea over the last two years. Park the bus. The defending team packs their half of the field and just looks to hold shape and make life difficult for the attacking team by playing physically and breaking up anything coming through the middle of the field. When the defending team regains possession, they attack in limited numbers with speed. When done well, it only takes a single goal to walk away with 3-points in this system. The Red Bulls have faced this system from almost every team they have played over the last 7 games. The problem is, they haven’t been able to figure out how to defeat it. I have brought up the notion of ceding possession and playing more directly in the past, and the recent numbers further justify this approach. Take a look:

Opponent	POS for	POS Ag	Team p%	# RB Pass	Opp p%	# Opp Pass	Result
at SKC	56.7%	43.3%	74.0%	401	63.0%	304	Draw
DC	52.3%	47.7%	76.0%	477	71.0%	446	Win
at CLB	51.3%	48.7%	75.0%	467	71.0%	424	Win
at DC	54.0%	46.0%	69.0%	391	65.0%	341	Draw
SJ	56.7%	43.3%	80.0%	500	69.0%	389	Win
LA	60.6%	39.4%	78.0%	520	67.0%	350	Draw
COL	68.8%	31.2%	78.0%	574	61.0%	271	Draw
at NE	57.5%	42.5%	72.0%	441	64.0%	323	Loss
NYC	40.0%	60.0%	72.0%	314	83.0%	471	WIN
FCD	60.0%	40.0%	76.0%	449	65.0%	293	Draw
PHI	65.5%	34.5%	79.0%	542	63.0%	294	Loss

 

Over the last 7 thing, clear as day, my theory holds true. First, if the red Bulls hold more than about 55% percent of the possession, they fail to earn wins. Second, if they don’t allow the other team at least 350 passes, the same holds true. Those numbers will almost always coincide. Jesse Marsch mentioned in the postgame press conference that the Red Bulls tried to switch things up a bit at times and played a lot of long balls in the first half. I would argue that this might be true for longer portions of the game. Take a lesson from the teams that they are playing. Pack in a bit more, play more physically, and try to strike on the counter.

3. Play the whistle

Dax McCarty stopped dead in his tracks. Baldomero Toledo stood just a few feet away in perfect view of the handball, but nothing was called. The player in question, Vincent Nogueira, eventually went on to score what would become the game winning goal. As team captain, McCarty has every right to interact with the official, but surely he needs to know better to wait until after the play is over. Had reacted appropriately, the outcome of the game might be quite different. Going a goal down, the Red Bulls were never able to recover. The game might be full of what ifs, but this one is a big one, and it is something that every player is taught over and over again. What is the definition of a foul? Anything the ref calls. As a player, you don’t get to call a foul, and you should never stop playing until you hear that whistle blow. As team captain, you need to exemplify what it is to be a professional. In this instance, Dax let the team down. While there have been a few moments of Dax losing focus this year, there is no reason to believe he is not the right man for the job. If he can learn from some of these growing pains, it will be beneficial to the team.

***DID YOU KNOW***

• Mike Grella had a season high for successful dribbles with 3. He looked like the Long Island Messi out there. Would love to see him try to take on defenders more regularly. He doesn’t have the speed to beat defenses, so dazzle them with footwork Mike.
• The loss to Philly at home was the first ever. Previously the Union’s best road result was a 0-0 draw almost two years ago.
• All of the Red Bulls defenders had over 75% passing on the day with one exception, Kemar Lawrence.
• Anatole Abang missed a sitter late in the game. He scored on a nearly identical chance in the second game of the double header for New York Red Bulls II.
• Chris Duvall was by far the Red Bulls best defender on the day, 6 tackles won and 11 recoveries. He also attempted the most crosses (7) and completed the most (3). In fact, he attempted the most passes on the day for any player on the field. The second year player has been quietly as impressive as Kemar Lawrence.

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images