(Harrison NJ) The New York Red Bulls came into Wednesday night’s game desperately needing a win. The early season juggernaut that saw them go unbeaten in their first seven games was now but a distant memory. The team limped into the fixture with a suspended midfield maestro, Sacha Kljestan, and injured early season MVP, Lloyd Sam.
Their opponent on the evening, Real Salt Lake, had been trying to find their new identity and were coming off a big win against Western Powerhouse Sporting Kansas City. The likelihood of a fifth straight loss loomed like a dark cloud on a beautiful night in Harrison. With quite a few changes in the lineup, there was a feeling of urgency even before kickoff.
Jesse Marsch spoke midweek of changing the team’s look, not its tactics, and he proved his intentions by inserting several young players at key positions on each level of the field. Anatole Abang came in at forward and shifted Bradley Wright-Phillips out wide. Sean Davis started in the attacking midfielder role that had been vacated by the suspended Kljestan. Matt Miazga and Connor Lade returned to the starting lineup, likely to give a rest to the recently returning Ronald Zubar, and Chris Duvall who had played almost every minute of every game this season.
Magic Mike Grella Leads Red Bulls Over 9-Man Real Salt Lake, Breaks 4-Game Skid
The Red Bulls found their footing very quickly indeed. Mike Grella scored his fifth of the year off of the first MLS assists for Sean Davis and Kemar Lawrence. Lawrence crossed the ball and Davis redirected it into the path of Grella for the goal. The goal turned out to be the eventual game winner.
“Magic” Mike, as he has affectionately been dubbed by the fans, has been one of the most influential players for the Red Bulls during the last month, which included the four game losing streak. His confidence has grown in that time and his ability to take players on has made him very dangerous.
Jesse Marsch was equally pleased with Grella’s progress.
“I spoke with Mike, maybe a month ago. There has been criticism about Mike, publically and in the media. I said to him that first of all, within the team, he has established himself. The guys believe in him, and having on the field, everybody knows, he’s been a big piece for us… It’s important to believe in yourself. Have confidence in who you are and what you are about. And in tough moments, don’t let things phase you. Don’t be side tracked by anything, and be strong. And I think he took that the right way and ran with it, and the confidence he has had over the last month has grown and grown and grown.”
After Grella’s goal, the game settled and became an even contest. The Red Bulls attacked more directly and ceded possession. In turn, they created a number of good chances in the first half that they weren’t able to bury. As Salt Lake began to find the game, they created a good amount of set piece opportunities, during which they pushed their entire team forward. During a corner toward the end of the first half, that strategy would come back to bite them.
With the entire Salt Lake team inside the Red Bulls half, Louis Robles collected the corner and sprang Felipe with a good long throw. Javier Morales sealed Real’s fate by taking Felipe out with a sliding challenge as the last defender, earning a red card in the process. The cause would be further damaged in the second half when Demar Phillips earned a straight red for a clumsy sliding challenge on Connor Lade that probably should have been a yellow.
While the Red Bulls will feel great about breaking their four game slide, not all is well for New York. The biggest issue is still the inability for the team to score; something Jesse Marsch says he isn’t worried about. Still, with a two man advantage for almost the entire second half and 23 shots in the game, New York is surely wondering why they are finding it so difficult to put the ball in the back of the net. That question most definitely led to last weekend’s goal scorer Anatole Abang’s inclusion in the lineup against Salt Lake. For now though, the Red Bulls will need to build on their success as they head over the river for their first trip to Yankee stadium, before coming back home to face the New York Cosmos in the U.S. Open Cup. It will be a long week, but if the young players on this roster continue to step up, there may be a happy ending on the horizon.
