New York Red Bulls Draw Portland Timbers – Three Things I Noticed
After a divisive week and a scoreless draw, it is understandable that so many New York Red Bulls fans are in a state of mild panic. It isn’t even the first time this year that they have felt this way. Trading Lloyd Sam seemed to carry with it the familiar sting that Red Bulls fans have come to know over the history of the team. There are no two ways about it, Sam was a beloved part of a New York side that won two Supporter’s Shields while Sam featured heavily in the starting XI.
His absence was maybe felt a bit more from his previous season self than it was from the current season. Sam had struggled to find his form this year, maybe more so than any offensive player on the team. Bradley Wright-Phillips, who experienced an epic early season drought, perhaps overshadowed Sam’s struggles. However, that is not what I saw, but here is what I did see:
Gonzalo Veron struggles?
I left this in the form of a question, but the question was asked and answered. Was Gonzalo Veron a next level type of player on the day? You might be surprised to see that the answer is yes. A big shout out to Fernando Gonzales for a wonderful long form post on Facebook following the game:
Statistically speaking, Veron was the most dangerous attacking player tonight, by a wide margin too. He created just as many chances as the rest of the attacking players COMBINED, with four chances. Sacha, Grella, and BWP combined had four chances.
Those four chances by Veron weren’t some shit chances either. All four chances were perfect crosses where the receiving players completely flopped the chance, and all of them were a result of some good runs by him. That’s not on him though. He did his job, got the ball to the attacking player in a good position so they can score. The rest is on them.
Veron also had the highest passing percentage across BOTH teams, with 21 of 23 successful passes. Further, 11 of those were in the attacking third, and ten of those were successful.
This is right on the nose. Veron played a very good game. Yes, he had a few moments where he was a step slow or took too many touches. But he created chances, and that is what his role must be in the wake of the Sam trade. Veron’s goal scoring preseason has colored the perception surrounding the player. But do not forget, when he joined the team last season, his dynamic wing play in opening space and playing the final ball were a big part of what fans liked.
Jesse Marsch saw it too.
“You know, he was dangerous at moments,” the Red Bulls manager said. “So I mean I thought he helped put a play together in the second half. He had a couple of plays in the first half where he’s now on the move and going at guys and creating some danger….We kind of create a lot of advantages and opportunities and we’re just not quite good enough on the day. So talking with some of the guys afterwards, do we think it’s a little bit of confidence or do we think it’s a little about bit of sharpness, it’s a little bit of both.”
So, the Red Bulls may have been lacking something on the day, but it wasn’t Veron who left them wanting.
Baah’d News
Apologies for a horrible pun, but Gideon Baah‘s Ronald Zubar-esque nightmare first season with the Red Bulls has come to a close. The big center back will miss significant time thanks to a broken tibia (he underwent a successful surgery to repair the injury Monday), and it is hard not to feel terrible for Baah. The Ghanaian signed as a replacement for one of the best center backs in MLS last year. Ultimately, he struggled with form and fitness throughout much of his rookie campaign. He had begun to play much better in recent weeks, so this particular injury feels all the more cruel. Still, MLS can be a trial by fire for newcomers, so it will be very interesting to see how he comes through all of this adversity. Baah will either emerge from his cocoon as a butterfly or a cautionary tale.
On the plus side, Damien Perrinelle was a welcome sight on the backline for the first time in 2016. While the team may be woefully thin at center back, Perrinelle being able to look in form on his season debut gave Red Bull fans a sign of relief. Perrinelle did not have the same acclaim as his younger partner did last year, but his absence has been felt since last year’s playoff fizzle.
Wright Kljestan, Wrong Answer
“Tonight we certainly, I think, created enough moments where there’s something that is really close to coming off and just don’t pull off the final play. Whether that’s the pass or the finish. You know, to be this point in the season and not have that quite firing is not what we would expect. But we’re not going to get anxious about it because I know that we’ve got really good attacking players that on any given day can make a lot of plays. So just trying to get this thing going again and get this thing back on track and we’ve got to use tonight and Wednesday as a way to get our season going again.”
Marsch might say they are not going to get anxious, but the rumors of a potential expensive offensive acquisition says otherwise. So Veron was made the focal point of the misfiring offense, but Kljestan or Wright-Phillips have not picked up any points in their last five games. They last added their names to the board in the 3-0 demolition of TFC back in June.
This team showed that they will not succeed without these two getting it done. Marsch must fix it in a hurry as Orlando City looms Wednesday. Can he figure out a way to get these two going, or will the Red Bulls only hope come from a midseason signing, the rarest of all saviors in MLS?
Photos by Bill Twomey Photography
