The New York Red Bulls let a golden opportunity fall through their hands yet again. New York’s ability to get a point in Philly should be a fantastic result, the way it came about leaves something to be desired. Heading into halftime with a two-goal advantage while on the road seemed like the salve that the Red Bulls had been seeking for weeks. When Chris Pontius leveled the score a minute after the Union had pulled one back, Red Bulls fans were left wringing their hands in frustration once again. Was it all bad? The simple answer: no.
New York Red Bulls Draw Union: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
The Good
For Red Bulls fans, while the game was a disappointment, there is one very significant thing to be excited about. The Red Bulls scored more than one goal on the road for the first time this year. Okay, yes, they may have also put seven past a certain powder blue team; but that is most definitely an anomaly. Even better, Sacha Kljestan had his first points since May with a first half brace. How did they do it? Well, they took advantage of numerous set piece opportunities that the Union conceded in the first half. If you think back to the 7-0 game, a pattern starts to emerge. Set pieces are a critical function of the Red Bulls attack.
The Bad
What is the number of shots taken Bradley Wright-Phillips? Zero. What is the number or shots taken Gonzalo Veron? Zero. When your so-called star players cannot get going, results are going to be a lot harder to come by. Luckily, the Red Bulls got a strong first half defensively from Wright-Phillips, leading to the first goal of the game. The high press is critical to what New York wants to do offensively. Forcing teams into bad spots within their own half leads to goals. The concern however, is that these turnovers have become less a part of the Red Bulls game.
The problem is, however, when this strategy fails, the striker’s job is critical to the success of the team. Movement in and around the box during the attack has been very poor. Crossing has equally been poor for New York all season. The question is, has the crossing play deteriorated, or has Bradley Wright-Phillips been too predictable in and around the box? I’m leaning towards the latter, although both can be true. The Red Bulls current crossing success rate is 4%, which is about equal to league average.
The Ugly
The Red Bulls had surrendered points after taking a lead on the road in three of their last four road games. In those games, they have two of a possible nine points. If we assume that they picked up maximum points in those contests, their current league positioning would be first place in the East with 34 points. The level of frustration among the team is palpable, and they aren’t shy about saying it. “We have to do better in the second half. We played like boys not men.” Said Sacha Kljestan after the match.
Jesse Marsch was equally frustrated. “All four goals that have been scored on us here are the same thing. Same problematic thing, so, until we figure out how to deal with some of these moments, it’s going to feel like a long year. On the road, we just find ways to shoot ourselves in the foot. We’ve gotten leads, we’ve played well for major stretches, we’ve been the better team for major stretches, and we have walked away with very few result. So until we start to figure out how to handle games and moments better then it’s going to feel like we are starting at square one every time we start on the road. It’s going to be hard to build a momentum in the season. And all that being said, it’s hard being up 2-0 and then walk away with just a point.”
The Bottom Line
Marsch is frustrated, but he he is ultimately culpable for these results. In the same frustrating road stretch mentioned above, the Red Bulls have allowed an average of 83% of an opponents total shots in the second half of games. That number speaks to a shift in tactics at halftime once the Red Bulls have the lead. In short, it is playing scared. The Red Bulls have thrived at home in these situations, because they are willing to continue to push offensively to maintain control of the game. The question is, why does that not happen on the road?
Just like Marsch said, “…Until they figure out how to deal with some of these moments, it’s going to feel like a long year.” Until the Red Bulls stop playing scared, points on the road will be at a premium.
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