New York is RED once again.
The New York Red Bulls rebounded in a big way after their recent stretch of poor form to take the season series against New York City FC. Backed behind the stellar play of Sacha Kljestan and Bradley Wright-Phillips, the New York Red Bulls defeated their rivals in blue for a second time this season.
BWP got a pair of goals in Sunday’s Derby after not finding the back of the net in over a month. And once again at the center of the Red Bulls attack was MLS All-Star Sacha Kljestan. Picking up where he left off in Philadelphia last week, Kljestan is proving that he may be a sleeper pick for MLS MVP. With a goal and two assists, the Red Bulls midfielder has had a hand in almost half of the goals for NYRB this season.
Wright-Phillips and Kljestan Shine as Red Bulls Down NYCFC 4-1
Three Things We Learned:
Press. Press. Press
The New York Red Bulls need to sustain their high pressure. It’s a system the team believes in and identifies with. On Sunday, we saw what happens if the Red Bulls choose to sustain the pressure up the field for a full 90 minutes. Even when the Red Bulls went up 4-1, they continued to pressure and rattle NYCFC. This should be a calling card to manager Jesse Marsch. The Red Bulls are not a “park the bus” type side. It’s not who they are, this is a side that needs to attack for a full 90.
NYCFC Have Some Problems
Despite the loss, NYCFC still remain a top the MLS Eastern Conference Standings. However, there were several areas NYCFC need to fix in a hurry. Besides an absolute rocket of a goal from Tommy McNamara, and a second that just missed, the midfield and defense were invisible. They sat back and allowed for the Red Bulls to dictate the tempo and ultimately crumbled under the high pressure. The center-backs of NYCFC could not contain the likes of Bradley Wright-Phillips and got scorched by him twice. Heading into late summer now, the Pidgeons will certainly need to search for answers to fix up their back four.
This Will Become THE Rivalry in MLS
The Red Bulls once again gained control of the New York Derby. Despite dropping five of six to the Red Bulls in two years, wins will come for NYCFC. Sunday revealed to us just how great of a rivalry this will become. Tempers flaring, big egos, big names, skirmishes, raucous atmosphere, and coaches screaming at each other. In less then two years, these two teams despise everything about each other. With the teams sitting first and second in the Eastern Conference, these two teams could be heading for a meeting in the playoffs. Then we will see the level that this Derby can rise up to.
