The New York Red Bulls defeated their rivals D.C. United 2-0 at Red Bull Arena on Saturday. The Red Bulls easily had their most complete team performance Saturday Night. The Red Bulls dominated every aspect of play and walked away with a deserved three points.
New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United Player Grades
Alex Muyl: B+
Muyl had his best performance of 2017 by far. He scored his first goal of the season off a great corner and was a constant threat. The Homegrown player had an equally impressive game on the defensive side of the ball. He made very good recovery runs, as well as winning almost every 50/50 ball he was involved in. With potential like this, it is easy to see why Jesse Marsch continually decides to go to Muyl.
Sacha Kljestan: B
Kljestan was another who easily had his best performance of the season. Finding himself once again in the number ten role, he simply looked like his old self. On top of an assist, Kljestan had quite a few other key passes in the final third. Also, Kljestan appears to have rediscovered his set piece touch. A number of Red Bull opportunities came of a Kljestan corner or set piece. This performance can only get Red Bull supporters excited for the following weeks to come.
Bradley Wright-Phillips: B
For Bradley Wright-Phillips, this was a relatively quiet night. D.C. held him in check for 60 minutes of the match. However, after a beautifully timed run into the box, he sent a shot that went right through the wickets of Bill Hamid. This gave the Red Bulls some breathing room with a two-goal lead and turned out to be the dagger in the end.
Felipe Martins: B
Felipe had himself another underrated performance. He continues to be an absolute rock in front of that back line. He made a number of great recovery runs, as well as cleaning up a few mistakes made by others in the midfield. He completed a great performance by providing the assist for BWP’s goal in the 62nd minute.
Luis Robles: B
Robles was another who had a quiet night for most of the match. The Red Bulls did a great job for 85 minutes to keep shots away from Robles. However, the back line got a little sloppy towards the end. After a mishit by Kemar Lawrence, Robles was forced to make a diving save on a ball that was skipping. Robles also made a fantastic save on a rocket from outside the box late in the match. Robles continues to put his name in the early running for Goalkeeper of the Year.
