Three consecutive home matches for New York Red Bulls and manager Jesse Marsch ended in strong fashion Saturday, collecting three points in a 2-1 victory against the New England Revolution. The Red Bulls had earned only two points in their two most recent games at Red Bull Arena.
New York Red Bulls Return to Winning Ways Against New England
The night began with frustration for the home side, as a sliding challenge from center-back Damien Perrinelle resulted in a penalty kick for the Revolution. Midfielder Lee Nguyen put away the chance from the spot to give the visitors an early lead.
But chances came in large amounts for New York, as the attack was able to create space and scoring opportunities throughout the first half. Despite going into halftime down 1-0, this effort was finally rewarded for the Red Bulls after the break.
A cross in the New England penalty area was mishandled by goalkeeper Cody Cropper, and fell perfectly to striker Bradley Wright-Phillips to finish with a sublime back-heel shot. The English forward has now scored in two consecutive matches.
Marsch’s side were ultimately able to capitalize on Wright-Phillips’ equalizer and ended with a victory on the evening thanks to Daniel Royer’s strike in the 74th minute. New York now prepare to travel to face the Montreal Impact on June 3.
High-press formation back and effective
The Red Bulls’ high-press approach had not seen the same effectiveness in the past two matches, with Saturday evening displaying its excellent capabilities.
New York’s midfield was able to keep pressure on their opposing counterparts, denying possession late in the game.
Jesse Marsch and the entire global Red Bull organization have utilized this system, and it was back to its successful best in Harrison.
Kamara silenced
One of the most noteworthy aspects was the Red Bulls defense and their ability to keep New England striker Kei Kamara in-check. The Sierra Leone international found great difficulty creating space in the final third.
The Revolution depend heavily on Kamara’s work at the top of the line-up, and found attacking consistency difficult due to New York’s backline.
While not a flawless performance overall, the Red Bulls will be pleased with the victory after going winless in their last four matches.
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