Harrison, NJ (Sat. August 12, 2017)- The New York Red Bulls took to the pitch on Pride Night with the same passion and energy that the sellout crowd brought. An entertaining match from start to finish was kicked off with a Carlos Rivas goal for Orlando City SC on 18′. The Red Bulls were able to build up and punch in an own goal off Leo Pereira to equalize on 30′. The second half saw an improvement in play for RBNY. Better possession and passing led to a go-ahead goal from Bradley Wright-Phillips on 60′. Twenty minutes later, homegrown Sean Davis whipped a stunning curler into the side net to put the game out of reach.
The final ten minutes of the match became an all out shoving match. Each stoppage led to a coming together of 22 players, and resulted in several cards. Kaka was sent off on a straight red after a long Video Assistant Referee review. There is no doubt that the MLS Disciplinary Committee will have their work cut out for them when digesting the chaos.
Homegrowns Shine In Red Bulls’ 3-1 Win Over Orlando: RECAP
Lineup
With Sal Zizzo suspended after recieving two yellow cards last weekend, this is how RBNY came out:
The Metro faithful also saw the return of both Aurelien Collin and Connor Lade from injuries. They came in off the bench in the 76th and 82nd minutes, respectively.
The Homegrown Approach
New York Red Bulls homegrown players Alex Muyl, Sean Davis, and Tyler Adams all went the full ninety minutes. Each player had one of their best performances of the night, and they were the reason New York prevailed.
Alex Muyl’s hard work out wide kept possession on numerous occasions. After a well-timed run, Muyl set up BWP for a tap-in to give the Red Bulls the lead.
Sean Davis had his best game of the 2017 season, and possibly his whole MLS career. The former Duke Blue Devil ran rampant on Orlando’s back line. He had a secondary assist on BWP’s goal, and scored a certain Goal of the Week nominee himself. Davis was an engine in the attacking midfield with 86% passing accuracy on the night, and deserved Man of the Match honors.
Tyler Adams continued to thrive at the RWB position. He consistently won possession high up the pitch, and looked like a seasoned veteran in his passing and movement off the ball. His aggressive attacking play and crossing quality pinned Orlando back in their own third. It was his cross that was deflected into the net for an own goal to get the Red Bulls on the board.
One of the keys to RBNY’s success of late is Sean Davis and Tyler Adams on the field together. They play to each others strengths, and the team is better for it. The future is bright for RBNY after seeing the performance these three young men put on Saturday night.
Critique
Pride Night at Red Bull Arena saw a dazzling offensive display from the home team. Metro fans were treated to three goals scored, a flying scissor kick onto the crossbar, and stellar passing in close-quarters. Despite all this, it was the defenders that may have mustered up the most extraordinary plays.
Michael Amir Murillo, Damien Perrinelle, and Aurelien Collin each made multiple athletic, timely interventions to save the game for NY. Aaron Long was able to make one of the most spectacular defensive recoveries the club has seen. From the ground, Long was able to track down Carlos Rivas who was in on goal, and strip him of the ball before he could even test Robles.
While the fans loved it, these plays are not promising for Jesse Marsch’s side. The team will need to secure the back line more. Condensing on defense will make them less vulnerable to counter attacks and through balls which was their weakness against Orlando.
Wrap-Up
The Red Bulls continue to show promise in this second half of the season. The offense is on fire, the midfield is clicking, and the defense is getting it done by any means necessary. New York’s best quality is that when one star goes down, there are others who pick up the slack. Daniel Royer was the hot player for weeks until his injury. Since then, multiple players have stepped up, especially the young guys.
RBNY are known league-wide for having one of the best youth programs in the nation. Their homegrown players certainly backed up that idea Saturday. Muyl, Davis, and Adams have all proved that they can be relied on just as much as any veteran on the team, and that is exciting for the manager.
The Red Bulls are quickly back to action as they travel to FC Cincinnati on Tuesday. Expect to see some squad rotation against a USL opponent in this US Open Cup Semifinal bout, but by no means a B-team. New York moves up to fourth place in the Supporters Shield race with Saturday’s win, and look to reach a Cup final with a win Tuesday. There are still three trophies to be played for and RBNY is as dangerous as ever.
