Harrison, New Jersey (July 28, 2018) — The New York Red Bulls returned home to host Columbus Crew SC in their second meeting of the season. The teams shared points with a 1-1 draw at MAPFRE Stadium on June 9th.
New York Red Bulls Drop Points to Columbus Crew SC
Rest and Rotation
On the heels of the Bradley Wright-Phillips’s 100th MLS goal, the striker has earned a rest. Homegrown forward Derrick Etienne, Jr. took his place in the starting XI. Defender Kemar Lawrence and midfielder Alejandro Romero Gamarra also began the game on the bench. Marc Rzatkowski also earned another start.
Extra Defense
In a rare tactic for RBNY, head coach Chris Armas started with five defenders. Alongside the regular centerback pairing of Aaron Long and Tim Parker and flanked by Panamanian international Michael Amir Murillo, Aurelien Collin and Connor Lade joined the back line at the opening whistle. This lineup unsettled the team rather than bolster them, however. Marking was haphazard, and Columbus was able to make several dangerous runs towards Goalkeeper Luis Robles.
Crew Dominant in First Half
The scoring began in the seventh minute with a free kick for the Crew crossed into the box, going to the far side of the goal. It was deflected by Patrick Mullins to Jonathan Mensah, who knocked it past Luis Robles. Then Mullins, in his first start for Columbus since coming over from D.C. United, notched a goal in the 24th minute. In the 31st minute, RBNY midfielder Sean Davis deflected a corner kick into the goal.
Red Bull Second Half Salvage Efforts
The halftime changes were telling: Wright-Phillips came on for Davis and Kaku replaced Collin. And the reward was swift: Wright-Phillips forced an own goal. With the cross by Daniel Royer, a tap-in at the face of the goal put RBNY on the board. Their usual formation settled in to try and regain control of the match. A second goal came when Kaku found Royer who directed the ball into the goal. While there were several chances from Long, Tyler Adams, and Alex Muyl, Columbus held on to take all three points.
The Red Bulls host LAFC on August 5 in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs.
Photo credit: Bill Twomey Photography
