Portland, Oregon — Looking to stop their current slide, the New York Red Bulls clashed with the Portland Timbers. Their second Cascadia team in a week, the Red Bulls are coming off a heartbreaking 4-2 loss to the Seattle Sounders.
Rotation Players Shine
The second of three matches in a seven-day stretch, several starters were benched. Daniel Royer and Bradley Wright-Phillips were rested in favor of Tom Barlow up top. Michael Amir Murillo made way for Kyle Duncan to make his first start since July. Less than five minutes into the match, Duncan found the back of the net. Southampton loan Josh Sims fed the ball to the defender, making him the 18th goalscorer this season.
Moments later, a flurry of shots by Marc Rzatkowski and Barlow threatened to double the lead. In the 12th minute, Barlow had another shot that Portland goalkeeper Steve Clark deflected away. Had there been another attacker on the play, there could have been another goal. The pace in the opening 20 minutes kept the Red Bulls on the front foot.
DANNY. ROYER. pic.twitter.com/dDOIg8rqRD
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) September 19, 2019
Timbers Struggle, Cannot Level
Near the 30 minute mark, Portland tried to turn the match in their favor. They were effective in transition and made several runs on goal. Diego Chara notably had a clear shot, but it dinged the crossbar and stayed out. Although they had several shots in the latter part of the first half, shots strayed wide of the net. New York goalkeeper Luis Robles guided his players through set-piece defending but had no saves on the half. Following a single minute of stoppage time, the Red Bulls remained on top.
Deceptively Quiet Second Half
The match reached the hour mark with little threat from either side. However, Robles was increasingly challenged as the minutes ticked on. Royer joined the match, a tactical decision by manager Chris Armas. Cristhian Paredes was forced to come out for Portland, replaced by Sebastian Blanco.
Although New York midfielder Cristian Casseres,Jr. was called for a foul on the play, there was no Video Review for a card. The best chance for Portland in the second half came from Jeremy Ebobisse, who outran New York defense but sent his shot wide. Wright-Phillips took over for Barlow. Meanwhile, Sean Nealis bolstered the back line when Sims was called out. During a significant eight minutes of stoppage time, a penalty kick by Royer doubled the lead to help New York bring home three points.
91st MINUTE, pres. by @YanmarAmerica: Kyle Duncan on his first MLS goal and three points in Portland.#RedRunsDeep | #RBNY pic.twitter.com/wjKzZW2bOl
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) September 19, 2019
What’s Next?
The Red Bulls return to Harrison, New Jersey, for an Eastern Conference matchup against the Philadelphia Union. The club will celebrate Hispanic Heritage night for their penultimate home match of the 2019 regular season.
Sunday’s match will begin at 6:30 p.m. EST.
