Red Bull Salzburg
The Red Bulls’ title hopes were dashed over the weekend, as the club fell to last-place LASK Linz in former technical director Ricardo Moniz’s first game at the helm, having replaced Huub Stevens. Salzburg played well to start Moniz’s tenure as head coach, but LASK inched closer as the half wore on and eventually found a goal, after which Salzburg pushed forward attempting to create a chance but could not find the equalizer.
Moniz’s promotion was not the only change for the club, as Nick Kovac was promoted from coaching the Juniors team to Moniz’s assistant.
With the loss, the Red Bulls are looking behind them rather than forward, as they are a full five points out of second place but only two clear of seventh as five teams vie for the middle positions in the tipp3 Bundesliga.
Salzburg (11-6-11) will face second-place SK Sturm Graz this Saturday, April 16 at their opponent’s grounds. A win will be hard to come by, but it would make up for the heartbreaking loss to LASK Linz as the Red Bulls’ title dreams are slipping out of reach.
RB Leipzig
The Red Bulls fell to VfL Wolfsburg II in a match that should have ended in a draw, as RB Leipzig matched their opponent chance-for-chance but allowed a last-second stoppage time goal to fall 1-0. Without captain Tim Sebastian (thigh strain), the Red Bulls created several chances through brilliant play in each half but could not muster a goal they turned out to need, as Thomas Kläsener collected a ball and dribbled straight at Sven Neuhaus, beating the keeper and slotting it home for the win.
RB Leipzig also competed in the Sachsen Cup over the week, advancing to the quarterfinals with a win over local rival FC Sachsen Leipzig, 2-0, on a Lars Müller converted penalty and a Daniel Frahn strike.
The Red Bulls remain in fourth with the loss, slipping to six points out of third place (a win would have pulled them to within one of third and three of second) as Wolfsburg retained its hold on second by one.
Seven games remain on the slate for the regular season, with the next matchup keeping RB Leipzig at home to take on mid-table FC Plauen on Friday, April 15. The Red Bulls will also look ahead to a road trip to VfB Auerbach of the German fifth division in the Sachsen Cup on April 21.
Red Bull Brasil
As the First Team and U-20 team enjoy some well-deserved rest in preparation for Cup competitions that remain several weeks away, the U-15 and U-17 squads swept AD Guarulhos across each division on April 9 by scores of 2-1 and 1-0, respectively. The matches were played on the road for the Red Bulls, but they overcame the disadvantage as Hideki netted a brace for the U-15s and Augusto scored the U-17s’ lone goal.
Both teams will return home to attempt another sweep this Saturday, April 16 as they face Nacional.
Red Bull Ghana
Following a 3-1 loss to unbeaten Tema Youth in which the Red Bulls grabbed the early lead after 30 minutes before conceding the decision, the club needed a win over Rehoboth to ensure it avoided relegation, and did its job well. Augustine Okrah played the hero of the season, netting the lone strike to erase any fears of relegation and moving the Red Bulls (5-4-3) up to a tie for third place, just three points shy of second while even on goal difference. With only one match remaining on the season, the Red Bulls will face sixth-place Zaytuna FC, which sits just one point behind Red Bull Ghana, with nothing to lose and hoping King Solomon stumbles against its bottom-table competition.
