Following a three-point finish at RFK Stadium last weekend, the New York Red Bulls return home Wednesday night to take on Sporting Kansas City for a 7:30 PM kick off on MSG+.
Any time the club can play a match at Red Bull Arena, it is met with the anticipation of fighting it out against the opponent to get results in front of the home crowd. This is especially the case after the team started five of its first seven matches on the road to kick off the season.
“We know when we’re at home we’re very dangerous,” said Red Bulls midfielder Dax McCarty. “We’re a team that likes to be on the front foot and dictate the game. We know we’re going to create chances. I think even last year against them we created chances, our finishing just wasn’t there.”
Sporting KC Preview
New York, currently sitting at fifth place in the Eastern Conference with an overall record of 2-3-2, has not played a home match at Red Bull Arena since registering its first win of the season on Mar. 30 in a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union. Combined with the Red Bulls' 0-0 draw against D.C. United in the Mar. 16 home opener, and New York holds a 1-0-1 record at home.
Last season, while in the midst of making a run for an undefeated record at Red Bull Arena, New York watched its 10-0-3 home streak come to an end on Sept. 19. That opponent? None other than Sporting Kansas City.
“They jumped all over us in the first half and we just couldn’t recover from it,” McCarty said. “So it was a disappointing way for our streak to end, but obviously against a good team like that you can’t start out slow like that. We know they’re just as good this year.”
The 2012 season may be over and done with, but the impression left still resonates with some players.
“We’re playing a KC team that are very strong and we know a lot about them,” Tim Cahill said. “We watched the video and I suppose we just gotta keep doing what we did on the weekend because that’s what we’ve been crying out for for a while now.”
New York will look to make an early-season statement against Sporting Kansas City Wednesday night, as the club aims to claim three points against an Eastern Conference opponent and extend its home record to 2-0-1.
Wednesday’s match against Sporting Kansas City is the first of two consecutive home matches for the New York Red Bulls, as they round out the week with a Saturday match at Red Bull Arena against the New England Revolution. Get tickets now at Red Bulls Ticket Central, or by calling 877.RB.SOCCER.
