DAVENPORT, Fla. – It was a successful doubleheader of fixtures for the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, as the squad took game one while drawing in their second match of the day.
- TICKETS: Red Bulls Home Opener vs. Toronto FC, Sunday March 6
First, the Red Bulls took care of business in a 5-2 win over local collegiate side University of Central Florida. The second match featured an MLS clash between Eastern Conference teams in an abbreviated scrimmage, with New York and Toronto FC battling to a 1-1 draw.
Leading into the first match, head coach Jesse Marsch expressed a desire to extend the minutes of his first team regulars, and he was able to do just that over the course of the match. The Red Bulls fielded a strong starting XI to kick off the match, although it took a little time for them to find the flow of the match.
“They came out and played well at the start, they gave us some trouble,” defender Connor Lade admitted. “ At the end of the day, you hope your quality can take over, and I think it did.”
After a slow start, the Red Bulls began to find their form, and it didn’t take long for the results to follow from there. Bradley Wright-Phillips continued his torrid form this preseason with yet another goal in the 12th minute. And after conceding the equalizer, New York was able to strike back within minutes of conceding through Ronald Zubar’s goal.
The second half saw plenty of personnel and tactical changes for the Red Bulls, as Anatole Abang featured throughout heavily throughout the second half. The target striker was a nuisance all match long, bagging a brace in the second half.
On the other end, both of UCF’s goals came via the penalty spot as Zubar and goalkeeper Luis Robles were whistled for fouls in the area. They were about the only blemishes in the match, but the gaffer was quick to hold his team accountable.
“We accomplished a lot today and got our guys some good minutes which was the most important thing,” Marsch said after the first match, “but we made really bad mistakes and paid for them both. It’s a good lesson for us. We’re getting closer to the season now, so we can’t just brush off bad mistakes and say, ‘Yeah, it’s preseason.’ The gravity of each play has more weight, so we have to make sure that with all the good things we accomplished today, we clean up everything in the back and aren’t giving away bad chances.”
In the second match of the day, many of the same players that ended the first match took the field at the start of New York’s matchup with Toronto FC. Once again, Marsch deployed two different sides on either side of halftime. Lade, who played in both matches, was pleased with what he saw from the team overall.
“They know how we want to play,” he said of TFC. “They tried to do everything they could to limit what we’re good at, but I thought the young guys did well.”
The match featured a plethora of rookies and homegrown players on both sides, with the Red Bulls taking the lead through an own goal. It was a solid performance throughout, with a standout showing from homegrown Alex Muyl. The Georgetown product was a menace in the attacking, showcasing his high motor and considerable skill on the ball.
Despite dominating large portions of the game, it took but one play for the Reds to get back into it, netting an equalizer in the dying moments of the match. Overall, a win and a draw on the day was a favorable result for Marsch and his men.
“I thought for the most part we played on our terms,” the head coach added. “Toronto sat back and tried to keep things compact, but our ability to find the game, build the game, and when we lost the ball to not let them be out on the counter too much was overall pretty good. I felt like our group let up a little bit when we got the 1-0 lead, instead of really feeling like they can smell blood and build on the lead. But for the most part, pretty good.”
As the regular season draws closer, it’s imperative that the new crop gets up to speed with the tactics and demands of the Red Bulls system. So far, the strides have been evident, and goalkeeper Ryan Meara was encouraged with what he saw backstopping the young side.
“It’s still a bit of an adjustment for all of the new guys, but each time we can get a game against good MLS competition, it’s a good opportunity for them to learn,” he told NewYorkRedBulls.com. “I think they’re close to getting there. Every day and every week you’re seeing improvement.”
