As the team returns to New Jersey, there are no more tune-ups, no more dress rehearsals; it’s finally time to get down to business.
After spending about a month in Florida, the New York Red Bulls look a side ready to pick up where they left off during their 2015 Supporters’ Shield winning campaign with the home opener now less than a week away. And while much of their preseason camp revolved around integrating their new signings and implementing new tactics, head coach Jesse Marsch and his staff made sure to put a premium on fitness, as well.
Sandwiched in between both of their two-week stints down south, the team returned home for a week of training at their facility in Hanover. During their short stay, many of their sessions revolved around getting the squad ready for the physical demands that are required when playing in Marsch’s system.
“It was pretty nice,” midfielder Sacha Kljestan said of his extended run of play in Saturday night’s friendly win against the Jacksonville Armada. “It felt good for a lot of us to get the most minutes we’ve had all preseason. I felt pretty good physically. I feel like I could have finished the match, so that’s a plus for me.”
While preseason friendlies offer a chance for teams to get a look at as many players as possible, coaches must also balance their desire to evaluate a bevy of players with stretching out their first team regulars to reach match-fitness. Marsch was able to do just that in Saturday’s 5-1 win, with many projected starters getting closer to a 90-minute run on the pitch.
Of course, the fitness push extends to more than just the starting XI, as Marsch has continually alluded to the fact that depth will be of the utmost importance in 2016. And as Gonzalo Veron nurses a hamstring injury suffered on Saturday night, the ability of others—like Mike Grella—to step into the lineup and contribute from the opening whistle becomes even more paramount.
“This team is deep,” Marsch said. “It’s going to be a big challenge for me this year to give everybody minutes, keep everybody happy, keep everybody going, keep everybody sharp, but that’s my job and I’m lucky to have this team and this group of players.”
As a March 6 matchup with Toronto FC looms large, the Red Bulls look to be growing stronger as the days go by. As a collective unit, New York has made big strides, and captain Dax McCarty has been pleased with the growth of the squad.
“Preseason’s been good,” he told NewYorkRedBulls.com. “We’ve been pushing hard to get our fitness back, but not too hard; we still have our legs. I think we had the right amount of two-a-days and the right amount of days off. Overall, we’ve made a lot of progress.”
