HARRISON, N.J. – The 2016 season got underway at Red Bull Arena on Sunday afternoon, but the New York Red Bulls couldn’t make good on their first season opener at home in five years, dropping a 2-0 result to Toronto FC.
With plenty of talking points surrounding this one, here are three things I learned from the season opening defeat.
The MVP Still Reigns
A year after his stellar 2015 season, Sebastian Giovinco seemingly picked up right where he left off, notching a goal and an assist on the day. Giovinco did well to set up the play that resulted in a penalty kick—which he took with great aplomb—and fed Marky Delgado for the goal that put the match out of reach.
The stats, however, are somewhat deceiving, as the Italian international only had a handful of chances throughout the match.
“He didn’t touch the ball much,” head coach Jesse Marsch said after the match. “But every time he does, he’s dangerous.”
The Red Bulls undoubtedly highlighted Giovinco as a danger-man ahead of the matchup, doing well to limit his time and space on the ball. Still, it wasn’t enough.
“We knew that he was the key guy, the one who could make a play,” defender Kemar Lawrence said. “We dealt with him for the most part, but unfortunately on one or two plays, he got us.”
Toronto looked to play long balls to the diminutive Italian early and often, a tactic that New York dealt with for the majority of the match. But on those few occasions where he was able to find some space, the reigning MVP showed just why he is considered one of the most deadly players in MLS.
“It wasn’t easy at all,” newcomer Gideon Baah said of defending Giovinco. “Of course we [have] the ball all the time and he is just sneaking behind us and making those runs. You have to follow the game and follow him. It wasn’t easy at all. I think he got the better of us in the latter stages when we were trying to get the equalizer. He’s a great player and it was very, very tough marking him.”
Breaking the Bunker
En route to a Supporters’ Shield triumph, the Red Bulls encountered plenty of defensive-minded teams last season. Looking to defend against New York’s high-pressing style of play, the opposition would often get numbers behind the ball, and defend in blocks.
And while Sunday brought about a new season, that familiar sight was once again spotted at Red Bull Arena. Toronto, to their credit, was able to absorb New York’s pressure while not allowing the Red Bulls to connect their final passes in the attacking third.
With both of their goals coming via the counter attack, Marsch admitted that Sunday’s match looked similar to many matches from last season.
“There have been plenty of games here that have looked like what today looked like,” he said in his postgame press conference. “We weren’t our sharpest, which is normal this time of year. We have to expect these types of games and this type of approach. We just need to be better at making sure we don’t let the game slip away.”
It may be somewhat predictable, but it’s something the Red Bulls will certainly have to find a way to deal with if they are to be successful in 2016.
“I think we’ve seen that this is an effective tactic against us,” captain Dax McCarty said. “It’s frustrating, but we’ve got to be better. We just weren’t really sharp on the day and we got punished for it.”
Much has been made of a need for a “Plan B” to help counteract teams employing this tactic, but Lawrence insists the Red Bulls are on the right track.
“No, I think our team is good,” he said. “If you look at the last Columbus game that we played, we got a goal, we just needed a second one and we almost got it. As I said before, we’re not sharp enough yet as a team, and they came out with a plan.
“It worked today so we have to raise our caps to them. On any other day when we’re a bit sharper, I think that some of the half chances that we got today would have been put away. So, I’m just looking forward to the next game and we’re just looking to get a win next game.”
One Down, Thirty-Three to Go
Starting the season with a loss is far from an ideal start out of the gate for New York, but Marsch reminded his team to keep things in perspective after the defeat.
The chance to get off to a winning start for the first time since 2011 didn’t go according to plan, but the Jesse Marsch still saw some positives to take heading into their second match of the year.
“I’m not overly concerned,” Marsch said. “I still thought there were a lot of really good moments where we managed the game well. But there were literally two or three plays that get away from us, and two of them lead to goals. This is going to happen sometimes, and we need to be better in those moments, but overall I thought there was a lot of good.”
The MLS season is often likened to a marathon, and while a season-opening loss certainly stings, there’s still plenty of time to get things right for the Red Bulls.
“To lose the first game at home, it hurts,” admitted Mike Grella. “But with this group, this staff, we’re going to figure it out right away.”
