HANOVER, N.J. – It was a costly win for the New York Red Bulls at the weekend, as head coach Jesse Marsch is now working to find a solution to the dilemma on the backline.
With Gideon Baah and Ronald Zubar out indefinitely with hamstring injuries, the Red Bulls have been forced to find solutions both within and outside of the club. It has certainly given the team some pause, but defender Sal Zizzo exuded confidence in his side’s depth.
“We have some injuries at centerback with Ronald and Gideon out, but we have a deep team, and a deep team at every position,” he told NewYorkRedBulls.com “The guys that are going to be playing in their place are ready to step up. I know there’s been talk of Kemar [Lawrence] playing there, and I thought he did really well last game. It’s something that we have to be prepared for.”
Unlike past seasons, the Red Bulls bench features a plethora of Homegrowns and rookies with little to no experience at the MLS level. However, the months spent training together as a collective unit should serve to facilitate the transition to the pitch come game day.
“The guys that have been here know our style of play,” Zizzo added. “The more that we can get comfortable with each other and continue to play the way we play, the more comfortable I’ll feel.”
Losing starting-caliber defenders is never an ideal scenario, but goalkeeper Luis Robles is looking at the silver linings of this unfortunate situation. The void left by the injured tandem presents an opportunity for newcomers to step in and make an impression, and Robles is confident that whomever gets the nod will be more than capable.
“Obviously in preseason they played well,” he said. “It takes some time making that transition from college or wherever they were beforehand to come and play where it’s very pronounced how we play. I’m hoping that with this week and a half that we have, some of these guys will step up and show that they’re more than capable of filling that role.”
Defender Zach Carroll stands amongst the likely candidates to step into the center of the defense for New York. The Michigan State product is in the midst of his first season in MLS, and has already been selected to Marsch’s 18 against the Montreal Impact in place of the suspended Zubar. And while he admitted that a starting role is hardly a given, Carroll insists he will be ready should he be called upon, citing his experiences in preseason as a major factor
“I view myself as two completely different players from the first day I got to Florida to now,” he said. “I’ve just been getting used to the guys and the pace of the guys, so it’s definitely different now.
“It’s definitely been a fast-paced process, but it’s what you live for,” Carroll added. “I’ll just keep working in practice and showing that they can trust me if I do get called. If my number gets called, then I’ll be ready.”
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