HANOVER, N.J. – We may be just three weeks into the MLS season, but the New York Red Bulls are already staring down the face of their first bye week of 2016.
After gaining some momentum with their first win of the season, the Red Bulls will now be forced to endure a prolonged layoff until their next match, an April 1 matchup with the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium.
The weekend off gives the team a chance to rest up, but there are admittedly some mixed emotions surrounding a bye week so early into the campaign.
“Getting the win, we would have liked to keep the momentum going, but it’s always nice to get our legs rested,” defender Sal Zizzo told NewYorkRedBulls.com. “That being said, we’re three weeks into the season, so it’s not like our legs are very heavy. It would have been nice to play this week.”
Goalkeeper Luis Robles echoed a similar sentiment, while acknowledging that, even so early in the season, the opportunity to rest up is a welcome one.
“It would have been nice to continue after last weekend’s win,” he said. “But nonetheless, we’re also using it because we need some recuperation. There was definitely some fatigue after the first three games and we’re hoping that we’ll come out sharp and ready to play against New England.”
The players may have liked to continue to build on their first win, but head coach Jesse Marsch has welcomed the bye week more than most.
With key players like Gonzalo Veron, Gideon Baah, and Ronald Zubar all sidelined through injury, the week off will give the trio on the mend an extra week to heal up in anticipation of their return to the pitch.
“The season always plays out like this,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “We’ll use it in the right way; we’ll give certain guys some rest. Now with the injuries, it gives our guys a bit more time to recover. We’ll work on some things in training and make sure that we’re pushing the fitness and that we’re sharp.”
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