HARRISON, N.J. – One shot is all New York managed on the night, but it was all they needed to secure three massive points at home.
Following a letdown performance against rivals D.C. United, the Red Bulls responded in a big way with a professional performance against a resolute Chicago Fire side.
Back on track with a shutout win, the focus now shifts to another derby match on short rest, as a trip to Yankee Stadium looms large.
One and Done
The Red Bulls knew exactly how Chicago wanted to play, and they didn’t mind one bit.
A team currently struggling in their 2016 campaign, the Fire knew that if they were to earn a result on the road, they would have to absorb a heavy amount of pressure.
That they did, and then some.
Heading into the break, the Red Bulls held a staggering 73 percent of possession, routinely pushing forward into the attacking third. But for all their possession, chances were hard to come by.
Stationed on the flanks, the likes of Lloyd Sam, Mike Grella, and Connor Lade pumped balls into the box, but saw their efforts turned away at every attempt.
“That’s what we expected,” goalkeeper Luis Robles said. “We knew that it was going to be a long, slow, frustrating game, and the first half was that. But in the second half, it opened up a little bit.”
With just one clear-cut chance on the night, the Red Bulls took their shot. Forcing a turnover high up the field through their patented high press, Sam acted as the catalyst to the team’s only shot on goal, a game-winner.
“We felt that the way to find the goal was most likely going to be through a turnover,” head coach Jesse Marsch said. “As much possession as we had, we still felt that if we could find a way to press them, if we lost the ball to go and win it right back and then play balls forward and go at them that that was when they'd be most unbalanced. Because anytime we got the ball and started to just play backwards or sideways, they got numbers behind the ball and made it very hard to break down.
“Lloyd made a very good play, got it into Brad, and that whole combination that set Mike up was a very good play. So it was good to see us be rewarded for what we thought we could be rewarded for.”
It may not have been the prettiest win, but it showed the sort of resolve needed to be successful in MLS, and served as a building block for an important weekend fixture.
“For us to get a 1-0 win, to get the shutout, is huge for our mentality but also for us going forward,” Robles added. “It’s this idea that we can grind games out.”
Short Term Memory
Given their “0-for-11” performance on Friday night, a drastic change was certainly needed. Luckily for New York, a chance at redemption presented itself during a short week, and the Red Bulls grasped it with both hands.
Whereas the intensity level heading into their rivalry match with D.C. United was lacking, there could be no questioning the mentality on Wednesday night.
“We took the D.C. loss really hard,” Marsch said in his postgame press conference. “But to come back and respond, and listen, this game was never going to be wide open. It was never going to be a three, four, five-goal game. Chicago doesn't play in games like that. They keep things very tight. They make themselves very hard to break down, and they see if they can catch you on the counter.
“So all those things we can be very susceptible to and we can give up goals. The fact that we got a shutout against some very dangerous attacking players on the counter I think was a big step for us, and to grind out a Game 1-0, right? We haven't done that all year. We haven't shown the ability in a tight game to come out as the victor.
“So for me, that was a really important game for us, important for us to be in and important for us to get the result.”
Despite their standing in the league table, the Fire were able to give the Red Bulls problems, proving particularly difficult to cope with on the counter. Even throughout 2015, forwards David Accam and Kennedy Igboananike proved to be difficult to contain, but a team effort and the right mentality guided the Red Bulls to a crucial win.
“I don’t think there are any teams in this league that you look at and say, ‘this is an easy game.’ I certainly don’t,” Grella said. “I think Chicago tonight – they’re in last place in the entire league, and they’re tough to play against I can tell you that. They were very hard to play against. And there are no teams that I look at in the schedule and say, ‘that’s an easy game’ – I think that would be a huge mistake.”
Inserted into the starting lineup, defender Connor Lade had the unenviable task of coping with the talented duo, a task he managed admirably.
“Jesse just wanted me to fight and give it my all,” he told NewYorkRedBulls.com. “They’re really dangerous, extremely athletic, good on the counter, so I just wanted to get in there and make it has hard as possible on them.”
Derby Looms Large
With a win in the bag, the Red Bulls have precious little time to recover before a crucial matchup with New York City FC on Saturday afternoon.
Now sitting atop the conference, NYCFC will host the Red Bulls for the fourth edition of the Hudson River Derby, a matchup that has gone to the red side of New York in their first three matchups.
Despite both playing on Wednesday night, NYCFC head coach Patrick Viera elected to rest many of their big names ahead of Saturday night’s clash, proving just how important the fixture will prove to be.
“We’re in a different position than they are,” Sacha Kljestan said. “They’re higher up in the standings, so they can afford to rest guys on the road. We desperately needed a win tonight, so we went for it.”
Wednesday’s 1-0 win will certainly buoy their morale, but their bodies will be worse for the wear. Now, the focus turns to their preparation and making a concerted effort to get back to playing shape ahead of their trip to the Bronx.
“It’s all about taking care of our bodies right now,” Lade said, sporting seven stiches above his left eye. “We need to get a lot of rest tonight, get a meal in us, and do the right things this week. Jesse was big on that after the game, making sure we take care of our bodies because they rested some guys so they’ll have fresher legs than us. But come time for a big game, everybody should be feeling fresh and ready to go.”
