HANOVER, N.J. – The buzz around the training facility was palpable, and wholly understandable. After all, it’s not every day that you beat a crosstown rival by record-setting margin.
Yet as the memory of that historic match remains prevalent in the minds of many, a concerted effort is being made to turn the page.
“We were happy after the game, but once we get back on the field, it’s business as usual,” midfielder Lloyd Sam said. “For all of the events at the weekend, it’s just three points, one game. Now we have to concentrate on Toronto this weekend.”
Sure, a derby win often feels like more than just three points, but the team’s leaders have made a concerted effort to move past a memorable result and refocus their efforts on the task at hand.
“[On Tuesday] there was a lot of talk about that game,” goalkeeper Luis Robles admitted. “It’s one of those games that you won’t forget any time soon, but I think we’re already focused on the next task; we’ve got [Sebastian] Giovinco and company coming to town. He’s shown himself to be one of the best players in the league, so we’ll have our hands full this weekend.”
While the memory of the derby win has the team in good spirits, reminders of a season opening home loss have served to push the side for their upcoming matchup with Toronto FC.
“It won’t take much; our guys are focused,” head coach Jesse Marsch said. “Nobody is celebrating that game more than just another three points. We know that with each successful match as we claw ourselves back into things, the next game becomes even more important. We want to make sure we have no setbacks, no complacency.”
Falling 2-0 to the Canadian side to open their season, the Red Bulls have put their win at the weekend in the rearview, now drawing upon their rough start as motivation to continue to push on Saturday night.
“Toronto is a very good team,” Mike Grella told NewYorkRedBulls.com. “They’ve already beaten us at home, so we need to be laser-focused, 100 percent leading up to this match and be ready to execute for whatever they throw at us to get the three points.”
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