The New York Red Bulls jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but their best soccer was played when the game was tied, according to Head Coach Jesse Marsch.
The Red Bulls came out victorious on Saturday night, converting a late penalty kick to beat the Los Angeles Galaxy, 3-2.
"I think to get the 2-0 lead was really good, then we had to take some pressure and you have to expect the home team to throw a lot at you," Marsch said. "I thought we could have managed mistakes in there a little bit when they were throwing things at us."
Daniel Royer opened the scoring early, with his first MLS goal of the season in the 7th minute. Florian Valot came on at halftime and added New York's second minutes later. The Galaxy battled back and scored two quick goals to draw the game even in the 66th minute.
"I think it was a fun game. I think it was a fun game to watch -- and especially to play," Royer said. "We could have done better after the two-nothing lead, but then to bounce back after they tied it is big time. I think it shows the high quality of the team and particularly our mentality. It was really fun to get the win at the end."
Kaku converted a penalty kick after a handball was called in the Galaxy 18-year box to propel the Red Bulls to victory.
"We relaxed a little bit and we weren't paying attention to some of the details, I think that is why they were able to get back into the game," Kaku said through a translator. "They got some confidence after they scored their first goal, but we were able to fight back and get the win."
After the match, Marsch said the players fought through to come out on top.
"The best part of the night was that at 2-2, that is when we played our best," Marsch said. "We didn't waver, we went after the game with a young team to show that kind of character and maturity. I think it says a lot about our group. I am proud of them for the response, and a really big three points for us on the road."
