The New York Red Bulls will participate in their first scrimmage of the preseason schedule on Saturday morning against the University of South Florida in a closed-door match.
Head Coach Jesse Marsch said he will split the Red Bulls in camp into three squads to take on the USF Bulls as the staff looks to evaluate the players in camp.
"We’re trying to integrate new players into our system and give them a chance to take some things that have been taught this week and apply it," Marsch said. "It’s always good to have a college game first, it gives us a chance to be successful at some of the things we’re trying to do. The guys will want the performance to be good, we’ll want to win and we'll want to get a lot out of it."
The Red Bulls will take on the New England Revolution and Philadelphia Union in scrimmages on Wednesday, January 31 and Saturday, February 3, respectively.
Marsch said the team's communication will be key, as the veterans on the team will help guide some of the newer faces on the team's playing style.
"We’ll need the guys that have been around to help dictate what we’re trying to accomplish on the day, I know they’ll do a good job of that, we’ve got great leaders here," Marsch said.
The head coach will look to see how the players react to a live game situation and finally take on players they're not familiar with.
"You get to learn a lot about how players apply information, how they can adjust to the new level, how they can deal with expectations being set by some good players and the veteran guys," Marsch said. "It’s a good test for everyone and it’s a good chance for everyone to get going."
