New York's 2-1 U.S. Open Cup victory over Philadelphia not only continues the momentum of the team’s best April since 2001, but it also gave a number of the lesser played—or not at all used—players on the Red Bulls’ roster a run. The fact that New York achieved a win against a Union side that played a number of their starters from Saturday’s game—and the Red Bulls started just one—inspired words of praise from head coach Hans Backe after the game.
The Ratings
GK – Greg Sutton: Rarely called upon—but when he was, he performed well. Philly’s lone goal came in the second half when they had most of their starters in, and it was a quality goal. Rating: 6.5
D – Luke Sassano: Played right back until the second half, when he moved to the midfield. He overlapped well and hit some very nice crosses, and he added a nice assist on the goal. Proved his versatility and should be another option off the bench this year. Rating: 7
D – Andrew Boyens: The oft-used New Zealand international won all his battles and was solid in terms of positioning. Struggled at times in the second half with the speed of the Union attack but was more than capable. Rating: 6
D — Carlos Mendes: At times the central defender looked a touch slow, but he made the challenges he needed to make. A good match for him to stay sharp. Solid enough. Rating: 5.5
D — Danleigh Borman: The jack of all trades proved his versatility. Borman defended very well one-on-one and pushed into the attack throughout the matches, making good decisions. Have to like his improved tactical acumen. Rating: 6.5
M — Sinisa Ubiparipovic: Another player who benefited from the minutes. He tracked back well and got stuck in several times but also provided good service from the wing. A viable option on the wing or centrally for Backe. Rating: 6.5
M — Seth Stammler: A nice game for Stammler. Won the ball time after time in the midfield, sprayed the ball out wide to start the counter and pushed well into the offense. His shot led to the team’s first goal. Rating: 7.5
M – Tony Tchani: The first round pick earned rave reviews from Backe post-game. Showed poise and class on the ball, good distribution and decisions. One negative though—his work rate was severely lacking. His gait was Valderamma-esque out there. The rookie doesn’t have the resume or hair of “El Pibe” to warrant that effort quite yet. Rating: 8
M – Brian Nielsen: The recent signing from Denmark showed some brilliance on the left flank, despite not being match-fit. Crossed the ball well and sent in deft passes. Rating: 7
F — Conor Chinn: The goals weren’t pretty, but Chinn’s brace was effective and gutsy. Even showed veteran poise in the second half by killing time with the ball in the corner. Great workrate in a very Brian McBride type effort. Rating: 7.5
F — Juan Agudelo: Smooth—that’s the only way to designate the academy signing in his first-team debut. Limited chances in front of goal but confident on the ball. Rating: 6
Substitutions
D — Chris Albright: Won in the air and made sure tackles as a sub at the half. Pushed forward well and plays with poise. A welcome addition to the backline. 6
D — Austin da Luz: Sort of disappeared upon entering but had good effort. Some poor touches doomed his New York debut. Looks eerily like teammate Juan Pablo Angel. Rating: 5
F — John Wolyniec: Lots of effort is the staple of the “Silver Fox.” Had some poor touches, but his leadership helped New York hold onto the lead. Rating: 5.5
M — Irving Garcia: Confident on the ball with a little “tricker-ation.” Good debut, but limited minutes leaves his rating incomplete.
Kristian Dyer is a reporter for MLSSoccer.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
