The New York Red Bulls head out west again this weekend when they face off against the San Jose Earthquakes Sunday night at 10pm ET on ESPN2.
New York is coming off the season opener against Portland in which they salvaged one point on the road at JELD-WEN Field after letting a two-goal halftime lead slip away over the final 45 minutes.
Red Bulls defender Kosuke Kimura, although obviously upset with the outcome, is more focused on the big picture.
“You have to see everything in a positive way,” Kimura said. “Obviously we have to learn from our mistakes, but at the same time, the season is very long and that was only one game, and an away game. We have to stay positive, keep playing, stay confident in each other, and keep the chemistry going.”
A good first step toward that goal comes with the team’s travel plans for the second west coast trip in seven days. In light of flight delays that held the team up on their way to Portland, the Red Bulls plan to arrive in San Jose Friday night. The extra day in town gives the team a full day to adjust before heading over to Buck Shaw Stadium for Sunday’s match with a fully-rested squad.
San Jose, led by reigning 2012 MLS MVP and Golden Boot Winner Chris Wondolowski, finished on the wrong side of a 2-0 result last week after Alvaro Saborio potted two for Real Salt Lake. Nevertheless, Petke knows what the Earthquakes are capable of, and shared a little bit of his scouting report with members of the media Wednesday afternoon.
“They make it tough to get through, and they have dangerous weapons. Chris Wondolowski, for instance. The amount of goals he’s scored the last several years, right there he’s one of the best at what he does,” Petke said. “And Salinas is out wide, who’s crafty and has some pace. They have a guy Corrales on the other side who has a lot of experience. Cronin in the middle who is a hard-working ball winner. So they’re a dangerous team. Even with their injuries right now they’re a very dangerous team.”
Last season San Jose finished atop the Western Conference with a league-best 66 points before suffering an early exit from the playoffs courtesy of the LA Galaxy’s 3-1 win on aggregate. In the only 2012 match between the Red Bulls and Quakes, both sides played to a 2-2 draw on the pitch at Red Bull Arena. Wondolowski scored one, while Dax McCarty registered his first as a Red Bull and Thierry Henry earned an assist on a Kenny Cooper goal. [Full highlights]
The Red Bulls and Earthquakes kick off Sunday at 10pm ET on ESPN2. Use #RBNY to join in and follow the game-day conversation on Twitter.
New York returns to Red Bull Arena for the 2013 home opener on Saturday, Mar. 16, in a 12:30pm kick off against the rival DC United. Get tickets now at Red Bulls Ticket Central, or by calling 877.RB.SOCCER.
