As the Red Bulls prepare to host the Columbus Crew on Sunday for a 5:00 PM kick off at Red Bull Arena, we take a look back on this season’s previous meeting between the two sides; a 1-0 win for the Red Bulls.
One week after claiming his first-ever MLS Player of the Week honor following a two-goal outing against Toronto FC, Tim Cahill came up big once again for the Red Bulls during the May 4th match against the Columbus Crew.
After 80 minutes of scoreless soccer, Cahill headed home what would eventually stand as the game-winner following a heavy shot from Johnny Steele that opened up a rebound attempt. Cahill placed just enough on the ball to send it over Columbus goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum and slip it under the crossbar and into the netting to give New York the 1-0 result.
The final score line might suggest the match was short on chances, but that was hardly the case. Luis Robles stepped up big to keep Columbus off the board when he pushed aside a Federico Higuain penalty-kick attempt in the 72nd minute.
Earlier in the match, Higuain nearly connected with Dominic Oduro in the 28th minute, but the volley was sent over the crossbar. Seven minutes later Jairo Arrieta missed in the 35th minute, before Cahill put an attempt wide four minutes later.
The 1-0 win marked the third-straight win for the Red Bulls following three-point performances against New England on Apr. 20 and Toronto on Apr. 27. Since defeating Columbus, New York has remained unbeaten, piecing together a 5-0-1 run and claiming first place in the Eastern Conference off a total of 24 points.
Additionally, it was just another feather in New York’s cap in the all-time series against Columbus, as the Red Bulls improved to 25-23-7, including a 3-0-2 run since the start of the 2011 season. It was also the first loss Columbus was dealt this season while playing in front of the home fans at Crew Stadium.
Since losing to the Red Bulls, the Crew has gone 1-1-0 after suffering a 2-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids on May 11, before bouncing back against Toronto FC in a 1-0 win on May 18.
However, injuries and suspensions will plague the Crew this weekend when they visit Red Bull Arena, as defender Chad Marshall will miss time while recovering from a hamstring injury, and fellow defender Glauber is forced to sit due to yellow card accumulation. As a result, the Red Bulls will be looking at a new back line on Sunday, as Crew head coach Robert Warzycha is left with no choice but to shuffle the lineup.
Sunday’s match marks the second of three straight home matches for the Red Bulls, as they hope to extend the six-game unbeaten run with a positive result against the Crew. New York will then have a chance to close out the home stand on a high note when they face the Vancouver Whitecaps on June 1, prior to the league’s three-week layoff.
Get tickets to Sunday’s match, or any other match during the 2013 season, by visiting Red Bulls Ticket Central or calling 877.RB.SOCCER.
