Last week, the Red Bulls played to a mid-week draw with the Colorado Rapids before traveling to New England for a third game in seven days. New York suffered the first setback of the season with a 2-1 loss to the Revs in a highly contested match that had all the feel of a big-time rivalry.
We’ll get to those games below, but first, let’s look ahead. All eyes will be on Red Bull Arena this Sunday, as the Red Bulls host MLS expansion side New York City FC for the first time. NYC FC has started the season 1-5-3, in stark contrast to the 3-1-4 start Jesse Marsch and the Red Bulls have enjoyed. NYC FC are 0-2-2 on the road, while the Red Bulls are 2-0-2 at Red Bull Arena, and have lost just seven times at home since the start of 2012.
New York City FC made waves ahead of their inaugural season by bringing in Spanish superstar David Villa and Englishman Frank Lampard, who is expected to join the team at the end of the English Premier League season. Jason Kreis, the head coach who built Real Salt Lake into a perennial MLS Cup contender, is at the helm. Local rivalries fuel soccer around the globe, and the soccer edition of New York vs New York should be no different. It’s established vs. upstart, fancy vs. functional, Red vs. Blue. What side are you on?
The battle for New York bragging rights kicks off on Sunday, 7 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.
RED BULLS PLAY TO MIDWEEK DRAW WITH RAPIDS
The New York Red Bulls played to a 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids last Wednesday night at Red Bull Arena. Bradley Wright-Phillips put away a penalty in the 29th minute to answer a 25th minute strike from the Rapids.
With the draw, the Red Bulls moved to 3-0-4 on the season and extended their unbeaten run to start the season to seven games.
Colorado struck first, against the run of play, when a Dillon Powers free kick was headed on by Gabriel Torres and past Robles in the 25th minute.
The Red Bulls responded just minutes later, when Sacha Kljestan was pulled down in the box to earn a penalty. 2014 MLS Golden Boot Winner Bradley Wright-Phillips stepped to the spot and buried his second penalty of the year, and third goal overall.
BEST HOME RECORD IN MLS
With the draw against Colorado, and Los Angeles’ draw against Colorado over the week, the Red Bulls maintain the best home record in MLS since the start of 2012. New York is 34-7-14 in that time, with 116 points earned at Red Bull Arena, ahead of the Los Angeles Galaxy (35-9-10, 115) Seattle (35-10-8, 113) and Salt Lake (33-10-12, 111).
RED BULLS FALL FOR FIRST TIME IN 2015
The New York Red Bulls fell to the New England Revolution, 2-1, on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium. Revolution goals from Charlie Davies and Teal Bunbury made the difference, while Sacha Kljestan scored for New York.
The Red Bulls are now 3-1-4 on the season. The loss is the first setback for New York, ending a seven-game unbeaten run to start the season. The Red Bulls are the last team in MLS to lose a game in 2015.
Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch sent out a new-look starting XI at Gillette Stadium. New York had the need for fresh legs entering its third match in seven days. Four players made their first starts of the season – Connor Lade and Karl Ouimette on the back line, Dane Richards and Sean Davis in the midfield.
The Revolution opened the scoring in the ninth minute, on a header from Charlie Davies, and in the 60th minute off the foot of Teal Bunbury.
Sacha Kljetsan pulled one back for New York in the 73rd minute. Kljestan was able to run onto a ball from forward Mike Grella, taking his first touch into the box, where he easily stepped around Revs’ goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth and deposited the ball into the back of the net for his second goal of the season.
With the results the Red Bulls sit in third place in the Eastern Conference, within striking distance of New England and D.C. United.
TAKE THREE: HISTORIC DAY FOR HOMEGROWN PLAYER PROGRAM
Saturday night’s match at New England saw a different starting XI for head coach Jesse Marsch, and one that will go down in the history books.
The lineup, featuring Connor Lade, Matt Miazga and Sean Davis, was the first time in team history that three homegrown players, all products of the New York Red Bulls Academy, have started a match together.
Connor Lade, a product of Livingston, N.J., has been with the Red Bulls since the beginning of 2012 after playing collegiately at St. Johns.
Clifton-native Matt Miazga joined the club directly out of high school, opting to develop in the club’s professional environment. Miazga has been a regular on the back line this season, and remains an integral part of the United States Under-20 team that has qualified for the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Sean Davis, from Long Branch, N.J., was signed by New York in December of 2014 after four years at Duke University. Davis, a two-time captain for the Blue Devils, was named ACC Midfielder of the Year in 2014, and racked up accolades on and off the field.
The three are joined on the Red Bulls senior roster by goalkeeper Santiago Castano, who, like Miazga, signed as a homegrown player in December of 2012.
The homegrown player program began in 2008. The system allows MLS teams the opportunity to develop local players and sign them directly to professional contracts without having to go through the MLS draft process.
NYRB II WIN STOPPAGE TIME THRILLER
New York Red Bulls II claimed its second win of the season in dramatic fashion thanks to an injury time game-winning goal from Anthony Wallace. Red Bulls II opened the scoring in the 6th minute on an own goal when Manolo Sanchez’s cross was deflected into the net by Pittsburgh defender Fejiro Okiomah. The Riverhounds responded quickly with the equalizer in the 8th minute on a Rob Vincent goal, but Sanchez headed in for NYRB II in the 66th minute to re-gain the lead. Pittsburgh’s Vincent notched scored again to tie the game and Wallace buried the goal to clinch the three points in the 93rd minute with a left-footed rocket from just outside the area to win the game, 3-2.
With the game tied in stoppage time New York pushed forward, throwing numbers up-field to press for one final goal. The opportunity arose when a headed ball fell to Wallace just left of the penalty arc. He calmly settled the ball, lowered his head and smashed a bullet across the face of goal into the side-netting to provide Red Bulls II its third lead of the match.
Pittsburgh battled for an equalizer in the final moments of the match and nearly found a third goal. A shot in the dying seconds of the match beat Castano, but Andrew Jean-Baptiste was properly positioned to clear the shot off the line and save the victory for Red Bulls II.
TYLER ADAMS, MATT OLOSUNDE JOIN U.S. U-17 CAMP AT RED BULLS TRAINING FACILITY
New York Red Bulls II defender Tyler Adams and New York Red Bulls Academy player Matt Olosunde are set to join a 20-man roster for a U.S. Under-17 domestic camp, as announced today by U.S. Soccer. Adams and Olosunde won’t have far to go, as the New York Red Bulls Training Facility in East Hanover, N.J. will host the camp.
Adams and Olosunde have both appeared for the U.S. Youth National Teams in the past, and both spent time in the U.S. U-17 residency program based in Bradenton, Florida.
The camp, which runs from May 2 to May 11, marks the first time head coach Richie Williams has gathered the team since the CONCACAF Championships. The U-17 World Cup will take place in October and November in Chile.
