Academy

Wolyniec pleased with Arizona group’s improvement in second Desert Diamond Cup match

Woly NYvHOU recap dl

After suffering defeat in the club’s opening Desert Diamond Cup match last week against Sporting KC, John Wolyniec’s Red Bulls bounced back on Wednesday against Houston Dynamo.


The Red Bulls fell behind, 2-0, in the first half, only to will themselves to a draw, 2-2, scoring both goals in the second stanza.


“We knew it was going to be a challenge,” Wolyniec said. “We got off to a good start. And then Houston, who put out a good lineup, began to dictate the game and it was hard for our guys.


“In the second half we came out with a new group and those guys put their own stamp on the game and were able to get after it and get a couple goals.”


At halftime, in an effort to see the majority of players receive significant minutes, the Red Bulls made eight substitutions. After the game, Wolyniec attributed to the comeback effort to the, “good performances from young guys,” in the second half.


“A mostly new group out there helped,” Wolyniec said. “You get some fresh legs, they worked as a group a bit more and when you do that you set yourself up to have more success.”


The New York Red Bulls’ Arizona group will spend the next two days preparing for their Desert Diamond Cup finale on Saturday, Feb. 25 against New England Revolution at 3 p.m. ET.