The New York Red Bulls paid the price for a slow start on Monday, falling to Toronto at home, 2-1.
“Didn't expect so many sub-par performances from our guys,” head coach Jesse Marsch said. “Didn't expect us to lack explosiveness…but sometimes in big games, that's the way it goes. We've got to regroup and then throw more at it come Sunday.”
The Red Bulls allowed an 8th minute away goal to Victor Vazquez, which set the tone for the first half.
Marsch explained his team wasn’t “sharp enough” and failed to “execute enough of our game plan.”
“Our team has fought so hard all year, and they're such good young men, and today they let themselves down,” Marsch said. “It’s my job to make sure that they're going to be ready not just say that we're up for it but really be up for it when we get to Toronto.”
With New York in need of goals to overcome Toronto’s two away goals, the Red Bulls will need to get out to a fast start on Sunday, similar to their Knockout Round 4-0 performance in Chicago.
“We’ve got to push early, we need two goals,” Captain Sacha Kljestan said. “Getting the first goal will be important; it will tighten things up for them. I would just like us to see us push the game for 90 minutes and if we go down, let’s go down swinging.”
New York needs to win by a two-goal margin or more to advance on Sunday.If the Red Bulls find the back of the net early, Marsch says anything could happen.
“Who knows…if we have a good start and get after the game a little bit, then who knows what can happen.”
