MLS Roundup: All Star Week Edition

This week in MLS (Major League Soccer) was a busy one between the All Star Game festivities in Portland, OR and the news surrounding some of the flagship franchises in the league. The news cycle even featured a couple of stories about the potential expansion of the league.

 

I will provide some perspective on the week that was in MLS as the league continues to ride a surge of momentum from the World Cup in Brazil.

 

Empire State of Mind

 

The week began with the news revolving around the two New York Metro area franchises: the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC (who will begin play in 2015). The Red Bulls have been dealing with some negative media attention since the story broke that they had whiffed on bringing in international superstar, Xavi, who looked certain to be headed there to play in MLS.

 

The story deepened with a report that Xavi decided to not play for the Red Bulls because he learned that their current captain and star player, Thierry Henry, was not returning to the team next season. Henry is in the last year of his contract and the negotiations on a potential new agreement had been problematic over the past few months. The news that he may not be returning has been met by a mixed set of emotions from Red Bulls fans: shock, anger, frustration, and others who are ready to move on from Henry to a different core star player.

 

New York City FC was in the mix to sign Xavi but they failed to do so, as the European superstar has decided to remain in Spain. The burgeoning expansion team which will play its home matches in the storied Yankee Stadium then announced a mega deal with Frank Lampard, who subsequently was featured on all the team’s on-line promotional efforts. The deal is for 2 years and it is believed to be the most expensive annual salaried contract in MLS history.

 

In other New York soccer news:

  • New York City FC announced the launch of their Facebook page (now that they have a few players signed to the roster)
  • New York Red Bulls and their sporting director, Andy Roxburgh, spent all week refuting media reports connecting aging star Ronaldinho with being targeted by the team. Roxburgh reiterated that the Red Bulls are not interested in bringing him on the roster but that he would be a welcome addition to MLS overall
  • Thierry Henry received a wonderful ovation from the crowd at the All Star Game in Portland on Wednesday night which was a very nice gesture by some of the most spirited fans in MLS

 

 

All Star Display

 

The MLS All Star team displayed their talent and demonstrated the improved skill level of the league by defeating Bayern Munich in the game held in Portland. The week leading into the game and the event on Wednesday night showcased the immense popularity of soccer in Portland, where fans are known to sleep outside to get tickets that do not go on sale on the website because every match is sold out.

 

The atmosphere and the crowd singing the National Anthem in unison, as well as the Portland Timbers mascot using a chainsaw to slice a section of wood off a tree every time the home team scores a goal; these are the sights and sounds of soccer in the Pacific Northwest.

It was all on full display on ESPN in a nationally televised event that will further boost the profile of the league heading into their new TV contract next season. That new TV contract will:

  • Retain ESPN as a broadcast partner which they have been since the beginning of MLS
  • Add FOX Sports and their 1 year old specialty sports channel, FOX Sports 1, to the mix of national coverage of MLS
  • NBC Sports will no longer cover the MLS after the end of this 2014 season
  • MLS leveraged a great deal because they added the second New York team and they have expansion teams already announced in Atlanta and Orlando
  • MLS was able to retain ESPN who wanted to keep a toe hold in soccer after losing the rights to the World Cup
  • MLS is able to partner with FOX Sports who is the new rights holder for the World Cup in the future
  • The new TV contract is going to create more “stand alone” featured games on Sundays throughout the MLS season

 

California Dreaming – Expansion Round Up

 

Those of you who read my coverage of MLS on my blog and on two other websites know that I have covered the topic of expansion extensively in the past. The latest developments on that topic was in the news cycle this week as well:

  • David Beckham is still trying to get a deal done on a stadium in Miami for his expansion bid there. MLS has been firm that they will not expand there until the stadium plan is in place. I have written previously about how the Port of Miami would not work and that idea is no longer being considered.
  • Beckham’s former team, Manchester United defeated Liverpool earlier this week in Miami in front of over 51,000 fans at the stadium where the Dolphins play NFL football. Beckham’s group is looking at stadium sites in Broward County – north of the City of Miami
  • The owners of the Sacramento Kings of the NBA have announced their intentions to purchase the minor league soccer team, the Sacramento Republic, who lead their league in average game attendance. The city also ranked very high in the television ratings for the World Cup and both of those factors have been noticed by the MLS executives in charge of expansion.

 

One Era Closes – Another Opens

 

The MLS has never been more popular than it is currently, and the interest seems to be on an upward growth trend. A new era for the league is on the horizon. This week we learned that Landon Donovan, one of the original stars and one of the most recognizable American soccer players, will be retiring at the end of this season.

 

Donovan and his fierce competitiveness and incredible talent has left an indelible mark on the MLS. His presence will be missed, but his time and his era is coming to a close. The league is poised to grow into new markets and attract increasingly talented players from the international ranks as the popularity of soccer increases in the sport’s “final frontier” as it has been called: the United States.

 

 (Some background information courtesy of MLSSoccer.com, NBC Sports, ESPN.com, SI.com, Miami Sun-Sentinel, FOX Sports, and Sacramento Bee) 

 

New York Red Bulls: The End of the Run

The New York Red Bulls marketing department had, in my opinion, a very catchy slogan for the team and their MLS Playoff campaign called: “Run With Us”. The team marketed this slogan on billboards, on their internet advertising, on their website, print materials, and on social media. The use of the hash tag on Twitter was prevalent in the days leading up to the playoffs.

 

Well, last night the “Run” for the Red Bulls ended as did the marketing campaign and, most importantly the Red Bulls aspirations of advancing in the playoffs. New York lost to the Houston Dynamo in the 2 game Eastern Conference Semifinals Series by an aggregate score of 4-3.

 

I was there in the stands at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey and I could not believe that the magical season for the Red Bulls ended last night.

 

Opportunities Lost

 

The Red Bulls had numerous opportunities in this game to put away the Dynamo and they fell short. New York controlled the entire game, outplaying Houston in every facet. They took a lead early in the game on a cross by Lloyd Sam which the Houston goalkeeper, Tally Hall, mishandled and fumbled to the feet of New York forward Bradley Wright-Phillips, who promptly kicked it into the net for a goal.

 

The crowd at Red Bull Arena exploded following the goal, the feeling in the stadium was that this game would be the end to the Red Bulls streak of consecutive losses in a row at home in the playoffs which stood at 6 games going into the game last night (www.mlssoccer.com).

Then, about ten minutes later, New York defender Ibrahim Sekagya made an ill-advised and errant pass inside his own penalty area which was intercepted by Houston team captain Brad Davis. Davis drilled a close range shot past Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles, and the game, as well as the series, was now tied.

 

New York had numerous attempts to recapture the lead in the game and reverse the tide of the series and could not capitalize on them. Tim Cahill deflected Thierry Henry’s initial shot but Hall made the save for Houston. The fans in my section could not believe that they missed a goal in that sequence.

 

In the 65th minute, Henry had a header go off the crossbar and miss scoring, and he had an incredible bicycle kick in overtime which was steered away wide of the goal by a diving Tally Hall. In total, the Red Bulls had 23 scoring attempts to Houston totaling just 9 (www.mlssoccer.com).

 

New York had 9 shots on target and Houston had 3. New York outshot Houston 19 to 7, and had 42 crossing passes to Houston totaling just 13 (www.mlssoccer.com).

 

Observations from the Stands

 

In my view from the stands I observed several aspects of this game that stood out to me, and having watched this Red Bulls team compete all season over nine months I have come to know them very well.

 

The officiating of this match was terribly inconsistent, and calls were made on both sides that were questionable. The New York fans were irate at certain points of the match as well over some dubious calls by the referee. Overall, there were too many fouls called, a total of 36, which completely disrupted the flow of the game.

 

The inconsistency also was present in numerous challenges and tackles for possession of the ball which looked like a foul had taken place and no foul would be called; only to have a subsequent play which looked innocuous and a foul would be issued at that point.

 

The Red Bulls looked tentative during most of this game, Head Coach Mike Petke made comments after the game that his players rushed their passes and crosses at times (www.mlssoccer.com). I would agree with that assessment, the crosses from where I was sitting looked as though the timing was disrupted on them.

 

I expected the Red Bulls to come out flying after Houston tied the score and they did not, they did not go full throttle after some balls I thought they could have made plays on, I did not understand their hesitation. New York knew that the Dynamo would leave three to four players back on defense to avoid losing the game since they were the road team, and that is the strategy most road teams would employ in that situation.

 

Therefore, in order for the Red Bulls to generate scoring chances they would have to bring forward several players to get a numbers advantage on the Dynamo, I do not think they did that enough in the later minutes of this game.

 

The red card suspension of Jamison Olave from the first game of the series on Sunday loomed over the game last night, I could not help but wonder if we would have had a different result with his presence in the lineup. The Red Bulls did play well on defense though overall, they just made a few mistakes at critical junctures.

 

From my vantage point in the stadium I did not get a very good view of the deciding goal scored in overtime by Omar Cummings. I actually thought that it was saved by Robles until I saw the Dynamo players celebrating in a group. I was still hopeful at that point that the Red Bulls could score a goal before the end of overtime, they had some chances, but in the end it was not their night.

 

Moving Forward

 

I exited the Red Bull Arena last night surrounded by fellow Red Bulls fans, and it was very quiet. Most of us, myself included, were in shock that the season was now over.

 

Many questions remain unanswered about this team. Some of those questions will be answered in the offseason which begins now for New York. Will this same roster of players return next season? Will the front office make some changes to the role players? Will they add a star player via trade or outside acquisition?

 

So many questions, and the weeks ahead will provide the answers. Some members of the media today have questioned whether the Red Bulls season should be looked at as a breakthrough or a disappointment? (www.nydailynews.com)  I am not sure I know the answer to that question yet either.

 

Other reporters have pointed out that the elimination of the Red Bulls cost MLS the opportunity to have their championship game played in the New York area. That is a valid point, the game being played in New York would have brought enhanced media attention to the MLS Cup.

 

Last night as I exited the stadium into the dark night, fans were throwing the promotional cards that read: “Run With Us” on the sidewalk. The brisk autumn wind kicked up and scattered those cards in the air like leaves. I watched them flutter through the air, filled with disappointment, when I realized that this team had turned a corner.

 

I began to think about all of their dramatic victories this season and realized that there will be more of those games and performances to come. I look forward now to next season when myself and my fellow loyal Red Bulls fans will begin another “run” with this team that we all are so passionate about.

 

 

 

 

New York Red Bulls: A Must Win Playoff Tonight

 

The New York Red Bulls enter very treacherous waters tonight in the second leg of their Eastern Conference MLS Playoff series with the Houston Dynamo. The Dynamo, by virtue of their two unanswered goals on Sunday in the first leg of the series, have made this a winner moves on, and the loser goes home match here in the second meeting (www.mlssoccer.com).

 

The Dynamo are no strangers to playoff pressure, as they have advanced to the MLS Cup Final the past two seasons in a row (both times as a wild card team) only to lose both championship games to the L.A. Galaxy (www.mlssoccer.com).

 

Conversely, the Red Bulls have been known more for their playoff shortcomings than anything else in their history. The late season lapses for this team have been notable in recent years. The franchise approached this season with a revamped roster and a new head coach, Mike Petke, on a mission to change that playoff losing trend.

 

Supporters Shield

 

The Red Bulls won the Supporters Shield for the first time in their 18 year history this season meaning that they had the best record in the 34 game regular season across all of Major League Soccer.

 

The trophy and the best overall record provide the Red Bulls with home field advantage throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs, including in the championship game should they advance that far. That advantage will be critical tonight as New York will play in front of their loyal and loud supporters at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

 

The Red Bulls are a much better team at home in their own building than they are on the road, that is why the fact that the team squandered a 2-0 lead on the road in Houston last Sunday will loom like a large swath of dark clouds over this game tonight.

 

Tonight’s Second Leg Match

 

The match tonight will be the biggest one the Red Bulls will have played in a very long time. If they do not win, they will be eliminated from the MLS Cup Playoffs then the media and the fan base will ridicule this team for throwing away the magical regular season, which earned them the critical home field advantage in the playoffs.

 

New York will be without their best defensive player, Jamison Olave, who was ejected by a straight red card in the first leg of this series on Sunday following a tackle along the sideline. The announcers on NBC both felt the referee was wrong to issue a straight red card instead of a cautionary yellow card. The loss of Olave forced the Red Bulls to play short a man for the rest of the match and, more importantly, the suspension will cost them Olave’s exceptional defensive presence tonight in the second leg.

 

Entering the playoffs I was the most nervous about the Red Bulls having to face the Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference playoff draw because of their past experience and very strong team chemistry. They also have an outstanding coaching staff which will have this team well prepared to play tonight against New York.

 

Houston Dynamo – Key Players:  (all stats courtesy of www.houstondynamo.com)

Will Bruin (Forward) – 8 goals, 7 Assists

Ricardo Clark (midfield) – 4 goals

Kofi Sarkodie (defender) – 7 yellow cards

Brad Davis     (midfield) – 4 goals, 9 assists

Tally Hall       (goalkeeper) – 95 saves

 

The Dynamo got a huge goal from Ricardo Clark in the first leg match on Sunday, and will rely on him to move the ball through the midfield into the open space created by their playmakers up front. His ability to get the ball to Will Bruin in particular is going to be something that the Red Bulls will need to prepare for in this game.

 

The other aspect worth watching is if the Red Bulls can bait Kofi Sarkodie into losing his temper and picking up a card in this match. If they can get an early yellow card on him, then he will be forced to tone down his aggressive defensive style. Then, the Red Bulls can make attacking runs into their defensive area targeting Sarkodie because he will have to choose between backing down or getting ejected from the game.

 

One final note on the Dynamo, is Brad Davis, if you are going to watch the game at home tonight (MSG Network 8 PM) and you have not seen Davis play, he is a truly exciting and electric talent. He is the Captain of the Dynamo, and he is also on the U.S. National Team, he has a wonderful well rounded game. He is particularly dangerous in the attacking third of the field, and the Red Bulls have to mark him very aggressively on defense in this match.

 

Key Players – New York Red Bulls: (all stats courtesy of www.newyorkredbulls.com)

 

Thierry Henry – (Forward) – 10 goals, 9 assists

Tim Cahill (Fwd/Midfield) – 11 goals, 5 assists

Jonny Steele (Midlfield) – 5 goals, 6 assists

Luis Robles (Goalkeeper) – 103 saves

Markus Holgersson (defender) – needs to play huge in absence of Olave

 

Cahill continued his clutch play this season by scoring a goal in the first leg of this series. His ability to get past the Dynamo defensive group is going to be crucial tonight.

 

I think Henry was conserving energy late in the first leg game to have a huge performance tonight. His height is a problem for the Dynamo, and I think New York should exploit that by having other players take the corner kicks to allow Henry to get a head on the ball inside the penalty area.

 

Jonny Steele has played very well and I think his passing and ability to take the wing on overlapping runs with other players is going to be a very important aspect of the Red Bulls offensive strategy tonight.

 

Outlook

 

The Red Bulls have never lost at home to Houston (www.mlssoccer.com). I think that New York will find a way to win this game behind their passionate fans. The loss of Olave is key, but the team will rely on other guys to step up and fill the void.

 

The Red Bulls had a lot of success moving the ball into their attacking third by countering the moves made by Houston to advance the ball. I think that New York can capitalize on those counter-attacks and get the ball to Henry, Cahill, or Steele to make plays in open space.

 

This is it for the Red Bulls, the stakes could not be any higher. A win tonight will move them closer to their goal of winning the MLS Cup on their home field. A loss will bring back all the old ghosts which have haunted this franchise in the past. I predict a Red Bulls win 2-1 in a nail biter with the home field and home crowd being the deciding factor.

 

New York Red Bulls Win Supporters Shield

The New York Red Bulls made a huge stride to erase their long history of disappointing results and difficult seasons for their fans by winning the Supporters Shield last night for the first time. The trophy came to New York by virtue of the Red Bulls 5-2 victory over the Chicago Fire in front of a sold out crowd at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey (www.mlssoccer.com).

 

The Red Bulls were impressive in their dominance of the Chicago Fire, especially if you consider that Chicago needed to win the game to gain the last spot in the Eastern Conference for the MLS Playoffs (www.nbcsports.com).

 

Significant Victory

 

The victory for the Red Bulls was significant for two reasons:

 

  • The team did not melt down in a big spot where they had to win to get the best record which is what prior editions of this team have done in the past
  • The Supporters Shield now gives New York the home-field advantage throughout the MLS Playoffs, including for the first time this year the home field for the MLS Cup championship game should they advance to that point

 

 

The Red Bulls are a very good home team so the ability for them to play most of their playoff games in Red Bull Arena is an excellent advantage for them. This statement should be qualified though, with the fact that the Supporters Shield does not guarantee a championship.

In fact, only six times in MLS history has the winner of the Supporters Shield gone on to win the MLS Cup championship (www.nbcsports.com). However, in my opinion, not many of those teams enjoyed the type of home field advantage that the Red Bulls have this season. I think the home field aspect is crucial for this team to have a chance to advance to the MLS Cup.

 

Forgetting the past

 

The challenge for Head Coach Mike Petke and the Red Bulls now that they will turn the page and enter the playoffs, is to forget the past. They need to forget the struggles that this team has had historically in the playoffs. They even need to forget about the success they had in the regular season because all that is not going to mean anything if they lose in the playoffs.

 

Instead, they need to move forward and focus on winning each round of the playoffs until they reach the MLS Cup game. This team is talented enough and has the right blend of stars (Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill) and role players (Peguy Leyindula, Fabian Espindola, and Dax McCarty).

 

New York also has the right coach in Mike Petke, who has done a masterful job this season, and the right goalkeeper in Luis Robles, who played outstanding at points this season. That combination of head coach and goalkeeper becomes critical to separate the elite teams in MLS.

 

The Red Bulls have a very loyal fan base who will support them along this difficult journey through the playoffs. The energy of the fans seems to really boost the level of play for this 2013 team. That will continue to be a factor in the final weeks of the season.

 

Playoff structure

 

Courtesy of NBC Sports and the MLS website I will provide the format and the list of teams which made the playoffs. The MLS has 10 playoff teams (5 from each conference) ranked in order of their finishing record from 1-5 in each conference.

 

The teams that finish 4th and 5th place in each conference play a one game “knockout game” to advance to the next round. The winners of those games will face the first place team in each conference in the semi-final round.

 

The 2nd and 3rd place teams play each other in the semi-final round, which MLS plays two games and takes the aggregate number of goals from each game to determine the winner.

 

The winners of the semi-final rounds will play in the Conference championship round, which is also a two game aggregate series. The winner of each conference plays one another for the MLS Cup, which is a one game winner take all scenario.

 

The playoff teams and rankings in 2013 are (courtesy of www.nbcsports.com):

Eastern Conference

  1. New York Red Bulls
  2. Sporting Kansas City
  3. New England Revolution
  4. Houston Dynamo
  5. Montreal Impact

 

Western Conference

  1. Portland Timbers
  2. Real Salt Lake
  3. L.A. Galaxy
  4. Seattle Sounders
  5. Colorado Rapids

 

In the format explained above, the Houston Dynamo will host the Montreal Impact in the first round “knockout game” in the East. The Red Bulls will play the winner of that game in a 2 game series with the first game on the road for New York and the second game at Red Bull Arena.

 

The MLS and NBC announced earlier today that the Red Bulls will play on national television on NBC for their first playoff game on Sunday, November 3rd at 3:30 PM Eastern time (www.newyorkredbulls.com).

 

Outlook

 

The Red Bulls match up well against either Houston or Montreal, and they played well in a victory in Houston a couple of weeks ago. I saw them manhandle the Montreal Impact in a game at Red Bull Arena this summer. So I like their chances in the 2 game series against either team.

 

The team to watch is Sporting Kansas City, they are a very talented team that is flying below the radar right now, and nobody in the media is talking about them. The MLS media focus is on New York, the drop Seattle took in the standings, whether the Galaxy can win three titles in a row, and the dominance of Portland down the stretch. Sporting Kansas City is going to be a threat in the East.

 

The MLS playoffs are upon us, and I will continue to follow the Red Bulls as they look to further erase the bad history of the franchise by competing well in the playoffs and contending for a championship. They have the advantage of playing at home, it will be interesting to see how this team will respond to the expectations placed upon them by the media and the fan base.

 

New York Red Bulls: Entering the “Home Stretch”

The New York Red Bulls enter the last stretch of regular season games in the lead for the Supporters Shield, which is the trophy given to the team with the best regular season record across all of MLS (Major League Soccer).

 

The Red Bulls further helped their cause with a pivotal 1-1 tie in a recent match against the Western powerhouse club, the Seattle Sounders, in a rain soaked game out in Seattle. These two teams are neck-and-neck in the race for the Supporters Shield, so it was an important result for the Red Bulls to get a draw in a very difficult place to win against a very good team.

 

The result of the match in Seattle was made even more impressive by New York because they played without Thierry Henry, their best player, who sat out the game because it was played on artificial turf. Henry has a history of leg and joint injuries, so the team did not want him to sustain an injury playing on an artificial surface this late in the season.

 

In his absence, Tim Cahill really stepped up for the Red Bulls and had an outstanding effort in the match in Seattle. New York returned home to play host to the New England Revolution last Saturday night, in a game that was crucial for both teams.

 

Playoff implications

 

The Revolution came into the match last weekend against the Red Bulls with a chance to still grab one of the playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, most probably the 5th slot, but they would have to play very well in their last three games to get into the MLS Cup Playoffs.

 

The Red Bulls came into the match needing either a win or a tie to clinch a spot in the playoffs, and are still very much in contention for the Supporters Shield, or at least for first place in the Eastern Conference.

 

The match was sold out at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. I watched it at home on television with my wife. The announcing team on MSG Network stated during their broadcast that when they arrived at the stadium at 3:30 PM, all the ticket windows had large signs hanging which read: Sold Out.

 

The crowd was a major factor in this game, I could see that the noise disrupted the Revolution and their ability to communicate on the field. The Red Bulls jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a goal by Fabian Espindola, and New York dominated the first half of play.

 

Controversial call

 

In the second half, around the 85th minute, the referee called a handball in the penalty area on Red Bulls defender Jamison Olave. The replays showed that the ball clearly hit Olave on the shoulder and the ball never contacted his arm. The fans booed loudly as Lee Nguyen stepped up and kicked a penalty shot by Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles to tie the match at 1-1.

 

New England suffered a setback a few minutes later when Andy Dorman was ejected from the match with a straight red card. The Revolution would have to play a man down the rest of the way.

 

However, Diego Fagundez capitalized on a mistake by Red Bulls defender David Carney, and shot the ball past a diving Luis Robles for their second goal of the match. Carney completely mishandled the ball, and should have cleared it out of the Red Bulls end, instead he tried to cut the ball back inside to the middle of the field. This miscue had the Red Bulls suddenly trailing 2-1.

 

I was in shock, this type of performance was indicative of other Red Bulls teams in the past, but not this team under Head Coach Mike Petke.

 

Cahill strikes again

 

The Red Bulls bounced back after conceding the goal, and they continued to attack the Revolution goal, which was more representative of the competitive team that they have been all season long.

 

New England goalkeeper, Matt Reis, had been very good after conceding the early goal to Espindola. He made two fantastic saves on Thierry Henry, and kept the Revolution alive in this game to allow them to be in position for the win.

 

In what would be the last play of the match, the Revolution would find themselves down two men, one because of the before mentioned red card, and another player was off the field getting treatment for an injury. The Red Bulls took advantage, and on a recycled corner kick, Tim Cahill put the ball past Reis and into the net! The Red Bulls tied the match 2-2 on the last play before the referee was going to signal the end of stoppage time, and New York clinched a playoff spot!

 

The fans at Red Bull Arena exploded, and I was elated at home, Cahill again came up with a clutch goal at exactly the right time. The Red Bulls regained the lead for the Supporters Shield with the tie, and they have a bye week before going to Houston to play the Dynamo on October 20th.

 

New England played well in the second half and could have really used the win, now they will have to play very well in their remaining games to keep their playoff hopes alive. They are currently 3 points out of the 5th and final spot in the East.

 

Supporters Shield – added importance

 

The New York Red Bulls clinched a spot in the playoffs but they have plenty of motivation to play hard the rest of the regular season because the standings are so tight in the Eastern Conference and for the Supporters Shield.

 

The Supporters Shield has added importance this year because the team that wins it will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs and including the MLS Cup Championship Game. In prior years the MLS Cup Championship was played at a neutral site predetermined by the league.

 

The ability to have home field advantage for the playoffs and the championship game is critical for the Red Bulls because they are a much better team at home than they are on the road.

 

The Seattle Sounders, who could edge out the Red Bulls for the Supporters Shield have one of the best home field advantages in MLS. Real Salt Lake is also in the race and they have a unique advantage at home because of the thin air from the altitude there.

 

The Red Bulls have to finish strong this season to insure that they will not be travelling much in the playoffs as the quest continues to bring the MLS Cup to New York for the first time.

 

Stopping The Slide: New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United Match Preview

The New York Red Bulls have hit a rough patch and are winless in their last three matches. The team has a chance to stop the slide in their upcoming match on Saturday night with the rival D.C. United.

 

This game is the definition of a “get right” game for New York, as they are coming off probably their worst loss in a long time, dropping a 3-2 decision to Chivas USA, the worst team in the Western Conference, last weekend.

 

Chivas USA had not won in 19 matches, and had not scored more than one goal in a game since April 27th, so for the Red Bulls to allow 3 goals to that team, it was a pretty lousy performance out in Southern California. It resulted in Red Bulls Head Coach Mike Petke issuing a public apology to the fans for the poor performance of his team (www.nbcsports.com).

 

Then, leading up to this game against D.C., the story circulated around the media that Petke and Red Bulls team captain, Thierry Henry, had a heated argument during practice on Thursday and had to be physically separated by the assistant coaches (www.nydailynews.com).

 

This is not uncommon for a team with sky high expectations and one of the best records in the entire league, to have some dissention internally during a bad stretch of games. In fact, The Daily News, did a story on how Mike Petke truly embodied a New Yorker for confronting a world class player like Thierry Henry, and not cowering to him like other Red Bulls coaches have done in the past.

 

On a personal note, Petke was my favorite player on the old MetroStars teams, and I think his hard edge, intensity, and passion is the perfect combination for a Head Coach of this group of players.

 

Match Preview

 

The match against the D.C. United on Saturday night will air on the NBC Sports Network at 8 PM (EST) and is a feature game for MLS this weekend.

 

The United come into the game with a record of 3-17-5 and have the lowest point total in all of the MLS. The team from the capital city has a 1-6-2 record in their last 8 games and is 0-9-3 on the road this season (www.usatoday.com). They are coming off a 1-1 tie with Toronto FC last Saturday at RFK Stadium.

 

The players to watch for the D.C. United are: Luis Silva, Dwayne DeRosario, Bill Hamid, and Nick DeLeon.

 

Silva and DeRosario are the two key players for D.C. to make their offense work. DeRosario is a very difficult player to guard and defend when the United midfield can get him the ball up front into open space.

 

Bill Hamid, the goalkeeper for the United, played very well in the first meeting between these two teams which ended in 0-0 draw. He will need to replicate that performance for D.C. to have a chance to keep this game competitive.

 

I added DeLeon to the list because of the other injuries in the United midfield ranks at this point. He needs to step up and provide a strong performance in this game for his team to have a chance to win.

 

This is the last game in the season series between the two teams with the before mentioned 0-0 draw and a 2-0 Red Bulls victory the results of the prior meetings. The two teams compete for the Atlantic Cup which the Red Bulls will capture on Saturday night with either a win or a tie in this match (www.usatoday.com).

 

The New York Red Bulls come into the match with a record of 11-9-6, they are winless in their last 3 matches, and they trail Montreal by 2 points for first place in the Eastern Conference, so this is an important match for them.

 

The players to watch on the Red Bulls are: Luis Robles, Jonny Steele, Kosuke Kimura, Jamison Olave, Thierry Henry, and Tim Cahill.

 

The New York goalkeeper, Luis Robles, needs to bounce back with a good performance in this match after giving up 3 goals to the offensively challenged Chivas USA side last weekend. His play in this match is going to be key in the results.

 

Kimura and Olave will be relied on defensively to mark up against the top United offensive players. Their play in the defensive third in slowing those attacking runs is going to be critical to the Red Bulls strategy to win this match.

 

Outlook

 

This is a match that, on paper, looks like it would favor the Red Bulls especially coming off the loss to Chivas USA. However, this is traditionally one of the most deep seeded rivalries in the MLS between New York and D.C., and the United will be prepared. The team from D.C. would like nothing more than to come into the Red Bull Arena on Saturday night in a national cable televised game and defeat the Red Bulls.

 

In the end analysis, I think the Red Bulls will come out focused and prepared, they play very well on their home field, and I think they will get the victory by the score of 3-1. It should be an exciting match and it is a crucial game for the Red Bulls to stop this slide of losing games to keep themselves in the mix for home field advantage in the MLS playoffs.

 

 

 

 

 

A Huge Win: New York Red Bulls defeat Real Salt Lake

The New York Red Bulls earned a huge victory on Saturday night over Real Salt Lake in front of a spirited home crowd at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. The final score was 4-3 with the game winning goal coming from Dax McCarty in “stoppage time” in the 94th minute.

 

It was the third goal of the season for McCarty, and it could not have come at a better time for the Red Bulls, who with this victory drew to within one point of first place Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer.

 

A Wild Start

 

The match got off to a wild start with the Red Bulls striking first on a beautiful goal by star midfielder Tim Cahill. That put the home team up 1-0 and got the crowd energized early.

 

Then, a controversial call gave New York a penalty shot just minutes later on a play where the two players got tangled up in the penalty area. The Red Bulls converted the penalty shot and held a 2-0 lead.

 

However, just before halftime, the referee made another controversial decision inside the penalty area. This time, the foul was called on the Red Bulls, which resulted in a penalty shot for Real Salt Lake (R.S.L.).

 

On the replays, I thought the call could have easily gone the other way, because the R.S.L. player was trying to impede progress to the ball as well. In any event, Alvaro Saborio buried the penalty shot passed the Red Bulls goalie, Robles, and now it was a 2-1 score line at the half.

 

A Second Half of Wild Momentum Swings

 

The early minutes of the second half featured renewed vigor by the short-handed R.S.L. side, who were missing key players due to injuries, suspension, and U.S. National team commitments for the Gold Cup.

 

R.S.L. played like the best team in the league by stringing together precision passing with brilliant runs by their deftly skilled offensive players. They caught the Red Bulls off guard up the side touch line, and New York made a series of successive defensive mistakes which allowed R.S.L. to get the ball to Saborio.

 

Saborio drilled a shot past a diving Robles, who was playing out of position when the pass entered the penalty area, and now we had a “level” match at 2-2.

 

The Red Bulls fought back and battled the skilled R.S.L. side but had another series of lapses defensively and Alvaro Saborio netted his third goal of the match on a shot that no goalie in the world could have saved. The team from Utah had scored two goals in a 10 minute span to take the lead 3-2.

 

The collective energy was drained out of Red Bull Arena, I sat at home watching on MSG Network in complete shock. I could not believe that the Red Bulls had a two goal lead at home, and now trailed R.S.L. in this match.

 

 

 

The Comeback and the clincher

 

The Red Bulls again battled back in this match. A critical moment came in the 89th minute when the referee called yet another foul in the penalty area, this time on Real Salt Lake, which resulted in another penalty kick for New York.

 

Fabian Espindola, who in my preview on Friday I wrote was a key player for New York, drilled the penalty shot past Jeff Attinella, the R.S.L. goalkeeper, and the match was tied again 3-3. It was, in my opinion and that of other reporters, Espindola’s best game in a Red Bulls uniform.

 

Due to the high volume of fouls called in this game, the referee signaled for five minutes of stoppage time to be added on. The two sides exchanged more aggressive back and forth battles for possession of the ball, in what was a fast paced match from the opening kick until the final whistle.

 

It was a chess match between the two coaching contemporaries: Mike Petke for New York and Jason Kreis for Real Salt Lake. Both teams came well prepared and seemed able to counter the moves of the other side.

 

In the 94th minute, time running out, in what I thought was going to end as a tie, thus giving New York only one point in the standings, the Red Bulls broke through. A beautiful pass into the penalty area was driven home on a diving header by Dax McCarty into the back of the net past Attinella.

 

McCarty ran and pulled off his jersey and tossed it into the stands in elation. The home crowd was going wild, the Red Bulls won the match 4-3 in stunning fashion against the best team in MLS.

 

Looking Ahead

 

The MLS All Star Game will be held this Wednesday night (9 PM EST, ESPN2) in Kansas City. The Red Bulls will be represented by Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill.

 

Then the Red Bulls will play in Kansas City against first place S.K.C. on August 3rd in a huge game for both teams. The Red Bulls continue their road swing playing at Columbus on August 10th and then returning home to face the Philadelphia Union on August 17th. The road ahead is difficult but this win should provide a great deal of confidence as the Red Bulls begin the second half push to the playoffs.

 

 

New York Red Bulls vs. Real Salt Lake : A Huge Match for Both Teams

The stakes could not get much higher for a regular season game in Major League Soccer (MLS) than Saturday night, when the New York Red Bulls host Real Salt Lake at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ at 7 PM.

 

MSG Network will have the TV coverage in the New York / NJ metro market, and believe it or not, the local ABC affiliate in Salt Lake City will be airing this match live for that market and their loyal fans.

 

Background

 

The Red Bulls enter the match in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference tied with the Montreal Impact with 32 points (www.mlssoccer.com). The last game played by New York was on July 20th which ended as a 0-0 tie in Toronto.

 

The Red Bulls have allowed 0 goals in their last two games and they trail Sporting Kansas City for first place in the East by 4 points (www.mlssoccer.com).

 

Real Salt Lake (RSL) enters this match as the top team, not only in the Western Conference, but the top team in the league with 37 points. They hold the lead in what is known as the Supporters Shield which is the name of the honor given by MLS to the team with the best overall regular season record (www.mlssoccer.com).

 

The team from Utah is a powerhouse team with a record of 11 wins 6 losses and 4 ties. The match on Saturday night will be the only regular season meeting between the two teams this season.

 

The two teams met last season in Utah in the second game of the season in March 2012, and RSL defeated the Red Bulls by a score of 2-0 (www.nbcsports.com). The all time head-to-head record for the meetings of these two teams has New York with a record of 3 wins, 5 losses, and 7 ties. The Red Bulls have won all three of those games in the series at home against RSL, the information on the records was provided by MLS archives on their website.

 

A Fan’s Perspective

 

My perspective as a fan that watches the Red Bulls frequently is one of excitement and cautious optimism for this big match. New York plays really well at home in front of their dedicated fans at the Red Bull Arena.

 

The Red Bulls are coming off a disappointing result to Toronto FC where they could not score a goal against a team which is one of the worst defensive teams in the MLS. So they need this game as a “bounce back game” or as former NFL legend and soon to be Hall of Famer, Warren Sapp, would call it a “get right game”.

 

Red Bulls head coach, Mike Petke, will have his team prepared well for this match. He knows RSL coach Jason Kreis very well as they are contemporaries having played in MLS during the same period of time, and then moved into coaching immediately after their playing days ended.

 

I have seen Real Salt Lake play a few times here and there this season, and have read the news coverage around them throughout the season. The team was my preseason pick to win the MLS Cup championship this year. My prediction looks pretty solid right now.

 

RSL is a very talented team with incredible depth. They will need it on Saturday night because, in another key reason why I like New York to win this game, RSL will be travelling east very short handed.

Beckerman, Beltran, and Rimando (their starting goalkeeper) will all miss this game because they will be playing for Team USA in the international tournament called the Gold Cup (www.nbcsports.com).

 

Then, Saunders (their backup goalie), Salcedo, Schuler, and three other role players are out for this game due to injury. Finally, Chris Wingert, who is a key player for their side, is suspended due to his total of yellow cards for rough play (www.mlssoccer.com).

 

Analysis

 

In watching Real Salt Lake play, and having played soccer myself and with my tactical knowledge of the sport; I have observed some things about their approach and strategy. They are very well organized, they play excellent defense, and can be very well disciplined.

 

They tend to stay pretty narrow through the midfield, using shorter, more precise passes to transition into the attacking third of the field. They have very talented forwards, notably Robbie Findley, Olmes Garcia, and Joao Plata. That trio is very dangerous and the Red Bulls need to be prepared defensively to combat their attack.

In the midfield, they have in my opinion, their most talented player in Javier Morales. Morales is a dynamic playmaker and passer, who can also put shots on goal with great accuracy. He is a very difficult player to defend, and the Red Bulls are going to have to determine their best man to defend him pretty early on in this game.

 

Their fullbacks also have a tendency to slide up into attack position, particularly their outside fullbacks, which can create problems for their opponents. However, I think New York has the personnel to counter this element of their attack.

 

The big wild card in this game is Jeff Attinella, he is their number 3 goalie, but because of the injuries and the players missing from the Gold Cup, he will start in goal for RSL on Saturday night. He has very limited experience, and I think the Red Bulls can capitalize on that inexperience to win this match.

 

The Red Bulls looked very tight when I saw them play against Montreal on July 13. The offense looked incredibly crisp, and defensively they played very well and had excellent structure in that game against an outstanding offensive opponent.

 

The key players for the Red Bulls are: Fabian Espindola, Tim Cahill, Thierry Henry, Dax McCarty, Jamison Olave, and their goalie Luis Robles.

 

McCarty makes that list because he may have to mark up and defend Morales. Espindola is playing against his former team, having spent many years with RSL, it will be his first game as well as Olave’s first game against their former teammates since the offseason trade which landed them both in New York.

 

Olave looked solid to me in the Montreal game, he was all over the defensive third of the field making plays on the ball. The play of Robles too was very impressive, he was very good at protecting the goal, particularly on corner kicks. He will be tested early and often by RSL in this game.

 

Tim Cahill should be able to make some plays through the midfield to transition the Red Bulls in this game, and I think Henry is determined to have a great performance against RSL, who he has always respected. If you remember, it was Henry that really engineered that trade for Espindola and Olave because he liked the RSL style of play and wanted those guys with him in New York.

 

Henry and Espindola both being “on their game” in this match could be too much for a shorthanded RSL side to handle.

 

Prediction

 

I think the Red Bulls win this match by a score of 3-1. I like that they have the home field advantage, a more talented group of 11, and RSL has an inexperienced goalkeeper. It should be a great match, which could be a championship game preview. I look forward to watching on Saturday night, and reviewing it next week. My favorite team, the Red Bulls against the best team in Real Salt Lake. This is MLS soccer at its best.