Jesse Marsch went with his best and most used 11 for New York’s first derby. Before a sold out Red Bull Arena, where the traveling support added to a great atmosphere, the Red Bulls prevailed despite playing with 10 men for just under 60 minutes. Here’s how Jesse Marsch’s men fared:
Wright-Phillips brought the game to 2-0 in the 52nd minute after connections from Lloyd Sam and Sacha Kljestan.
Luis Robles – 7
Robles had a quiet first half, and despite NYFC having most of the possession in Red Bull territory in the second half, Robles finished the night with only one save. NYFC never really troubled Robles, which aside from a punch out in the first half, and an intercepted cross in the second, had plenty of time to absorb the atmosphere of this game. Nothing he could have done in NYCFC’s goal.
Kemar Lawrence – 8
Lawrence’s performance can be best summarized by his compatriot’s lyrics: “Don’t worry about a thing, cause every little thing is going to be alright”. Lawrence not only shutdown NYCFC’s right side, but he was everywhere on the Red Bulls’ left side. Whether making last minute tackles, chasing down attackers, or making crucial interceptions, Kemar ‘s performance was his best with a Red Bulls jersey. His last gasp tackle in the 52nd minute to deny NYCFC a chance at Roble’s goal, ended up springing the Red Bulls on a counter which BWP finished for the Red Bull’s second goal. He picked up a yellow card in the 59th minute, but could have very well remained off the book had it not been for the referee’s interpretation of the play.
Matt Miazga – 6
It’s unfortunate Miazga picked up the first red card of his young Red Bull career, and left his team to play with 10 men for the remaining 58 minutes of the game. The young center back was having a good half, and despite his first booking in the 18th minute being questionable, his second booking in the 36th minute attests for the rookie’s naivety. Miazga, who was named to the U20 USMNT that will play in the World Cup later this month,will now join the national team having learned a valuable lesson in his maturity process.
Damien Perrinelle – 7.5
With a solid 40 minutes already under his belt, Perrinelle had to double up his efforts to make up for losing his center back partner to a red card. The Frenchman had a very busy game dealing with the very mobile, and combative Shelton the entire game. It was one of the most interesting duels within the derby, but it wasn’t all defense for Perrinelle, in the 66th minute he was able to join BWP on a breakaway, unfortunately the Brit went to goal himself when he had Perrinelle to his right, free of marking, and in a perfect position to make it 3-0 for the Red Bulls.
Chris Duvall – 8
Much like his opposite side team mate, Duvall had one of his best performances with a Red Bull jersey. With David Villa drifting to his side, Duvall knew he was going to have to put out an A effort, and he did. Duvall kept Villa close, closed his spaces, and was quick not to give Villa time to create any danger. On the offensive side of the ball, Duvall was able to get behind NYCFC’s defense to create mismatches for Lloyd Sam, but it was his defensive efforts that really made him stand out.
Dax McCarty – 8
With the Red Bulls going down to 10 men in the 32nd minute, Jesse March was forced to dissolve his midfield triangle, and have McCarty and Felipe carry the load in the middle of the pitch. Playing as the lone defensive midfielder role is not at all unfamiliar to McCarty, what is new is how big of a leader McCarty has become for this team. Whether supporting the defensive line by cleaning up second balls, covering full backs from isolation situations, or making timely tackles to break up play, McCarty filled the Red Bulls defensive half. On the build up side of the ball, McCarty made the right adjustments, often opting for the cross field ball to beat NYCFC’s outnumbering in the middle, rather than playing the Red Bulls’ typical short passing style.
Felipe – 7.5
It’s never easy to handle the load of two positions at the same time, but Felipe relied on his work rate to fill the Red Bulls midfield after the Red Bulls went down to 10 men. Not the flashiest performance by the young Brazilian, but effective nonetheless, on both sides of the ball. He had a good look at goal in the 25th minute after some good work by Sam, but couldn’t put it past Saunders.
Sacha Kljestan – 8
Sacha is no stranger to rivalries and derbies, and knows a strong start is often the key to building momentum, and to getting the crowd behind the team. A good combination with BWP, and Sam in the 12th minute almost gave the Red Bulls their second goal. Kljestan moved to right midfield following Miazga’s ejection, and did well. It’s not the first time this season that Sacha plays on the left, and he seems very comfortable in that position. Kljestan’s awareness to make a run on the left flank gave Lloyd Sam the option to stretch the NYCFC defense on the Red Bull’s 2nd goal. Kljestan received the ball on the left, chose the right first touch to keep the ball ahead of him, and crossed for BWP’s second of the night. He picked up a yellow card in the 90th when NYCFC was pushing for the equalizer.
Lloyd Sam – 8
Sam is perhaps one of the league’s most dangerous players in 1 v 1 situations. His work on the right to get past a defender, and serve BWP in the 4th minute for the Red Bull’s first goal, not only eluded his direct defender, but also got the NYCFC defensive line out of position leaving BWP alone for the clean shot. Sam’s unpredictability is hard to defend against, whether changing speeds on the dribble, or coming inside to draw defenders to him. Sam continues to be one of the Red Bull’s biggest weapons this year. A good run in the 50th minute left him face to face with the goalie, Sam dribbled away from the goalie, but saw his attempt headed away by a NYCF defender. He moved to center forward after BWP gave way to Richards in the 78th minute, but ended up being sacrificed for Roy Miller in the 87th minute when the Red Bulls needed another man in the center of the defense.
Mike Grella – 6.5
If there is something Grella is known for is his work ethic, and grit, tonight it was no different for the Long Island native. It’s a shame he was sacrificed for Ouimette when the Red Bulls needed to bring in a center back to replace the ejected Matt Miazga.
Bradley Wright-Phillips – 8.5
Perhaps BWP’s most dominant performance of the season. 2 goals, 5 shots, 4 of them on target, and plenty of positive dribbles. BWP was a constant headache for the NYCFC defense. He could have added more goals but was denied by NYCFC’s defense. His decision in the 66th minute to go to goal instead of squaring the ball to a wide open Perrinelle, was perhaps his only miscue of the night. Came off in the 78th minute, visibly exhausted and to a loud ovation from the home crowd.
Karl Ouimette – 7
Getting playtime for the second game in the row, the Canadian had a solid performance and handled the pressure of the derby quite well. Ouimette didn’t have a lot of time to warm up, as he came into the game in the 38th minute to fill the empty slot left by Miazga in the center of the defense. Perhaps the little time he had to prepare worked in his favor as far as anxiety goes, as he settled into the middle of the Red Bull’s defense quite nicely. His inch perfect tackle to prevent NYCFC from coming into the Red Bulls’ 18 yard box in the 85th minute summarized his performance – simple and effective. With Miazga leaving for U20 duty, and Zubar’s return yet unknown, Ouimette made a strong case for a starting center back starting job in the upcoming games.
Dane Richards 6.5
Richards came into the game for BWP in the 78th minute, and right away the speedy winger took advantage of his best asset to get past his defender and onto goal where his attempt was blocked by a sliding defender. With NYFC pressing in the final 10 minutes of the game Richards saw very little of the ball, but he is the type of player who can punish a forward balanced defense with his speed.
Roy Miller – N/R
Miller came into the game in the 87th minute as a 3rd center back.
Alfredo Fumacas @talkingtodadoll
