Photo Credit NY Red Bulls
Three goals in 12 minutes was all the NY Red Bulls needed to see the NE Revs quietly into the night. A brace from Bradley Wright-Phillips, and a couple other strikes from Lloyd Sam, and Wallace, was enough for the Red Bulls to not only get the three points, but also to leap frog the NE Revs in the Eastern conference table. The Revs, who despite getting one back in the second half, were heavily outplayed by New York, and leave Red Bull Arena the victim of the new record for fastest scored 3 goals scored in the MLS.
Perhaps it was to honor Jesse Marsch, who was away from the bench serving a 1 games suspension following his dismissal in Columbus, or perhaps it was the the image of Juan Agudelo, and Charlie Davies doing their matador celebration during the Red Bulls loss up in Foxboro last May. One thing is for sure, the Red Bulls were fired to play this game.
To say the Red Bulls came out firing on all cylinders is an understatement, and it didn’t take long for BWP to get the Red Bulls on the board. Lloyd Sam did well to elude Goncalves on the byline, crossing the ball into the box where BWP was able to beat a defender and head the ball past Shuttleworth 4 minutes into the game.
Five minutes later, the Red Bulls would strike again. A good combination between Kljestan, BWP, and Mike Grella, with this last one finding Sam, was enough to dismantle the Revs’ defense. Sam calmly put the ball past the Rev’s keeper for New York’s second. A dream start for the Red Bulls, whose play in the initial 10 minutes was calculated, and clinical, leaving the NE Revs wondering what had hit them.
The Red Bulls’ passing was crisp, their movement off the ball was on point, and the Revs were having a hard time picking up the Red Bulls’ movement in their half. It didn’t take the Red Bulls long to light up the scoreboard again, as Bradley Wright-Phillips added to New York’s tally 4 minutes later. Sacha Kljestan, and Dax McCarty once again combining to find BWP who got away from his defender, and put the ball past Shuttleworth once again. It was BWP’s 8th of the season, and the goal that put him in the Red Bull’s 3rd best all time scorer, but McCarty’s assist is a thing of beauty. A one touch ball that diced the Rev’s defense was executed with timing perfection.
The Red Bull’s sliced, and diced the Rev’s defense, the Revs struggled to close up spaces, and the Red Bulls continued to push forward. Mike Grella, and Sam could have added a couple more before the half hour mark, but were unable to capitalize, as New York seemed to lower their intensity. Coincidentally the Rev’s would have their best period of the game in the last 15 minutes of the half. Nguyen, and Bunbury combined well in the middle of the park, and Dorman put away the first chance the Revs created.
After the game, Red Bull’s assistant Dennis Hamlett called the Red Bull’s first half their best of the season. It was certainly a half where the Red Bull’s completely dominated their opponents. Jay Heaps had his work cut out for him, but coming back on a determined, and almost flawless Red Bull team would be a huge task for New England, especially missing Jermaine Jones.
With the scoreline at 3-1 the Red Bulls knew all they had to do was control the second half, but also knew the Revs would come out, trying to get an early goal, and open up the game. The Revs came out more aggressive in the second half as expected, but the Red Bulls did well to control the game, and would put the game beyond reach in the 56th minute with a goal from right back Anthony Wallace. Wallace, who stepped in for the injured Duvall, received a back pass from McCarty, and fired a shot just outside the 18, his shot was deflected by a Revs defender, and betrayed Shuttleworth.
With the scoreline at 4-1 the Red Bulls played the remaining of the game alternating between good periods of possession, and good defending to keep the Revs at bay. The lead was comfortable, and the Red Bulls continued confident they would see the game out, which they did. Abang, Zizzo, and Sean Davis would also see minutes for Sam, Kljestan and BWP respectively. In the dying minutes of the second half the Red Bulls could have made it 5-1 after Goncalves brought down Zizzo in the box. The referee pointed to the spot, showed Goncalves his second yellow, and subsequent red. Zizzo would take the pk, but Shuttleworth would save it.
The Red Bulls win an important game against a conference rival who saw them out of the conference finals last year. Marsch’s team was just too strong for the Rev’s this game. The two teams will meet again up at Foxboro in the middle of September, on what will decide not only the season series, but that will also be a crucial match for a playoff run.
The Red Bulls will now travel to the sunshine state to face a depleted Orlando City team in the first ever match between the two clubs.
Alfredo Fumacas @talkingtodadoll
