Photo Credit – NY Red Bulls
The Red Bulls extended their loss less streak to 6 games, the longest current winning streak in the MLS with a win over Toronto FC. Bradley Wright-Phillips got is 11th goal of the season in the first half, while Anthony Wallace, and new signing Gonzalo Veron capped off a dominating win for the Red Bulls over Toronto FC by the score of 3-0.
With Damien Perrinelle, (serving 1 of 2 game suspension) and Kemar Lawrence(injured) ruled out for Saturday night’s match, Jesse Marsch went to his bench to find solutions to stop a high powered Toronto FC offense that has in their ranks the league’s 2nd best scorer, and top assist man in Sabastian Giovinco. Anthony Wallace and Karl Ouimette were the selected players.
Despite the usual quick a pressing start by the Red Bulls it was Toronto that threatened first. Giovinco found a streaking Delgado on a quick transition but the Toronto midfielder put it just wide of Robles’ goal. It would be the first of only 2 chances Toronto had in the first half, as the Red Bulls took control of the game shortly there after.
The Red Bulls midfield pressed Toronto’s build up phase, and limited Michael Bradley’s time, and space to think Toronto’s game. On the offensive side of the ball, the Red Bulls moved off the ball to support the ball carrier with a passing targets, and looked to catch Toronto off balance.
Whether through the middle, or out wide, the Red Bulls were finding a way to keep possession, and create danger for Toronto. In the 8th minute BWP working the spaces between, and behind defenders saw his shot blocked by a defender when the ball was destined for the back of the net. 18 minutes later, it was Sam who found space, and time inside to force Bendik to make a save.
The Red Bulls were knocking, and would eventually capitulate their domination with a goal. Mike Grella worked well to shield defenders on top of the box, and found BWP with a cheeky chip, the youngest of the two Phillips calmly put it away for the first goal of the night, his 11th of the season.
The Red Bulls dominated play, and the goal rewarded their possession, and domination. Aside from a timely rush out by Robles to poke away a ball from Giovinco’s feet, it was all Red Bulls in the first half. Jesse Marsch’s men had to be happy going into the locker room with the lead, and knowing that they had the upper hand on Toronto FC.
The 1-0 result is the most unsettling result in soccer, and the Red Bulls knew with Giovinco, and Altidore on the field, danger would always be looming, as a result they went to work, and it wasn’t too long until the Red Bulls were once again on the board.
Patiently working the ball in the final third trying to breakdown Toronto’s defense, Sacha Kljestan found Anthony Wallace coming into the middle from his left back position, the left back unleashed a hard low shot which beat Bendik from 25 yards out. It was Wallace’s 2nd goal of the season, almost an exact carbon copy of his first goal a few week’s back.
If Toronto had been pretty tame up until that point, the Red Bulls’ goal just after the hour mark spurred Greg Vanney to action, as he made a double substitution, bringing in new boy Herculez Gomez and Daniel Lovitz. Gomez’s introduction gavee Toronto a bit of pep, and the former Liga MX man tested out Robles with a long distant shot that Robles did well to stop, Robles would also get the rebound save after a Delgado shot, also from long distance.
Despite Toronto’s momentary flurry, the Red Bulls continued to control the game, and Marsch would introduce Sebastian Veron, and Sean Wright Phillips for Lloyd Sam, and Mike Grella, in an effort to keep the team refreshed in the humid August night. The Red Bulls would eventually put the nail in the coffin in added time, after Veron picked up a rebound off a BWP shot. The Argentine, making his second appearance for the Red Bulls, was in the right spot, at the right time, and tapped in an easy goal from 6 yards away.
In front of a crowd of 20,685, the Red Bulls dominated the match, and never looked in trouble by Toronto. New York’s pressing game smothered Michael Bradley’s. and Toronto’s ability to get any type of game flow. The Red Bulls have now gone 6 games without a loss(5W,1T), the longest active streak in the MLS.
The Red Bulls will now have 11 days to recover before they head out to Chicago to play the Fire on August 26, 4 days later they will host Eastern Conference leaders DC United at Red Bull Arena in a game that may very well give the Red Bulls the upper hand over their I-95 rivals.
