Since the inception of the global concept of RalfBall, affectionately named after RB Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick, the face of the New York Red Bulls brand of football has drastically changed.
Gone are the days of your Tim Cahill or Thierry Henry sort of star power.
Gone is the 4-4-2, overall drab play, and miserable years.
Hello to success, high press, and a reinvention of the academy system. In line with its sister clubs worldwide, the New York Red Bulls integrated their academy to play in the same fashion as the senior team. The reason being it creates a more seamless transition for the young academy stars when they are promoted to the first team. The newfound focus on youth retention and development was evident in the 2-0 victory over the Columbus Crew on Saturday, April 22nd.
The game was notable for breaking a club record for most homegrown players to feature in a single game with Connor Lade, Tyler Adams, and Alex Muyl starting. It was substitutes Derrick Etienne and Sean Davis that broke the club record by having a grand total of five homegrowns feature in one game.
But perhaps the biggest change for the team going into 2017 was the departure of holding midfielder and captain Dax McCarty to the Chicago Fire in exchange for allocation money. Who would fill the shoes? The answer would lie in midfielders Sean Davis and Tyler Adams.
Sean Davis in action. Photo Credit: RBNY.
Davis burst onto the scene in 2015, but ultimately came into his own in 2016 in McCarty’s absence due to injury. In his last two seasons, Davis recorded two goals and four assists. Although he plays adjacent to Felipe in the holding midfield, he offers more of an attacking mindset.
Tyler Adams taking on Chelsea F.C. Photo Credit: RBNY.
Adams earned a single appearance in his rookie year in 2016 but made his presence in the team known immediately in 2017, overtaking Davis as the favorite to play opposite of Felipe in the midfield. Adams shows signs of being an out-and-out defensive midfielder. While he has a ways to go he possesses a keen ability to read and intercept opposing plays, showing maturity well above his years. The shining moment of Adams’ career thus far is the brace he netted in 2015 against English powerhouse Chelsea F.C. in the International Champions Cup friendly tournament.
For all the strides Davis and Adams have made, they have yet to fully integrate into the first team as is evident in Felipe’s positioning. Since joining New York in 2015 from the Montreal Impact, Felipe has formed one of the most prolific midfield partnerships in the MLS alongside McCarty. The former would push forward and attack while the latter would drop in between New York’s two center backs to provide an extra passing and defensive option. When you get comfortable with another player’s style, any subtle change to the lineup will throw you for a loop initially.
Alongside Adams and Davis, Felipe has often been the one to drop back in between the central defenders as he forgoes his favored attacking approach in favor of defensive security. Felipe wants to make sure he can mop up for the youngsters in the event of a critical error. Undoubtedly, Felipe will remain the stalwart central midfielder for the foreseeable future and he will become more comfortable with either Adams or Davis.
Jesse Marsch has only recently discovered his best lineup, although it will be interesting to see how the midfield rotates throughout the season.
New York Red Bulls
