November 3, 2015; Washington D.C.- Dax McCarty celebrates with Felipe after putting a dagger in the hearts of D.C. United in the MLS Eastern Conference Semifinals Photo Credit: Jennifer Jordan-Harrell Photography
After last season’s successful regular season campaign, which netted the New York Red Bulls their second Supporter’s Shield in its history, the original New York team is back, and stronger, and deeper than ever. The loss of defensive standout Matt Miazga to the EPL seems minor, compared to the fact that the team kept the rest of their roster intact, added depth, and will undoubtedly be building on last year’s philosophies introduced by Sporting Director Ali Curtis, and commandeered by Jesse Marsch.
Deep down inside Ali Curtis hoped that his new plan for the Red Bulls would make his team a successful team last year, Curtis may even have envisioned the team being one of the top teams in the MLS, but realistically the dramatic changes put in place, and the new direction in which the Red Bulls embarked on, would at least build a good foundation for years that follow according to the delineated plan. The truth is that New York exceeded everyone’s realistic expectations, perhaps even Curtis’.
At the start of year two, the team is fully familiarized with Jesse Marsch’s game idea, and the roster remained relatively untouched. The Red Bulls picked up Gideon Baah from Finland’s HJK Helsinki to fill the gap left by Matt Miazga, and have added depth to its defensive unit by signing draft picks Justin Bilyeu, and Zach Carroll.
The biggest improvement to the squad, however, may be the full integration of Gonzalo Veron, who joined the team mid-season last season, and took that time to acclimate himself to the MLS, as well as a new country and new teammates. Having gone through his first pre-season with his teammates, Veron has been the impressive standout in the Red Bulls camp in the past month, and seems poised to be a difference maker this upcoming season.
Veron who had been deployed has a winger last season, has been tested out behind Bradley Wright-Phillips and the results have been extremely encouraging for Jesse Marsch. There is no indication that the Red Bulls will abandon their one forward set up they used all of last season, but Veron’s emergence provides Jesse Marsch with a alternate tactical setup, as well as tremendous flexibility in the team’s attacking unit, where he can use Veron from both as a wide man or from a central position pushing Sacha Kljestan to a wide interior midfield role.
The whole MLS has had a chance to look at the Red Bulls pressuring style, and will surely be ready this year when playing the Red Bulls. It is up to Jesse Marsch and the team to take the style to a new level, offering opposing teams different, and challenging new looks. That is where last year’s experience comes in, by keeping the same players the Red Bulls are hoping to refine and improve their style from last year.
Jesse Marsch will continue to emphasize team unity, and chemistry, but this season he is extremely excited about the depth of the team. The team looks stacked in every position. Defensively, Ronald Zubar, and Baah will most likely get the nod as the center back starting combo, with Karl Ouimette and Damien Perrinelle, (who is still recovering from his knee injury) as very good back ups, rookies Carroll and Bilyeu will provide the depth. At the full back position, Kemar Lawrence, Zizzo, Lade, and the newly returned Chris Duvall could all start for Jesse Marsch.
In the midfield, the usual suspects – McCarthy, Felipe, Kljestan, Sean Davis, Lloyd Sam, Mike Grella, Veron, Shaun Wright-Phillips are all familiar names to the Red Bull fanbase, add to Derrick Ettiene and teenage phenom Tyler Adams and you can easily see what Marsch is so excited about. Up front – BWP, Anatole Abang and newcomer Brandon Allen.
With depth, talent, and experience the Red Bulls have certainly established themselves as contenders on paper. It will be up to Jesse Marsch to transition that favoritism to the soccer pitch, starting with this Sunday’s home opener against Toronto F.C. who have brought in a few key additions to support Sebastian Giovinco, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore.
The future is bright for the team’s second year under Marsch’s tutelage, there’s a buzz among the fan base that this could be the year when the Red Bulls finally capture MLS Cup which has eluded them for the past 20 years.
