Charlotte Comes to Red Bull and Settles for a Draw after 2nd Half Collapse

The Red Bull entered tonight’s match in desperate need of three points against Charlotte FC. The two sides when they meet have seen the home team each win a match and then they had 1 draw in Charlotte 1-1 on March 25th.

The Red Bulls haven’t lost consecutive matches in its last 67 regular season matches dating back to August 2021, when they lost to NYCFC and Columbus. The two sides are separated by 3 points, and Charlotte is in a tie for the final playoff spot with CF Montreal. The match has a bunch on the line for both clubs going into the international transfer window.

The center referee for the match has the 2nd fewest games this season yet is right up there with referees double to triple the workload in foul calls averaging 23.8 foul calls per game. For two aggressive playing teams, this could be a whistle fest instead of a soccer match.

The first ten minutes of play was a feeling-out period between the two sides, in the 11′ Charlotte gets the ball about 20 yards from goal, and a foul is called on Captain Sean Nealis, the official center decides to issue an early yellow card to the Red Bulls captain for the minor contact foul.

The free kick is blocked out of play, after the restart Benjamin Bender jumps on a loose ball inside the final 8-yards and puts it inside the 1st post behind Coronel.

Benjamin Bender is having himself a match scoring again in the 19′ this time from inside the box near the 18-yard line, bending a perfect ball across the goal inside the second post for an early 2 – 0 lead over the Red Bull who are being over-matched so far in the final third.

Cam Harper gets beaten badly at midfield in the 26′ Cam just takes out his opponent for a professional foul and earned himself a yellow card. The fans might not like the yellow card, but it was justified. The Red Bull continue with their sloppy passing from the back to the midfield. Hassan Ndam is having a horrible start to the match so far; he lost Bender twice and his passes haven’t been crisp when needed.

In the 32′ the arena tries to will the Red Bulls on and get the boys back in the game, but like the performance so far so were the chants short.

Casseres Jr. is getting a final warning from the center about his challenges on the night, given the scoreline and the yellow card parade the Red Bulls seem to be on he will need to be careful about his actions the rest of this match.

So far Charlotte has controlled what the Red Bulls do everywhere on the pitch and have dominated the final third when they get their shots at the goal. Bender has just been a magnet to the ball finding it every time he is near the goal.

The Red Bull has only been able to slow down Bender and his teammates in spurts. Now Coruio is down again grabbing his gluteus maximus the center shows up and he is alive.

“Yeah, look, No. 1, the first half I just said this to the group, is unacceptable from us. The energy, the mentality, the match plan, I think everything that we wanted to do in a really important game, the first game in this next six matches to kick everything off, again, we have to take accountability for that performance, and we put ourselves if a really bad position. So before I can even talk about halftime, I have to say that first, and I was very direct with the group post-match; I was very direct with the group at halftime. You know, we made a couple changes and I think that had something to do with giving a little bit more life and energy. But I also say that it’s unfair to put that all on Frankie or Peter because I changed them. That’s not right, either. It was a collective effort that wasn’t good enough. I give a lot of credit to the group in terms of the way we played in the second half. But that’s what I expect. That’s the standard that I expect us to have all the time, and it wasn’t there in the first half. So, we — I think we let a great opportunity slip away today, and we only came away with a point.”

Troy Lesesne Red Bulls Head Coach

A yellow card was shown to Coruio for his foul on Luqinhas 25 yards from the left of the goal, the pursuing free kick is headed over the crossbar for a goal kick. The yellow card was issued in the 42′ of the first half. The players and fans are asking for a VAR check for a handling offense in the box at the 45′ of the first half.

The VAR official says no handling in the box, not sure how given the laws are pretty clear on such an offense. It clearly hits the extended arm of the Charlotte player in the box denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity with the arm in an unnatural position well off from the frame of the player’s body. Let’s be clear there was nothing natural about Coruio’s arm position and we have seen handling called multiple times this season with the arm far less extended than Coruio’s was in the box right in front of the goal.

The center’s official response when asked about the play stated:

“The arm of CLT#4 was in a natural position when the ball struck the arm. The arm moved away from the body only after the ball struck the arm.”

Center Referee from Pro Referees

The fans are all over the center official as well as both teams at the whistle to end the half. The center official and VAR missed a clear handling offense inside the box just before the half ended. The defender’s arm was stretched well outside the frame of his body and not behind his back.

Knocking the ball down and preventing the ball from making it to the goal just 5 yards from the goal. The center also shows a yellow card to Red Bulls goalkeeper Coronel, for running toward an official in the 45’+3′.

The center referee’s explanation when asked about Coronel being the only player cautioned at halftime following multiple players crowding the officiating team:

“The New York Red Bulls goalkeeper was issued a yellow card for dissent he ran from a great distance with speed to engage the referee crew. Per MLS and PRO points of emphasis on dissent and mobbing of officials, the yellow card was appropriately issued.” He never answered why no other players were issued a card for similar actions.

Center Referee from PRO Referees

Goal Dante Vanzeir in the 53′ off a beautiful cross by Elias Manoel who took the pass from K. Duncan and went full scorched earth toward the goal down the left flank. The score is now 2 – 1 Charlotte but the fans are now louder than ever since the penalty kick denial by the center referee and his video assistants.

In the 55′ a yellow card has been issued to Charlottes Jaylin Lindsey for a foul just outside the box to the left of the goal.

Then in the 59′ Cam Harper blew the mini roof off Red Bull Arena when he sent a missile into the back of the net off a beautiful pass from captain Sean Nealis. The Score is now evened up at two goals apiece and the Red Bulls have all the momentum refusing to be beaten by a referee. The goal came a minute after Dante Vanzeir saw his chance at a second goal blocked out wide for a corner kick.

While not sold out you wouldn’t know it inside Red Bull Arena, the fans are behind their team and want all three points tonight. Since Troy went to the bench at halftime bringing on Dante Vanzeir and Daniel Edelman this team has been playing differently and with a spark. The bad call by the officials tonight on an obvious handling offense also probably fueled the fire we’ve seen this half.

“Yeah, again, it was in relationship to what we saw coming back after the break. It was in relationship to, you know, Peter getting into a really good run of form and respecting that. But same thing I was saying with Dante, I had the same conversation with Daniel in a different capacity for the role for the match, and again, the way he performed in the second half shows that he’s ready to make an impact in this group and he’s hungry to do that for as many minutes as possible. I have big respect for the way he played in the second half for us.”

Troy Lesesne NY Red Bulls Head Coach

In the 84′ Charlotte FC Frank Bronico was issued a yellow card for a foul at midfield, the Red Bull take a short free kick following Charlotte FC’s substitutions. Luquinhas with a chance at the goal goes just wide of the 2nd post, then in the 86′ Omir Fernandez has a golden chance from inside the final 17 yards, and it’s deflected wide of the second post.

Dante Vanzeir has a go but is called for a foul after his foot contacts the Charlotte defender in the box on his attempt at the goal in the 88′ and is also shown a yellow card. A yellow card is shown in the 89′ to Charlotte FC’s Nathan Byrne who got up barking at the downed player.

Cam Harper in the 90’+2′ sends a hard line drive kick toward the upper 90 of the first post but a great diving save by Khalina keeps the game even. Troy Lesesne is shown a yellow card after having some not-very-nice words (have to keep the rating of the article under R so the kids can read it) for the officials. With that yellow card, Troy is now along with Reyes 1 yellow card away from a suspension.

Sean Nealis is closing in on his second suspension as well after his yellow card today but not as close as Coach and Reyes. Then Daniel Edelman with an amazing run back slid in the last second and save a shot from Agyemang.

The Red Bull came from behind two goals to earn a well-deserved point. They had several chances to win the match throughout the second half, but some nice saves and bad luck got in the way.