Red Bulls Gored United at Red Bull Arena

It will be crucial for the Red Bulls to get out the gate fast and on the board inside the first 25′ of play today. It is no secret that Atlanta is deadly, and their captain and goalkeeper Brad Guzan gets better as the game progresses, the center for today’s match is known to be yellow-card happy a trait that the Red Bulls can’t afford to see coming their way with Reyes and Troy one yellow away from sitting out and Sean nearing another yellow card accumulation suspension with fine.

Atlanta has had a bad season on the road, but the Red Bulls haven’t been spectacular at home either. One has to give and break who it will be will come down to the final third for each side. While Atlanta is sitting comfortably in a playoff spot, the Red Bulls are hoping Troy Lesesne can find a way to get this group there for a 14th straight time. The match up doesn’t favor the home side, but this is MLS, and anything can happen. The Red Bull must get three points if they want to have any hope of a playoff berth down the stretch.

It’s a whistle fest at Red Bull arena in under 4′ of play we’ve heard the whistle more than we have seen the ball passed or dribbled. The calls all going against New York so far which probably start looking for the cards from this center shortly.

Carlos with the save in the 5′ took away the lower 1st post on a try by the Greek wonder Giorgos Giakoumakis. A free Kick for the Red Bull whistled dead after minor contact in the box between Reyes and his mark. Casseres is down and in pain around the 40, Troy and Elias use the time to design a play at the goal off something Elias has noticed in the United backline formation.

The Game restarted after a brief 4′ delay for Casseres Jr.’s injury. United takes him down again this time 20 yards from the goal to the left of center in the 12′, Casseres goes for glory and hits the wall, ball out for a throw near the corner flag. In the first 15′ of play Atlanta has owned 88% of the possession, something Troy was hoping to minimize coming into the match.

“Yeah, I think for all four goals, they come in really different ways. You know, they don’t they don’t come I think the goal with Christian comes in a way that’s familiar to rebel, we press we win the ball if God goes and we score Daniels was often throw in Frankie, you know, he gets to goals kind of against the run of play, and credit to all of these guys for capitalizing on their opportunity. But I would say you know, maybe we were able to capitalize on it. And be opportunistic on chances that aren’t necessarily always how you score goals and how we typically score goals, but you have matches like that. It’s great to it’s great to finally you know, feel that way and feel like anytime you went forward, you had a chance to score.”

Troy Lesesne NY Red Bulls Head Coach

The center seems more willing to let the guys play after both sides protested the quick early whistles. Since he’s let them play a bit more, we’ve seen the midfield opening up and more attacking soccer from the Red Bulls.

A yellow card was issued in the 27′ to Atlanta’s Andrew Gutman for a hard foul (Unsporting Behavior) 30 yards from goal on Elias Manoel.

Goal by NY Red Bulls, Daniel “Star-Lord” Edelman with a great clinical finish inside the box, from the right of the goal he found the space inside the 1st post and abused Brad Guzan in goal with a laser beam of a shot. Daniel is back from his call-up with the U-20 national team in which he was the captain for the United States. Red Bull go up 1 – 0 in the 32′ of the first half. The goal was a little later than hoped for but will gladly be taken by the Red Bulls who have struggled this season to get ahead of their opponents and finish out.

In the 36′ Casseres Jr of New York, finally committed one too many fouls and the referee shows him a yellow for persistent infringement.

Casseres Jr just annihilates the backline of Atlanta, taking the ball away with ease and going right at Brad, staring down his soul, and beating him badly inside the 2nd post for a 2 – 0 Red Bulls lead in the 45′ of the first half. The fourth official indicates a minimum of 2′ will be added to the half. Possession is now 68% for Atlanta and the Red Bulls have been turning up the heat, the building is shaking, and the crowd is alive in New Jersey. The fans give the Red Bulls a rather quiet standing ovation at the end of the 1st half.

To start the second half Casseres Jr is replaced by Stroud, an odd move, and all eyes are on Casseres Jr’s health now. Also, Hassan Ndam enters the match for Reyes at center back, Sean Nealis is going to have to rein the young center back in at times and stay on top of his aggressive play style.

In the 51′ we just witnessed Sean having to step up with so many youths in the back now for the Red Bulls, he cleared the ball out before Atlanta could make something of the bad touch by Edelman and Hassan.

Barlow has no eye for goal, the kid is clueless as a striker can be and it’s noticeable every game more and more. He made a great play earlier with his pressure to free up Star-Lord but when it comes to finding the back of the net it’s not in his skill set. The bad part is it’s the biggest skill set for a striker to possess. Edelman goes into the book; he is shown a yellow card after a bad foul at midfield in the 54′.

Omir Fernandez getting set to enter the match for the Red Bulls, going over the final details with coach Prince. Troy was not happy with one of his coaches on the sideline, having a few words. In the 61′ Omir enters for Dru Yearwood who was underwhelming tonight.

Things are getting sloppy out on the pitch play-wise for both sides, Atlanta has had the last three shots on goal since the substitutions happened to start the second half. The dangerous Red Bulls side has seemed to ease up on the throttle and is in a cruise control pattern this half which is very unlike a Troy Lesesne side.

Manoel is down and in pain grabbing his knee inside the box, he gets up under his own power after the referee comes over to check on him. Tom Barlow continues to get outjumped by the 5’10 Gutman, Tom is listed as 6’2.

So far, the Red Bulls have kept Atlanta off the score sheet, and Manoel is down again this time at midfield, the official tells him to exit the field after the delay he caused. Ronald Donkor enters for Manoel in the 69′ of play.

The hot humid summer night at Red Bull Arena is starting to take a toll on the players, cramping is starting to pop up between the sides. The Red Bulls use the break to hydrate while the Atlanta player is tended to the sideline in the 74′.

So far Almada and Giakoumakis have been kept quiet by the Red Bulls backline this match, we’re now 76′ into the match and Giakoumakis just had his first solid look at the goal tonight.

Donkor finds Frankie for the third goal tonight, Tom Barlow nearly got in the way, but the young Donkor was having none of the Barlow nonsense and took the ball for glory. The Donkor era has begun at Red Bull Arena.

The goal came in the 78′, Donkor nearly gets one himself as he danced around the entire Atlanta Midfield and backline. His pass to Frankie was a little too hard this time and it goes over the goal. Donkor is lighting up Red Bull Arena with his skill, the youngster from Ghana is a sensation.

“Yeah, Ronnie is since he got here, he’s been really impressive. And I think he played verse Philadelphia and one of his is almost his first week in town. And I think that was, you know, a good debut for him. But then the work that he’s put in with rebel to and really understanding positionally, what we’re asking for, and what our style of play is. He’s put in a ton of work and Ibrahim has put in a ton of work just individually coaching him as well. And he’s consistently scored for them. And he’s earned this opportunity to come back into the team and I think he was very, very positive on the day and really gave us you know, a different dynamic, so I’m looking forward to seeing more of that for him.”

Troy Lesesne NY Red Bulls Head Coach

Cam Harper went for it all on a volley but just got under it and sent a pop-up to the United defender who chested it to Brad to settle the match down and cool off the Red Bulls youth.

Big stand by Captain Red Bull Sean Nealis not giving any room to Almada to get a clean shot in the 88′ and Coronel gathers the weak strike.

Frankie brace is in the house tonight, scoring from the top of the box, going from the far left to inside the far 2nd post for a 4 – 0 Red Bulls lead. Again, it was the young core of Frankie, Omir, and Donker causing chaos in the box and bringing pain and destruction to Atlanta United.

That’s it, Atlanta United gets destroyed by the youth of the NY Red Bulls tonight. Brad Guzan will need to seek a retirement facility after this one tonight. The aging keeper showed all 38 of his years and looked more like a 50-year-old keeper in the goal.

The Red Bull got a much-needed 3 points tonight and in a decisive fashion to boot. To think they have a 15-year-old wonder named Julian Hall who may appear very soon. If you remove Barlow and add Hall watch out MLS cause the kids with Vanzeir will be a firework show on a nightly basis.

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