Miami Takes Down Red Bulls After Going Down Early

It was a full house at Sports Illustrated Stadium as the Messi Mania crowd came to Harrison, NJ. What many thought would be a big game and a competitive one became one-way traffic and a complete disaster for the Red Bulls as they couldn’t make a comeback. They were trounced by Inter Miami by a final score of five goals to one.

The Red Bulls had a good start to the match inside the opening 15 minutes, when they earned a corner. In the 14th minute, they won the corner and took it at the near side. Emil Forsberg delivered a great ball to the middle of the area, then Alexander Hack lifted his left leg to redirect it inside the net and got the early lead.

Then the dam broke and everything fell apart. For two consecutive goals, Miami took advantage of Mohammed Sofo as he switched off. Never paid attention to Jordi Alba making a run behind him at the far side as Lionel Messi finds Alba streaking toward the area, and he blasted the shot to level the score at one in the 24th minute.

Then it became the Telasco Segovia show. Once again, Messi and Alba catch Sofo napping at the far side. Wash, rinse, repeat. Made the same play again like they did on the equalizing goal. But Alba made a quick pass to Segovia, and his shot, while Carlos Coronel did get his hands on the ball, it wasn’t enough to keep it out, and Miami took the lead and held it forever in the 27th minute.

In first half stoppage time, more calamity of errors by the Red Bulls as they continued to not do the job defensively. After so many chances for Miami to get a shot on goal, they were stopped multiple times, yet the Red Bulls couldn’t either control the ball or clear it out of their area. That’s when Federico Redondo passed it back to Segovia, and he smashed it past Coronel to make it three goals to one.

Then in the second half, it became the Lionel Messi Goal Show. While the Red Bulls were trying to press and find a second goal, they left their backline wide open, and Messi did what he always does. Takes advantage and scores his goals. A looping ball from Sergio Busquets right down the middle as Messi parted the defenders like the Red Sea, juked Coronel, and tucked it at the hour mark.

Then the final goal of the match came in the 75th minute, as Messi was hanging around the far side of the area. Took a pass from Luis Suarez and smashed the shot inside the back post as he converted his brace, which gave all of his admirers a lovely image of him scoring goals and winning the game. Once again, the Red Bulls, while having a strong opening twenty minutes of this match, fell apart the rest of the way.

For me, to be honest, I’m sorry, it was not bad to be honest. It was not bad. It was not bad today. Maybe I’m surprised. Of course you look to the result, 5-1, you think, what a bad performance. For me it was not that. For me it was not a bad performance. We tried everything. We tried everything. And of course, how we concede the goal that, was not good. Yes, I agree, that was not good in our behavior to make pressure on the ball and then also to defend these deep runs, especially on our right side.” said head coach Sandro Schwarz “A hundred percent, I agree. But look, when you try the second half and then the fourth goal how you concede, of course, that’s then from the mental side, how can I then accept, okay, okay, now it’s a goal, okay, we try it again. 

“Before we start talking about the guys today, and I hope you are doing this job as well, and I’m talking with what we can improve, a hundred percent, in our transition and our two, three goals, which we concede in the first half. But I hope, believe me, I hope, really, that you also write down something what happened today because this is also the story of the game today, especially from the mental side. And, this is, yes, I criticize me the last Wednesday before the game. But today, I can’t criticize our guys. We must improve.

Of course we must improve. But from the mental side, I’m really shocked what happened. I’m really, really shocked what happened. And no one is talking about it. I heard after the game, no one is talking about that. That is for me unbelievable to be honest. That’s unbelievable that on TV, it’s a live game, and no one is talking about that. 

And I work now in a top league over one hundred games coached in a top league. But when something happened like that, everyone is talking about that. Everyone is talking about that. Everyone is talking about that. But here, no? Okay. And this is — I’m not angry or sad. I’m shocked, and I’m really disappointed about that. But this is, yeah, it’s tough. Really tough.”

The one moment that no one wanted to talk about, but I will discuss it. Why did Luis Suarez intentionally go after Red Bulls Head Coach Sandro Schwarz, who was inside his technical area?. Does the Uruguayan know German? Or for some silly reason, he was trying to intimidate the manager of the club? Why didn’t referee Victor Rivas issue Suarez a card of any color for intentionally going after the Red Bulls’ head coach and leaving the playing field, not by injury or substitution? Hopefully, the Disciplinary Committee will issue at least a form of an suspension.

The Red Bulls have one more match before Leagues Cup comes into play, as they are on the road next week at the Chicago Fire for an important playoff position match at Soldier Field on Saturday, July 26th, at 8:30 PM Eastern on MLS Season Pass through Apple TV.

ALEXANDER HACK: Scored his first goal of the season and his first career MLS Goal

EMIL FORSBERG: Earned an assist during Hack’s goal on the corner at the near side. He needed his 7th assist of the season and his 12th career assist.