Roster Rotation Worked For Red Bulls

The New York Red Bulls were mired in a major slump for the last eight league games before the Leagues Cup came into play. While they went with a win, three draws, and four losses, you could see at times frustration, disappointment, failing to pay attention to the details, or making bad passes that end potential attacking runs.

This is why Head Coach Sandro Schwarz allowed some of the reserves, or those who normally come off the bench as substitutes start against a club like Chivas de Guadalajara. He gave those young players a chance to show what they are made of, but at the same time, he also gave Raheem Edwards and the boys from Long Island, in the Nealis brothers and Tim Parker, the chance to help those kids on the defensive end when they lost the ball to run back and defend.

While their attack wasn’t there, the defending was, and that was the most important part of the match that helped the Red Bulls survive the opening half. While Wiki Carmona suffered some discomfort after a foul he suffered back in the 21st minute, Schwarz knew he had to make an impactful sub at the start of the closing half, and bringing in Serge Ngoma was the player to do so.

Once that substitution was made, Chivas couldn’t stop the Red Bulls attack and they were becoming a threat on offense. Obviously a tale of two halves for the Red Bulls on offense, but their defense stayed on point. Even when Dylan Neails was subbed out for Kyle Duncan, it felt his defense improved as well on the night. When the big boys came on in Emil Forsberg and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, then that’s when the visitors were in trouble.

When Choupo-Moting was fouled just a few yards outside the area and on the far side. The quality of Forsberg shined as the captain delivered a hard low shot that went through the Chivas wall and slammed the back of the net into the back near corner. The last kick of the game decided this one, but it wasn’t just the goal that gave the Red Bulls this result.

The fabulous goalkeeper of A.J. Marcucci was fabulous. How he was in fantastic position to make all those saves and stopped Chivas from getting a sniff of the net was fabulous. A right hand parry over the crossbar, getting down on the pitch to stop harmful low shots. Being quick on his feet and never making a mistake. There were two moments where you thought Marcucci would lose his cool or lose him in the game.

That moment he ran to the top of the area, slid down on the pitch and swung his left leg to clear the ball away for a throw in at the near side touchline, then you saw him at the goalline down in discomfort as he might have pulled a muscle in his upper left leg. Thankfully he was able to continue the match. Then he left his line and ran outside his area, colliding with Tim Parker and forced Sean Nealis to stop the ball as he cleared out the shot from Chivas in the 84th minute.

Overall a fabulous effort from the club, as they earned a quality victory against one of the best clubs all time in Mexican Futbol. In their third competitive match against the goats of Chivas, this was their first victory. Their fourth overall victory as they swept Club Tijuana in the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals, a friendly victory over Club America, and now defeating Chivas. Sandro Schwarz deserves credit for giving his younger player the confidence to perform toe to toe with this side.