Red Bulls Preparing for big Home Match against the Crew at home

The Red Bulls a preparing for a big home match against the Columbus Crew at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

Hanover, NJ- The New York Red Bulls return home to play a big match against the Columbus Crew. This was the club the Red Bulls swept in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2024 when they took that big run and won both games at Lower. Com Field with a one goal win, then took a seven-round penalty kick shootout, winning it 5-4 after a two-goal draw at home.

The Crew will be a huge challenge with Daniel Gazdag

With the loss of Cucho Hernandez and Christian Ramirez, the Crew improved their roster to give Diego Rossi and Darlington Nagbe some more firepower when they traded with the Philadelphia Union for Hungarian Midfielder Daniel Gazdag. That addition has kept the Crew near the top of the Eastern Conference.

“Everyone knows in this country how they are playing and with a clear style. What I said, especially with the ball, a lot of players that are able to read the situations with the first touch, with the second touch, very connected with the ball, very close to the net. We have to play very aggressive at the end. So we analyze all the games, but we know that we analyze also our games last season, and especially in the playoffs.

So we have to prepare our style of play to be very aggressive against them. But of course, you will also have some phases in the game where you can’t press, and then you have to control also the phase, or the situation in the game when you maybe don’t have the ball, and then to find the right moment where you start to press, but on the other side, when you are only looking. And 90% 95% only to look okay, what you have to do against the ball.

I think that’s also a big mistake, especially against these teams. When they are so good with the ball, maybe they also don’t like too much than when they have to play against the ball. So I think we need also solutions with the ball, and not only to prepare everything against the ball,” said Sandro Schwarz

Gustav Breggren Finally Arrives

After announcing Swedish International Midfielder Gustav Breggren’s Transfer to the club, it took a while for everything to fall into place as the Visa process was stalling. He was working out in Europe, but when he was finally allowed to enter, it was a breath of fresh air for the club. With him already working out with the club, Breggren is showing some direction while working out on the training pitch.

“You can see that he is directly coaching his teammates in our small games, or in big games, 11 against 11, in our tactical points. So very smart, very smart guy on the field and from the tactical side, so that he’s able to make the last step in our forward defending to be very aggressive, so that he’s stepping out, so not that he’s going back, dropping back, and to look and only to shift in some moments.

No, he wants to play very aggressively. He’s looking for the next contact. He’s looking for the next duel. And on top of what we have seen in the games, he has the confidence with the ball, especially in small spaces, as a six, as an eight, in small spaces to turn to play forward, to find the red zone, to play in the center or through the center. So this is what we have seen.

But this is not now the biggest surprise to us, because we have seen him a lot of times in the games in his last club, so now he’s here, and we are very happy that we can start now our work together.” Said Schwarz

Breggren is happy to be with fellow countrymen

As he finally got together with the club, the two most important people who were there to greet him, of course, were his fellow countrymen in attacking midfielder Emil Forsberg and Centerback Noah Eile. While Breggren has worked with Forsberg on the Swedish National Team, he is happy to play with him on the club as he prepares for this final stretch of the regular season.

It’s very helpful, especially now in the beginning, to adapt to everything. So, it’s nice to speak Swedish. And yeah, it helped a lot, and also it’s two good guys, so I’m happy for that.

“It’s a crucial stage now in the season. So, I will try and come to bring a lot of energy on the pitch. Outside the pitch, get to know my teammates, and I will do my best for us, the team, to take us to the playoffs, and from there, everything can happen.” said Gustav Breggren

With only six matches left and an International Break coming up for the Red Bulls next month, it’s time for them to continue to earn points and put a distance between themselves and the Chicago Fire for that last playoff spot, at the same time continue that playoff qualification streak. We shall see how these games will be played.

A Look back at the 1st Round, Game 2 Shootout win in the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs against the Columbus Crew