Bradley’ system is a fairly extreme tactical experiment, where the ambition of aggressive and proactive football meets with the reality of a roster that needs to find solidity and continuity. The central tension of the project lies in the gap between the ambitious overload of the final third, and a structural fragility in the defensive transitions. The team often appeared numerically unbalanced and vulnerable as soon as they lost control of the ball.
The success of the system depends on the ability to develop its youngest talents, and harmonize an aggressive structure with the necessary defensive solidity.
Is the system a brilliant intuition, or an unsustainable gamble for this group of interpreters?

The defensive characteristics of this system has already changed from the coach’s initial objective, it became a necessity to compensate for the lack of tactical discipline under pressure.
When the rhythm gets chaotic, the team loses the ability to manage the midfield, slipping into fragmented management of the game. There is also a direct correlation between mental/physical fatigue and the collapse of tactical stability. The rather recurring decline in ball possession and passing accuracy in the closing stages highlights the urgency of a bolder rotation, even though this break is obviously going to help.
Some of the risks of badly managing your possessions can bring to:

• Offensive sterility: an incapability to produce a solid passing newtork, and undermine the opposing lines.

• Vulnerability to transitions: a fragile “resting defensive structure” that exposes defenders to open field prairies.

• Lack of control: an accuracy in passes which dropped to 70% against SKC, a sign of a technical panic that sets in when the opponent increases the pressing.

The different systems of play

Michael Bradley has implemented a fluid structure that obviously varies between game phases.
These are the main systems utilized:

• 4-1-2-3 (Non-possession phase):

  Represents the structural basis.

  During the opponent’s construction phase, the wingers maintain a maximum width, to cover more field, but also to create internal gaps to attack in case of a quick turnover.
  

• 4-1-4-1/4-4-1-1 (Defensive/conservative phase):

  Adopted to ensure compactness, as seen in Chicago for example.

  When the wingers move back, the team effectively transitions into a 4-4-1-1 to form two tight lines, limiting the central gaps.
  

• 2-3-4-1/3-3-3-1 (Possession phase):

  The most ambitious configuration.

  It involves the centralization of the fullbacks (inverted fullbacks) on Mehmeti’ sides, either simultaneously or one at a time.

  This central density acts as a “trap”: it attracts opposing pressure to compress the space and trigger rapid give-and-go sequences between the fullback, winger, and advanced midfielder.

The goal, clearly visible against Orlando City, is to generate a “numerical and positional advantage”, allowing RBNY to dictate the pace through short combinations and immediate verticalizations.
One of Bradley’ system keys is the use of inverted fullbacks: players like Matthew Dos Santos and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty tighten their position, with the aim of creating options for Adri Mehmeti. This overload should dictate the rhythm during possessions, but often generates “disconnected lines” between midfield and defense.

The "high line gambit"

The obsession with the high line transforms the offside into an indispensable but dangerous ally.
Justin Che has become the point of reference for defensive communication, but he cannot always athletically remedy collective positioning imbalances.
Adopting a high defensive line is a calculated risk but, without a collective improvement, the defense will often be forced to make desperate recoveries in the open field, exposing the central defenders to many 1v1 situations.
When the pressing is skipped, the team finds itself numerically exposed.

As highlighted in the previous tactical analyses: “An aggressive approach must always go hand in hand with the ability to put the opponent offside.”
Without proper synchronization, the defense finds itself isolated, forced to defend many yards of the pitch against attackers launching at speed.

The fulcrum of the maneuver is the very young Adri Mehmeti.
At just 17 years old, the midfielder is the “beating heart” of the system, a centrality which can also make him vulnerable: teams like Toronto have begun to neutralize him with dedicated coverages.
The dependence on Mehmeti makes the maneuver fragile.
When the midfielder is screened, the team struggles to move up the pitch centrally, taking refuge in long balls that can give away possession with higher probability.
In this context, the figure of the striker becomes vital.
Julian Hall not only acts as a finisher, but as a “link” capable of dropping down to support the midfield. This movement generates a positive “domino effect”, freeing up spaces for the movements of his teammates.

Although he was like a “ghost” against Cincinnati and Inter Miami, showing some physical and technical deficiencies, Jorge Ruvalcaba’s performance against Charlotte FC confirmed his importance as another one of the main links of this system.
The Mexican is an inside forward who thrives on “close combinations”: when the system allows him to centralize and dialogue in close quarters, as seen in his explosion of 4 goals in 4 games culminating against SKC, he can be a problem for defenses. However, when he is isolated on the wing without the proper support of the fullback or internal midfielder, his effectiveness almost vanishes, making the maneuver predictable.

The "fast food mentality" and the weight of lost duels

Under pressure, the Red Bulls tend to retreat into a “fast food mentality”, mostly characterized by frenetic transitions and long balls towards the speed of Cade Cowell.
Although the “long pass to Cowell → low horizontal cross to Julian Hall” scheme is now a trademark, its efficiency has not always been very high.
The team excels at “explosive transitions” taking advantage of Ronald Donkor’s ball retention and Cade Cowell’s progression. However, the maneuver can become predictable with time. Decisional accuracy in the final third still remains the main obstacle to maximizing effectiveness.
The data shows that the offensive unit wins only 34.6% of duels, a number that explains why for every Cowell flare-up, the team often lost at least a couple of possessions. This frenzy, while certainly being an interesting offensive trait to maintain, also limits the development of a reliable passing network in the central corridor, making the Red Bulls a team that sometimes “throws away” too many plays in favor of a desperate verticality.

The seasonal journey so far reflected the instability of the system: after the very brief initial enthusiasm, the team sank into a crisis of 2 points out of 15 available, before finding balance with the current positive streak of four games. The calendar has now conceded to Michael Bradley a one month window with no official commitments, precious and rare time to go back to the tactical board with more calm.

The recent positive streak has given oxygen to the table, but the structural cracks, from the disconnected lines to the fragility of the defensive transition, require definitive and certain adjustments.
Bradley must decide whether to lower his “center of gravity” to protect an often exposed defense, or whether to continue to bet everything on an aggressive system which requires technical skills that, at the moment, the roster struggles to guarantee.
Ultimately, the future of the Red Bull New York will strongly depend on Bradley’s ability to inject pragmatism into his system, reducing exposure to transitions, and finding rotations that preserve the team’s clarity and control in crucial moments of the match.

The question that will define the club's future remains open: is it better to gamble on building an ambitious system, or to succeed by giving up one's identity?

A very intense game, high rhythm from both teams, with many turnovers and counterattacks.
The second goal of the game came from a mistake that opened a lot of space for Julian Hall, who made the horizontal pass that once again gave Ruvalcaba the opportunity for another great play. Mistakes were made from both sides though, with the Red Bull New York again not able to maintain the much-needed composure in the second half of the game, this time even with a two-goals lead.
While the first half showed a proactive team, capable of leveling the emergency of two injuries that forced them to play with ten men for almost ten minutes, the second half revealed a worrying trend. The second-half possession rate was brutal: 36.3%.
Controlling the tempo is a prerequisite for this team, so this number must be a warning sign.
“Parking the bus” to protect the lead was not the initial expectation, but the team showed some recurring struggles to manage the ball, the 70% passing accuracy also indicates that.
They also weren’t able to manage the opponent’s pressure, producing a fragmented play that lacked the mental composure needed to freeze the clock.

These aren’t just isolated blips, but rather the reflection of lack of tactical discipline and confidence under pressure. When the rhythm of the match becomes too chaotic, Red Bull New York still struggles to slow the game down, reorganize itself in possession, and regain control.
Without a possession structure capable of overcoming its current instability, the team will continue to leave itself exposed to opponents, especially against sides with greater quality.
The inability to manage tempo consistently not only increases defensive vulnerability, but also makes the offensive output less diverse, and consequently easier to manage.
Except for Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, and maybe Ruvalcaba, the schedule now grants Bradley a month-long window.
More than just a physical break, this period should become an intensive tactical study aimed at repairing the flaws within the system.
The recent positive run has created momentum, but sustaining it over the long term will require more than individual brilliance of course.
Improving composure on the ball, reinforcing positional discipline, and developing mechanisms to control difficult phases of games must now become the priority if Red Bull New York wants its current streak to evolve into something concrete.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Kansas City claims to be the soccer capital of America. It also claims to be the haunted house capital of America. How a city ‘earns’ these titles is a little unclear, though I do know the soccer played in Kansas City is certainly horrifying and worthy of being put into a haunted house. So maybe that combination of titles does fit after all.

Bulletin Board

Well it’s the final Red Bulls’ game before the World Cup, which means we’ll have a little break from the torture that is this team’s attempts to be consistent until the end of July. The Red Bulls’ played a strong game against their rivals NYCFC on Saturday in what was one of the team’s stronger defensive performances of the season, despite some poor play defending on set pieces and a rough game from goalkeeper Ethan Horvath. Horvath often found himself out of position, however Cade Cowell created the opportunity for the team’s sole goal of the game (even if he wasn’t credited with the assist), while Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty and Justin Che had very strong games on the backline to earn a draw. All in it was a tighter game than the Red Bulls have typically played this season despite it ending in a 1-1 tie. That was accomplished with the team’s usual aggressive press and involvement from the midfield, in addition to a more flexible defensive formation that was able to rely on Che to make the big plays on the backline, giving the fullbacks their freedom to push forward without the usual negative consequences. Even if it didn’t lead to the full three points, it’s probably a more sustainable game plan from the Red Bulls than their typical approach this year.

Sporting Kansas City has been the worst team in the Western Conference, and yet they’re coming off of two wins in their last two games, wracking up more points in the table in that stretch than they earned in their previous 11 games combined. So what changed for the team once known as the KC Wiz? Honestly not much, outside of more clinical performances in front of goal. Many of the team’s weaknesses (inconsistent energy throughout the game, leaky defense, poor distribution of talent, struggles to maintain possession) remain. Even by MLS standards it’s a bit of an unbalanced roster. Dejan Joveljic, who scored a key goal to beat the Red Bulls in the 2024 MLS Cup Final, is one of the only names most fans in the league would recognize, and KC is very reliant on him to generate attacking opportunities.

Zorhan Bassong and Lasse Berg Johnson play a key, yet largely ineffective role as twin 6s in the midfield. Much of Kansas City’s game is reliant on this pairing to provide defensive cover, allowing Kansas City to sit back, and hope their forwards can take advantage of tired opposition who exhaust themselves going forward against a compact defense with large numbers. If this pairing can be broken, a task which the Red Bulls’ own midfield duo of Ronald Donkor and Adri Mehmeti should be capable of, then Kansas City will crumble. They’re also a side that’s particularly vulnerable to set pieces, and while this hasn’t been as much of a strength for the Red Bulls’ compared to years’ past (last week’s NYCFC game was particularly rough in this regard) if Emil Forsberg can find his form on free kicks, than the Red Bulls should find goals. SKC will likely line up in a 4-4-2 formation, one that doesn’t really offer the chances for that much creativity.

Stats Circle

• New York Red Bulls MLS Record: 5-4-5 (6th-E)
  Sporting KC MLS Record: 3-2-8 (15th-W)

• New York Red Bulls Last MLS Result: 1-1 vs NYCFC
  Sporting KC Last MLS Result: 2-1 vs Austin FC

• New York Red Bulls Top MLS Scorer: Julian Hall (9)
  Sporting KC Top MLS Scorer: Dejan Joveljic (6)

• Fun Fact: Sporting KC was founded by Lamar Hunt, the name sake of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Players to Watch

Dejan Joveljic

To say Joveljic is key to Kansas City’s ability to score is an understatement. Not only does he have almost half of the team’s 13 goals on the year, he’s the only player at the club with multiple goals on the season. The Red Bulls’ inability to contain him was one of the biggest reasons they didn’t lift the title in 2024, though New York has changed a lot since then and Joveljic has a much weaker supporting cast in Missouri than he did in Los Angeles. He is an elite poacher, with great movement off the ball, whose prone sudden bursts of speed. However if he’s not fed balls in the box, he’s not going to make many chances for himself. If the Red Bulls can shut him down, then that doesn’t really leave Kansas City with many alternatives.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Justin Che

Could Justin Che be the most important player on the Red Bulls this season? That might be a bit too grand of a statement to make, but what is undeniable is that the team has been leaps and bounds better defensively with him in the lineup compared to where they stood when he was injured. Is he that much better of a defender than everyone else? Well I wouldn’t go that far, the likes of Marshall-Rutty, Tim Parker and Dylan Nealis have had some strong performances this season. However no defender on the Red Bulls matches Che’s profile, making him the hardest player to replace the backline and vital to its ability to function. He’s the only defender who can combine impressive strength with equally impressive speed, making him vital to covering empty space, responding quickly during transitions, and winning one on ones with opposing strikers. As a result he’s quickly become the Red Bulls lynchpin, and if the Red Bulls are to make a playoff push when the season returns in the Summer, they’ll need him healthy and at the top of his game.

Side Notes

• Injury Report: A.J. Marcucci-knee (O), Eric Choupo-Moting-knee (Q), Matthew Dos Santos-calf (Q), Emil Forsberg-hip (Q)

• The Red Bulls have loaned midfielder Aiden Jarvis to Huntsville City FC, Nashville SC’s reserve team in MLS Next Pro.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Prediction

The Red Bulls end the Spring with their first clean sheet since February in a 2-0 victory on the road.

Editorial

Matchday Musings will return in July. In the meantime enjoy the World Cup, and the Metro Soccer Report will strive to continue to provide any relevant Red Bulls’ content during the break.

The first New York derby of the MLS 2026 ends in a frustrating draw, considering the chances that the Red Bull New York created, especially in the first half of the match.
Before the opportunistic goal made by Jorge Ruvalcaba, the home team produced three interesting offensive plays, all with the potential of changing the score of the game.
During the first half it was evident how much the midfield was involved, with Adri Mehmeti finally having more available options, and consequently an easier job.
New York City executed a very intense pressing on any RBNY’s first touch, but this time the midfield was more present, and more able have an impact. A pressing so ferocious can often force the team who’s executing it to allow wide margins of field, when failing to apply a disturbance, and that’s exactly what happened multiple times during the first half. Every dangerous offensive play came through an explosive transition, with Ronald Donkor leading the charge.

The only, rather important, thing that was missed in the first half was not being able to score on those plays, both for some imprecision and a good job by the opponent.
Despite the amount of dangerous situations created, RBNY failed to fully capitalize on the momentum they had built during the opening stages of the game.
The first half gave the impression of a game that could have been controlled more comfortably by Bradley’s team, but the inability to increase the advantage ultimately left the door open for New York City to apply easier adaptations. After such a display, Pascal Jansen knew that "luck" can only bring you to a certain point, and so he made some adjustments, that ultimately gave New York City the point they were looking for.

The halftime substitution, with Malachi Jones joining the match, perfectly represents what NYC wanted to achieve. Their objective was to seek the deep ends of the attack by going more often through long balls, more specifically with 40 attempts, against the 24 of the first half. That increase alone clearly highlighted the tactical shift implemented after halftime, with New York City becoming far more willing to bypass shorter buildup phases in favor of direct progression into advanced areas.
The effectiveness of those was not essential because the main objective was to move the place of RBNY’s turnovers as far as possible. Even when those long balls did not directly generate dangerous offensive situations, they still served the purpose of forcing Bradley’s team to recover possession in less favorable positions.
Moving those turnovers meant limiting the impact of the midfield, who had to cover more distance than what they were able to do in the first half, stretching RBNY area of play.
As the field became progressively larger for the midfield to manage, the same level of compactness and aggressiveness shown during the opening forty-five minutes became increasingly difficult to maintain. That reduction in midfield influence gradually changed the nature of the match, lowering the frequency of dangerous transitions and allowing New York City to play with greater control over the dynamics of the game.

The Red Bull New York can be very aggressive with their offensive transitions, thanks to some specific skills such as Donkor’s well-known explosiveness, and Cade Cowell’s speed.
Widening the area of the turnovers lowered the risks, and also reduced the impact of the midfield, which had to cover more length compared to what they were able to do in the first half.
By forcing recoveries to happen further away from dangerous zones, New York City managed to slow down the immediacy of RBNY’s transitions and reduce the number of situations in which players like Donkor and Cowell could attack at full speed.
That extra distance ultimately changed the rhythm of the game, stretching the midfield responsibilities and making it more difficult for RBNY to recreate the same level of pressure and offensive effectiveness they had shown before halftime.

New York City simply understood that they had to lower and stretch as much as possibile the “resting” defensive structure of RBNY, in order to reduce the probability of suffering an explosive transition right into the final third. That’s what Michael Bradley’s team currently does best, it was no secret before the game, and so it certainly doesn’t surprise anybody the turn that this match against New York City eventually took.
The goal allowed on a set piece made everything easier for the opponent, and honestly Bradley should’ve attempted a countermeasure sooner than he did. In that situation, and with a 34 years old midfielder, he should’ve put Gustav Berggren before the 17 minutes it took.

A frustrating but certainly growing experience for everyone involved, from the coaching staff to the players, who are all working to improve the knowledge and effectiveness of Bradley’s system. Matches like this can become valuable learning opportunities, especially for a team that is still trying to fully develop the automatisms and positional understanding required by such an aggressive and transition-oriented approach. Even within the same match, there were moments that highlighted both the potential of the system and the aspects that still require improvement, particularly when it comes to maintaining control and reacting to tactical adjustments made by the opponent.
For a group that is still building chemistry and consistency within Bradley’s ideas, performances like this are part of a necessary growth process.
Apart from a couple of bad mistakes near the end of the game, the defense did a decent job but, most importantly, it confirmed the importance of Justin Che in managing aspects such as the offside movements. His presence was especially noticeable in the way the defensive line coordinated its positioning during moments in which New York City attempted to attack depth more aggressively.
Even when the pressure on the ball was not always optimal, the back line generally remained organized enough to force NYC into offsides. Che’s communication and timing continue to represent an important reference point for the defensive structure, particularly in a system that often requires defenders to operate with large spaces behind them and make quick decisions during transition phases.

Above all however, this game should serve as a growing point for the midfield, as an example of how different its impact can result, even during the same match.
The contrast between the two halves clearly demonstrated how influential that department can be in determining both the rhythm of play and the overall consistency of the team.
During the opening stages, the midfield was active, connected, giving Bradley’s side more control over the flow of the game.
In the second half however, once New York City managed to stretch the field and move the turnover areas further away from dangerous zones, the influence of the midfield progressively decreased, and with it much of the team’s ability to territorial control. The possession percentage of Bradley’s team dropped more than 7 points between the two halves of the game, and that is something this team cannot allow, especially when you go to the halftime leading. A drop of that magnitude not only affects the attacking phase, but also increases the defensive workload and the amount of time spent reacting instead of dictating the pace of the match.
When a team built around aggressive transitions and midfield intensity loses that level of involvement, it becomes significantly harder to maintain consistency and effectiveness. That ultimately allowed New York City to play the type of second half they were looking for, with fewer dangerous turnovers and more opportunities to stretch the game territorially.

Elevating the presence and effectiveness of the midfield is a key to the overall growth of this team.
The potential shown during the best moments of the first half should be considered an encouraging sign of what this structure can become once the players develop greater consistency in reading different phases of the match.
Finding ways to preserve that level of control for longer stretches of the game will likely become one of the main priorities moving forward, because the difference between the two halves showed just how central it is to both the identity and the competitiveness of Bradley’s system.

The ecosystem is a beautiful thing, every animal, plant, fungi and even bacteria playing their own role to make something sustainable that’s greater than anyone of them. Every living thing matters, every living thing contributes, every living thing has value.

Except for the pigeon. A stupid useless creature that only serves to annoy everything around them. Its mere existence is proof of the triumph of evil over all that is good. Truly there is no justice in the universe, no inherent source of righteousness in our reality, if the pigeon is allowed to exist. Whether the Devil or nature created such an abomination is a philosophical and scientific discussion that goes far above my paygrade, but either way, there is no greater proof that life is fundamentally flawed than the pigeon.

Bulletin Board

The Red Bulls managed to pull off a 3-2 victory at home in the middle of the week, thanks in large part to a 3 goal game from Julian Hall, who at 18 years and 50 days old, became the youngest player in MLS history to score a hat trick. This earned him MLS player of the week for the second time this season, though it was hardly a solo effort. Cade Cowell put together two excellent assists, and consistently wreaked havoc against Columbus’ back line. The likes of Adri Mehmeti, Jorge Ruvalcaba, and Ronald Donkor managed to maintain a consistent press that forced several dangerous turnovers, and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty put in a strong game on defense. It was a classic Energy Drink Soccer game, with the Red Bulls defaulting to many of their old tendencies: conceding possession, plugging passing lanes and pressing relentlessly. In a game where their opponents controlled the ball for 64% of the contest, the Red Bulls nevertheless felt like the team dictating the pace of play for the whole 90 and then some minutes. That’s two wins in a row, one more makes a winning streak. They have happened before as the legendary (yet fictional) coach Lou Brown might put it.

NYCFC is also coming off of back to back victories against Columbus and Charlotte, and have avoided conceding goals in each of their last two matches. The dirty, dirty Pigeons, have engaged their own pressing style this season, though one more focused on build up and playing out of the back. Goalkeeper Matt Freese is one of the best distributors in MLS, a status which may earn him the starting job for the USMNT at the World Cup. Full backs Tayvon Gray and Nico Carvilla are often encouraged to push high in these moments, diverting attention from the team’s midfield, allowing quick distribution that can be parlayed into a direct attack on goal.

NYCFC has been missing Alonso Martinez, the Pigeons’ top scorer from the last few seasons, and don’t really have a replacement that truly matches his playing style forcing a bit of adaptation in their forward group. Nicolas Fernandez has played exceptionally in the forward role, as the man who is more of a traditional midfielder has been operating as a very effective False 9, often dropping back towards the midfield and creating more space for wingers Hannes Wolf and Agustin Ojeda. However, Ferandez has done an excellent job following up Wolf and Ojeda’s movements, often finding himself open in the box for a cut back pass, which he frequently buries in the net. 39 year old vet Maxi Moralez has certainly slowed down from his best days, but wisps of his creativity remain, making him an effective link in the passing chain. Expect the Pigeons to line up in a 4-3-3 formation. NYCFC have already beaten the Red Bulls this year at Sport Illustrated Stadium, scoring a 3-1 win over New York during the US Open Cup. However that past defeat may aid the Red Bulls today, as NYCFC may heavily rotate tonight to prioritize their quarterfinal game in the cup against Columbus on Wednesday

Stats Circle

• New York Red Bulls MLS Record: 5-3-5 (6th-E)
  NYCFC MLS Record: 5-3-5 (5th-E)

• New York Red Bulls Last MLS Result: 3-2 vs Columbus Crew
  NYCFC Last MLS Result: 1-0 vs Charlotte FC

• New York Red Bulls Top MLS Scorer: Julian Hall (9)
  NYCFC Top MLS Scorer: Nicolas Fernandez (9)

• Fun Fact: While NYCFC will finally have their own stadium in 2027, they’ve been a team of many homes as a result of scheduling conflicts, playing home games at Yankee Stadium, Sports Illustrated Stadium, Citi Field, Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Harford, and most strangely of all BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

Players to Watch

Keaton Parks

Keaton Parks is the kind of player who fans need to be told to watch out for, because when he does his job right, then well he doesn’t get noticed much, but he plays a stunningly effective role for NYCFC. As primarily a defensive midfielder, he’s not a traditional destroyer in the role, and while he is an accurate long and short ball passer, not many of his passes are gonna end up on the high light reel at the end of the game. Yet he’s highly regarded in the league, because he does the little things right. He’s an excellent positioner with great tactical awareness, his ball control is excellent and he does an effective hold up play, making him vital to NYCFC’s ability to control the pace of play, something that’s very important for a side facing a high pressing team to maintain. He’s quick to transition back on defense (another vital quality against an opponent looking for fast breaks) and he does a great job covering passing lanes, not just intercepting the ball but dissuading the opponent from making the attempt in the first place, slowing down the opposition’s attack before it gets started. There are very few scenarios where Keaton Parks wins man of the match when this game is over, but make no mistake, he will be the key to NYCFC’s ability to counter the Red Bulls.

Julian Hall

The kid scored a fricking hat trick, do I really need to say more?

Okay I will, but only because I need to hit my word count.

Hall is doing something that no one his age has ever done in this league, establishing himself not just among the league’s top young players, but among the league’s top scorers. Now his distractors might label him a poacher, and they would be right. Well his game’s a little more nuanced than that (he has displayed signs of excellent dribbling ability for one) but there’s nothing wrong with being a poacher when a striker’s as consistent in the role as Hall. His positioning ability is among the very best in the league, and he has just enough speed to consistently get himself open, and he’s finishing his chances at a top notch rate. None of his scores may win goal of the week, yet he finds the back of the net over and over again. The Red Bulls’ defense has been consistently inconsistent this year, and the team has become increasingly reliant on its ability to win shootouts. For that to happen, Hall needs to keep doing exactly what he’s doing.

Side Notes

• Injury Report: A.J. Marcucci-knee (O), Eric Choupo-Moting-knee (O).

• This will be the last Red Bulls’ home game until July 25th as the season is set to go on a 2 month break for the World Cup.

• There may be some added tension between the two teams this week, well maybe more so between the two organizations, with reports this week that reigning NWSL champions, Gotham FC, are in talks to move from the Red Bulls’ Sports Illustrated Stadium to NYCFC’s under construction Etihad Park when the latter opens next year.

• The MLS All-Star Game ballot has been released. This is the only acceptable ballot a reasonable person could make:

*MLS won’t allow both Ronald Donkor and Adri Mehmeti to be picked since they’re both listed as defensive midfielders. I have filed a formal complaint and I expect this injustice to be corrected immediately.

Prediction

It’s a physical, heated, and often ugly match that ultimately ends in an anti-climactic 2-2 draw.

You know it says something about a city when one of its most famous landmarks is a sign that says “Hell Is Real” that isn’t even in the actual city.

Bulletin Board

The Red Bulls finally ended their winless streak in a 3-1 victory over Chicago over the weekend. While the likes of Jorge Ruvalcaba and Cade Cowell displayed impressive performances on the wings, the true hero of the match was Dylan Nealis, who turned in the defensive performance of the season with some vital blocks, tackles, and a stunning goal-line clearance. It was Nealis’ first appearance of the season back in his traditional right back role after spending most of the season playing center back. Nealis has looked a little uncomfortable and a little undersized in that role, a vulnerability opposing teams have exploited dramatically, leading to the Red Bulls developing one of the worst goal-concession rates in the league. Given the dramatic difference in performance, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Nealis back in this role tonight, especially with Justin Che returning to active duty. Still, despite the Red Bulls’ victory, many of the team’s existing problems remained. They looked panicked under pressure and were very vulnerable in transition. Nevertheless, this game represented a much-needed, albeit minor, tactical shift, with Cowell and Ruvalcaba dropping back and playing a more active role defensively, shoring up a back line that has repeatedly been torn to shreds this year. The two have the speed and endurance, if managed properly, to continue in this role, something New York desperately needs to work on consistently.

The Columbus Crew have been significantly reduced from their status as heavyweights of years past, though the team is still loaded with talent, showing flashes of a side that may be struggling but still possesses a high ceiling. Replacing coach Wilfried Nancy and midfield anchor Darlington Nagbe has been a difficult task, to say the least. The team still utilizes a possession-focused style of play; however, it is far more direct than in years past, designed around quick attacks rather than slow buildups and moving players swiftly upfield in numbers in an attempt to overload the opposition’s box. Judging by their 12th-place spot in the standings and a mere 16 goals scored on the season, this style hasn’t really worked out all that well, thanks in large part to the absence of Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali, who has missed the last month with a meniscus tear and nevertheless remains Columbus’ top scorer. Without him, the team lacks a clinical finisher in front of goal and an adequate strike partner for four-time All-Star Diego Rossi, allowing opposing teams to focus more heavily on the Uruguayan forward and limit his capabilities and options. Twenty-year-old homegrown midfielder Taha Habroune has tremendous promise, but he still has a ways to go before he’s truly ready to fill Abou Ali’s role in the squad.

Expect Columbus to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with the main danger coming from the sides of midfield in the form of Max Arfsten and Hugo Picard, players with great offensive talent who lack the corresponding defensive skill. The 4-4-2 is a basic formation, but it has been a staple of the sport for a reason, even if it is past its peak in popularity. The Crew are very capable of playing a compact, tightly knit game when called upon, and the formation offers some nice flexibility, allowing the midfielders to play key roles in transitions. With the exception of center back Rudy Camacho, the back line of Sean Zawadzki, Steven Moreira, and Andrés Herrera is a very versatile group with experience at different positions and roles. That versatility allows them to adapt well to midgame changes and gives Columbus the opportunity to remain flexible tactically. The Red Bulls will likely be content to concede the possession battle tonight, and the victor will just as likely be whichever side can force the most mistakes when the opposition has the ball in its own territory.

Stats Circle

• New York Red Bulls MLS Record: 4-3-5 (9th-East)

• Columbus Crew MLS Record: 3-3-6 (12th-East)

• New York Red Bulls Last MLS Result: 3-1 vs. Chicago Fire

• Columbus Crew Last MLS Result: 0-3 vs. NYCFC

• New York Red Bulls Top MLS Scorer: Julian Hall (6)

• Columbus Crew Top MLS Scorer Without a Torn Meniscus: Diego Rossi (4)

• Fun Fact: While the Crew moved from Historic Crew Stadium to ScottsMiracle-Gro Field (truly the greatest stadium name in American sports) in 2021, their old stadium is still home to their MLS Next Pro team and was the first soccer-specific stadium built in MLS.

Players to Watch

Max Arfsten

The World Cup is officially less than a month away, and Max Arfsten will be among the few players in this game likely to see action in the tournament. The former UC Davis star — a set of words very rarely put together — took a rare path to the USMNT, going from college to San Jose Earthquakes II before being drafted by Columbus despite already being under contract with another MLS club’s reserve side. Yet he has become a regular call-up largely because of his relentless attacking nature, combining a powerful shot with excellent dribbling ability, strong one-on-one skills, and decent speed. However, he does not offer nearly as much defensively, making him a wingback who contributes little in the back. It’s a combination of skills that can overwhelm opponents when Columbus has the ball but leaves the team vulnerable on the left side when possession turns over.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Cade Cowell

Expect Arfsten to pin back the likes of Dylan Nealis or Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty (or even Cam Harper) but if the Red Bulls can create quick moments of isolation, their own powerful and speedy option on the wing, Cade Cowell, can wreak havoc. Cowell finally found his first goal in a Red Bulls uniform over the weekend, though the Chivas loanee has already added value by stretching and wearing down defenses, creating more space for forwards like Julian Hall to sneak through. He may be the single most athletic player on the team, though it would be nice if that raw athleticism translated into more scoring opportunities. If Saturday’s goal was enough to break him out of his rut, then he’ll be key to the Red Bulls’ eventual playoff push, but it remains to be seen whether that strike was a one-off or a sign of things to come.

Side Notes

• Injury Report: A.J. Marcucci-knee (O), Eric Choupo-Moting-knee (Q)

• Jorge Ruvalcaba was named to Mexico’s preliminary 55-man World Cup roster, while captain Emil Forsberg did not make Sweden’s final roster for the tournament.

Prediction

The Red Bulls keep the momentum going with a 2-1 victory, courtesy of a Julian Hall brace.

After a disastrous stretch of results during the first “three days per game” period, and three consecutive losses, Michael Bradley’s team finally managed to get back to winning ways in Chicago. The performance itself was far from perfect, and there are still many concerns surrounding the team’s consistency, but securing three points in this moment still carries significant value.
Beyond the result alone, the match at least offered some signs that the team could begin rebuilding a bit of confidence after a particularly difficult stretch.
Certainly not the brightest performance by the Fire, but RBNY still had to face one of the top ten offenses in the league by goals scored. So allowing just one goal, and a very fortunate one, it is something unexpected for what this defense had been showing.
Considering the defensive struggles that had characterized the previous matches, there were at least small indications of improvement in the team’s ability to remain more compact and survive difficult phases of the game. Many mistakes were still made, but getting back on track, right when you recover Justin Che, is at least promising for future matches.

For this game Bradley decided to have two more experienced CBs on the field by moving Dylan Nealis to the right. It would have been interesting to hear if he asked the team to behave differently against the opposing maneuvers, but the questions made after the game weren’t so specific. The feeling is that the team reverted to their 4-1-4-1 system of play quicker than usual, by dropping the wingers before they used to, keeping a more conservative structure. It is honestly difficult to verify this without being able to get to the film as easy as Apple used to allow, but the sensation remains.
As previously underlined, mistakes were still made, especially with the pressing.
This is an aspect with which the team struggles at the moment, both when producing and receiving it:

• When trying to press the opponent, they don’t always move as a united entity, laying the groundwork for a transition.

• When pressed by the opponent, things can get even worse, and the response is often characterized by panic and technical mistakes.

This last point is strongly connected to the issues that this team has when starting a maneuver from the back, they still can’t manage to have a real passing network, especially through the center of the field.
The midfield is still lacking in many ways, so much that even the forgotten Gustav Berggren managed to make an impact as soon as he entered the field. Once again this should made the head coach reflect on the importance of rotating the players in the midfield, and perhaps even ask if the starters are correct.

Another important issue with this team remains the difficulty with which the players manage the two phases, at the moment they struggle to properly alternate between them, by often being out of position.
In the previous articles it was underlined many times how the team only seems to be comfortable when they receive more space, which can happen for reasons that vary from the score to the simple increasing fatigue.
This game was a perfect example, with Chicago needing to move the needle of their structure towards RBNY’s final third and progressively getting tired. It is not a coincidence that Bradley’s team managed to score with their signature play, when those two factors aligned. Ronald Donkor’s importance in the team’s offensive transitions and Cade Cowell’s speed on long balls, are neither new nor surprising.
The problem is that the team relies too heavily on this type of play, and the opponent does not always lay the conditions for that specific play to be developed.
In addition to all this, RBNY’s defense had not exactly helped in forcing their opponents to get particularly unbalanced and take risks.

The next game against Columbus represents a great opportunity to continue working on the aspects that emerged from this game in Chicago.
While the result against the Fire offered some encouraging signs, multiple tactical and technical issues previously discussed are still clearly present.
The team continues to struggle with pressing coordination, with managing possession under pressure, and with building reliable connections through midfield areas.
At the same time, the match also reinforced which situations currently allow RBNY to perform at their best, particularly when they can attack space in transition and maintain a more compact shape behind the ball. Because of this, it is essential for Bradley to recognize what could work, and attempt some adjustments.
Whether through different midfield rotations, small structural corrections, or a more balanced approach to the two phases, the next matches should help clarify which solutions can realistically stabilize the team over a longer stretch of the season.

It has been more than a month since the Red Bull New York won a Major League Soccer game, after that match against Cincinnati the team has only gained 2/15 of the total points, allowing almost 3 goals per game. A troubling series of results that puts Michael Bradley in a tough position, with the head coach unable to find the next step in the development of his system.
At the risk of sounding repetitive, this team hasn’t yet found a way to fix some of their biggest weaknesses, such as defensive solidity, pressing response, and offensive effectiveness.

Bradley’s team has some relevant deficits in its defensive game, and these issues stem from a combination of individual profiles and broader system choices.
On one hand, there are clear limitations tied to the characteristics and experience of certain players, while on the other, the collective structure often fails to provide the necessary protection and balance. The most obvious examples can be seen in Matthew Dos Santos’ level of experience, which at times affects consistency in key moments, Ronald Donkor’s defensive reads and positioning when dealing with developing situations, and Emil Forsberg’s age, which can influence his ability to sustain intensity across all phases of play.
These individual factors are then compounded by structural elements, such as the positioning of the defensive line, which can leave excessive space to defend or expose the team to direct attacks. Altogether, these aspects create a defensive setup that struggles to remain compact and reliable over the course of a full match.

Another recurring aspect has been the clear difference in midfield performance between the first and second half of a game, a pattern that continues to raise concerns.
In the second part, the midfield can at times appear more connected and supportive, whereas the team displays balance issues more frequently in the opening phases, having less cohesion between the lines, leaving larger gaps. Adri Mehmeti’s job, in this context, is still far too difficult, as he is often isolated and asked to manage situations without sufficient support around him.
The team, as a whole, has been unable to consistently progress through the center of the pitch, instead being forced into wider areas. This limitation becomes even more evident when facing opponents who apply an intense initial pressing phase, as Bradley’s side clearly struggles to respond with timing and the necessary positional support, to bypass that pressure.

When the ball reaches the final third, Bradley’s team continues to make too many mistakes.
As has often been the case, the issues range from poor decision-making in key moments to a lack of precision in technical execution, ultimately preventing the team from turning promising situations into concrete scoring opportunities.
Whether it is the timing of a pass, the choice of option, or the quality of the final action, the attacking phase frequently breaks down before becoming truly dangerous. This inefficiency is also reflected in the numbers, with the offensive unit currently winning only 34.1% of their duels, a figure that highlights their struggles in maintaining possession. As a result, most of the team’s sequences in the opposing final third end prematurely, with possession being lost before any real advantage can be created or sustained.

Other than increasing the rotation of the players, Bradley should think long and hard about going back to the drawing board because this team probably cannot execute the idea of soccer he has in mind.
He could start by lowering the “barycenter” of the team and tightening it up vertically, in an attempt to make the midfield more present in both the main phases of the game.
The philosophy certainly needs to become less aggressive, and dynamics must become easier, when things do not show any real sign of improvement you need to retrace your steps. That means a lower defensive line, more presence and connection with the midfield, which must conduct things way more often in the opposing final third.
Mainly for two reasons:

• Midfielders usually have a better point of view of the play, greater passing skills, and consequently more effective decision-making.
  Right now what Bradley asks from the two CMs just delays or removes them from assisting a defensive play and taking part in an offensive one, relegating most of their performances to the brief transitions between the two main phases.

• Being able to add production from the center, and from open plays, would make the job easier for the wingers.
  The two new signings have not been showing a really satisfying quality with their output, but Red Bull New York’s offensive game has become more and more predictable. The quick transitions to Cade Cowell’ spring, before a low horizontal pass towards Julian Hall, is getting way too familiar to defenses.

These are two potential objectives, but again, the team also has not really tried to rotate the individuals at a great rate.
If adjusting the system is out of the question, and the athletic side doesn’t seem to be an issue, then the only thing that remains is trying to change the individual profiles.
It is perfectly understandable to wanna have the same eleven while developing a whole new system, but at this point rotating some of the players could only benefit both sides. You would alleviate the mental pressure, especially in younger players, and most importantly look at different ways to interpret a role.
One of the few beauties of modern soccer is that head coaches often have the luxury of looking at different profiles for the same position. Juan Mina’s recent performance is an example, not that Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty was playing bad, but knowing what every player can bring to the system you designed is important.

Bradley’s next game isn’t getting any easier though, Gregg Berhalter and his Chicago team are waiting to face the Red Bull New York next Saturday, an important game for the early playoffs standings.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Texas sucks. It’s too big, it’s too dry and it’s too full of itself.

That schtick out of the way, it’s time to talk about something a little more serious. Normally these previews start with some whimsical story making fun of the Red Bulls’ opponent or a weird historical account that I try to tie into the game in some capacity. However today is the rare day where a New York Red Bulls’ game is not the most important thing in global soccer. Today one of our fellow fanbases is at risk of losing their team, one which can trace its history to the yesteryears of the original North American Soccer League. With one of the lowest revenues in MLS, and an inability to find a new owner with the team being on sale for over a year, the prospect of a potential Vancouver Whitecaps move to Las Vegas is looking more probable by the day.

There have been leaks of the leagues’ owners discussing the viability of a move and an investor group from Las Vegas has reportedly placed a bid for the club. Club relocation is a tragedy, and while MLS hasn’t been as affected by the phenomena as other American sports leagues, it’s also no stranger to the prospect with the original San Jose Earthquakes moving to Houston in 2006, and attempts by Anthony Precourt to move the Coulumbus Crew to Austin in the mid 2010s. That latter move was scrapped in part due the overwhelming fan support of the Save the Crew movement, which saw widespread participation from fan bases across the league. Now fan protests won’t make a Vancouver investor appear out of nowhere or fix the Whitecaps stadium issue, and there are also much bigger issues in the world deserving of our attention, but this is a soccer platform so discussing soccer issues seems appropriate. When a league normalizes the possibility of relocation that’s a threat to every fan who grew up rooting for their local team. So if you’re going to a game, bring a sign, or maybe add your name to an online petition, because while the Whitecaps may have stolen Brian White from us, Vancouver fans don’t deserve to have their team stolen from them.

Save the Caps.

Bulletin Board

Okay rant over, back to whimsical lamentations about Red Bull soccer. Though part of me may have wanted to focus on someone else’s tragedies rather than talk about the Red Bulls. It has been a rough 2 weeks for New York. In their last 4 games in all competitions the team has 3 losses and 1 draw, with the team’s only ‘positive’ result involving three separate blown leads to the club’s oldest rivals. The midweek US Open Cup loss to NYCFC was a particularly rough affair. The Red Bulls were decimated on set pieces with all three of the Pigeons’ goals coming through the air on free kicks. Michael Bradley was slow to make adjustments, not bringing in any subs who could try to make up the vast difference in aerial superiority until the game was out of hand. The team’s defensive leaks have reached a critical unsustainable mass, and while the Red Bulls’ offensive performance has improved under Bradley, largely thanks to the clinical scoring ability of prodigy Julian Hall, it can’t keep pace with the team’s defensive inadequacies. I spoke last week of the importance of Justin Che’s versatility and athletic ability for the type of game and formation Bradley wants to play, but with the hybrid center back/right back still listed as questionable for this game, it’s hard to see defensive improvements made without notable tactical adjustments.

FC Dallas have a strong group of forwards, perfectly suited for exploiting the Red Bulls’ vulnerabilities. Forward Peter Musa is in the midst of what looks like a career year, with 9 goals in 9 games and is currently tied with Nashville’s Sam Surridge for the league’s golden boot. His striker partner, former Oregon State Beaver Logan Farrington, is also having an impressive, if less prodigious season, with 4 goals and 3 assists which tie for the team lead. It’s quite a lethal combination, arguably the leagues most effective so far this season, with Farrington’s speed and physicality overwhelming defenders allowing for more space for Musa, who’s excellent positional awareness and clinical efficiency in front of goal, allows him to frequently find the back of the goal. That said, Dallas have had their own fair share of struggles, and are also winless in their last 4 and have had some notable struggles on the road.

Dallas will likely line up in a 3-4-1-2, a flexible formation designed to create overwhelming numbers in the midfield, while also allowing the team to quickly fall back on defense into a more traditional 4-4-2. It’s a formation that’s heavily reliant on, high pace, high endurance wingbacks, who can control their lanes and be an active presence in both the defensive and final thirds of the field. Now the likes of Shaq Moore and former youth national team captain Nolan Norris try to fill these roles with mixed results. It’s a style that requires strong support from the midfielders filling gaps created by the wingbacks and acting as the relay between them and the two forwards. Joaquin Valiente in particular has filled this role well, putting together a few classic MLS hockey assists. If Dallas can keep this relay to Musa and Farrington intact, then the pair is very hard to contain, especially with the Red Bulls’ current struggles. Thus expect New York to be fairly reliant on Ronald Donkor and Adri Mehemeti’s defensive performances to win the ball in the midfield and keep it out of Musa and Farrington’s hands (or well feet I guess).

Stats Circle

• New York Red Bulls MLS Record: 3-3-4 (11th-E)
  FC Dallas MLS Record: 3-4-3 (8th-W)

• New York Red Bulls Last MLS Result: 0-2 vs FC Cincinnati
  FC Dallas Last MLS Result: 1-2 vs Seattle Sounders

• New York Red Bulls Top MLS Scorer: Julian Hall (6)
  FC Cincinnati Top MLS Scorer: Kevin Denkey (4)

• Fun Fact: FC Dallas and the New York Red Bulls are among the most highly regarded developers of young talent in MLS. A combined 7 players called up to the USMNT in the last international window either trained in their academies or made their professional debuts with one of the two clubs.

Players to Watch

Joaquin Valiente

Musa and Farrington may be the straight-twin engine that makes FC Dallas dangerous, but Valiente is an important motor for getting that engine started. I don’t know anything about cars, so if that didn’t make sense lets pretend that it did. What I do understand is 25 year old Uruguayan midfielders, and Valiente has been a valuable addition for FC Dallas this season. Like most of the Texans’ starting lineup, he’s regarded for an impressive work rate that sees him contribute on both sides of the ball. He’s fast, technically skilled, and can make an accurate long pass with some consistency, He’s not going to wrack up the goals, and he’s rarely the player making the final pass in the sequence, but he is often the player making the most important pass in that sequence. That’s allowed him to become a key cog in Dallas’s ability to move the ball up field. Shut him down and that’ll create problems that will be hard for his team to adjust from, but if he’s left to his own devices, don’t be surprised to see Musa and Farrington run rabid.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Adri Mehmeti

Alongside Julian Hall, Mehmeti has become the prize jewel of the Red Bulls development system. The 17 year old’s technical ability, quick short passing, strong tackling ability combined with a tactical awareness that would be impressive for a seasoned veteran twice his age has already made a potential target for some of Europe’s biggest clubs. He’s already one of the best young players in the league, though after starting every single one of the teams in all competitions so far this season, he’s looking a little understandably tired. Against a quick speedy team like FC Dallas, fatigue might not be something the Red Bulls can afford. If Mehmeti can stay effective for the full 90, then that will go a long way to shutting down FC Dallas’ midfield. If he can’t then this could be another long night.

Side Notes

• Injury Report: A.J. Marcucci-knee (O), Justin Che-hamstring (Q)

• While Cam Harper, who has yet to make his debut this season has been removed from the injury list, he is expected to play a few games with the Red Bulls II to get into game shape before returning to the senior team.

• Team great and all time leading scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips will be inducted into the Red Bulls’ Legends Row before tonight’s game. Wright-Phillips will be the second player to receive this honor, joining former teammate Luis Robles

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Prediction

Neither team breaks their winless streak in a 2-2 draw.

In addition to some very specific defensive problems, two factors deeply influenced the defense performance: the inability to retain possession, and bad offensive execution in the final third. This last point has been an issue throughout the season, with many plays being thrown away by rough decisions and/or bad technical execution. Particularly frustrating in this match, considering the spaces that Cincinnati allowed once Bradley’s team managed to reach the final third in some way. But unless they develop a quick play on the outsides, they rarely become a threat when asked to go through the center.
Cincinnati did a good job of isolating the Red Bull New York’s midfield, which failed to represent a viable option for a maneuver, and a solid support for the offensive plays.
It’s obviously not a surprise that one of the biggest turning point of this Bradley’s team must come from fixing the midfield.

The new head coach must find a way to:

• Increase the rhythm and distribution in the center, to make the defense job easier when a maneuver is initiated from the back.
  
  Adri Mehmeti is extremely young and inexperienced in some ways, so he needs any help he can get from the two teammates next to him. Both CMs must reduce the number of technical mistakes and work on developing connections with the players on their respective sides.
  Even the unsuccessful left tried to execute some clear directives when starting a maneuver, with the fullback taking a hybrid (and very common) position towards the center, and the winger retreating one step on the line of the midfielders.
  

• Elevate the presence of the midfield when moving the ball in the final third, to lessen technical mistakes and decrease the turnovers.
  
  This is easier said than done considering how Bradley interprets the defense, so I can see why the midfielders wouldn’t wanna risk leaving a potential target too often into the open field. However, unless something changes with the general philosophy of the system, they must find a way to properly alternate the two phases.
  Again, this is very difficult, but it is also one of the keys to any midfield task.
  The more you manage to control those dynamics, the more effective and difficult to counter you become.

In the first half Cade Cowell had more touches than every midfielder, and double the amount of Berggren’s, which is not surprising considering both the profiles and the issues on the left side of the field.
In the first part of the game Adri Mehmeti had 27% less touches than his season average, confirming the difficulties.

Thanks to a passive approach by Cincinnati, and probably a wake-up call by Bradley, the performance of Red Bull New York was drastically different in the second portion of the game. The away team could finally dominate both the possession rate and the field, basically playing almost the entire half in just one part of the field.
Unfortunately, the team failed to convert some of the chances they created, lacking the necessary precision in the final moments. Still, the overall performance should serve as a reminder of what this team can look like when it manages to properly control the rhythm and maintain possession with more consistency. It also highlights how small improvements in decision-making can significantly raise the team’s attacking ceiling.
After having played four games in ten days, Bradley’s team is finally going to close April with the Open Cup derby against NYCFC on Wednesday, before facing Dallas at home on Saturday.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

The city of Cincinnati’s signature dish is spaghetti covered in chilli, with a larger amount of shredded cheddar cheese on top. Now while some people might consider this cuisine to be sacrilegious, I don’t criticize. I firmly believe that people should be able to eat whatever they like in whatever manner they like. With the notable exception of putting lox on a blueberry bagel, that’s just a crime against nature. But if you want to put milk in your bowl before your cereal or pineapple on your pizza I say go right ahead. I’m not gonna eat it, but I’m also not going to yuck your yums. Still I do believe that chili spaghetti is the mostly likely reason Cincinnati has never had an Italian born player on their roster.

Bulletin Board

So for Wednesday’s game against DC United, I predicted a 0-0 draw. I got half of that prediction right, as the two teams walked out of the Atlantic Cup with shared points. Though in a 4-4 shootout rather than a dull scoreless match. While certainly a thrilling back and forth game, the results are a symptom of a larger problem: the Red Bulls are bleeding goals at an unsustainable rate. DC scored as many goals in Wednesday’s game as they’ve scored in their other 8 games this season combined. The Red Bulls’ 23 goals conceded are tied for the second worst total in MLS and while the offensive results have improved noticeably from last season, it can’t quite keep pace with the defensive deficiencies. The team has sorely missed Justin Che, who’s absence with a hamstring injury has left a major hole in the backline. While center backs Robert Voloder and Dylan Nealis have had a few strong games, neither of them quite have Che’s versatility and speed, a vital lynch pin necessary to cover the ground and space created by Bradley’s high line press. There were positives from the game, Ronald Donkor continues to excel in what is looking like an All-Star season for the 21 year old Ghanaian midfielder, Julian Hall scored his 6th league goal of the season and Jorge Ruvalcaba had his best performance in a Red Bull jersey, hopefully a sign he can live up to his Designated Player title.

The Atlantic Cup wasn’t the only 4-4 draw on Wednesday as NYCFC and Cincinnati had their own little shared defensive catastrophe. Cincinnati and the Red Bulls have had remarkably similar seasons with similar styles of play. Both have conceded 23 goals this year, with Cincinnati’s 17 goals scored barely edging out the Red Bulls 16 goal total. The Red Bulls 4-2 home victory over Cincinnati a month ago is the sole difference between the two teams. FC Cincinnati are a high line, high intensity, aggressive team that combines powerful speed and flexibility to launch quick direct attacks when they have the ball, and to potentially maintain a consistent press when they don’t have the ball. Combined with the Red Bulls’ own aggressive style of play, well we’re likely at another high volume shootout.

FC Cincinnati should line up in a 3-5-2, with box to box midfielder Pavel Bucha playing a vital tactical role and controlling the game. Much of Cincinnati ball movement in the midfield will go through Bucha, while in the final third they’ll attempt to focus more on star striker Kevein Denkey and attacking midfielder Evander. Former longtime Red Bull Tom Barlow has provided decent, if unspectacular support as the second striker, primarily working to draw defenders away from Denky in an effort to earn the $16 million man one on one opportunities where he excels. The team isn’t winning any fair play awards, a lack of discipline combined with aggressive defensive play has seen Cincinnati players earn red cards in almost half of the team’s games so far this year. With both team’s playing styles, this game could end up getting a little heated and if tensions rise then another sending off wouldn’t be that surprising. Both teams will have their fair share of chances in this game, that is not really a question that’s in doubt, so this game likely won’t come down as much to who has the more skilled creators or who controls the ball. Rather this one should go to whichever team is most consistent in front of goal.

Stats Circle

• New York Red Bulls MLS Record: 3-3-3 (8th-E)
  FC Cincinnati MLS Record: 2-3-4 (11th-E)

• New York Red Bulls Last MLS Result: 4-4 vs DC United
  FC Cincinnati Last MLS Result: 4-4 vs NYCFC

• New York Red Bulls Top MLS Scorer: Julian Hall (6)
  FC Cincinnati Top MLS Scorer: Kevin Denkey (4)

• Fun Fact: In 2022, FC Cincinnati had its first ever World Cup player with Ronald Matarrita selected for Costa Rica’s 26 man roster. Cincinnati should be able to add to that total this summer with Miles Robinson (US), Roman Celentano (US), Bryan Ramirez (Ecuador) and Pavel Bucha (Czechia) all on the bubble to make the rosters of their respective countries.

Players to Watch

Kevin Denkey

If this game comes down to who’s the most clinical, then Cincinnati will feel fairly confident in Kevin Denkey. The Togolese striker is a skilled poacher with a powerful accurate shot that allows him to overperform his typical xG numbers. He’s got a great tactical awareness that allows him to often end up in the right place at the right. He’s got decent strength, good technical skills, and he’s an important part of Cincinnati’s press, often forcing turnovers in dangerous areas of the field. With these traits it’s not surprising Cincinnati paid a record $16 million transfer fee for Denkey in 2024, though that was a record that only lasted a few months. Now he hasn’t been quite as efficient as expected to start the season, though a brace on Wednesday against NYCFC would suggest the idea that he’s beginning to reach proper midseason form. If that’s the case, this could be a rough night for the Red Bulls.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Jorge Ruvalcaba

Another player who is hopefully reaching midseason form, Ruvalacaba has a total of 3 goals in his last 3 MLS games. The winger’s performance on Wednesday earned him a spot alongside teammate Ronald Donkor in MLS’ team of the week. The Red Bulls have found good value from Ruvalcaba in his ability to stretch backlines, overwhelm defenders with his pace and dribbling, while also contributing defensively as a physical presser. He’s a true explosive winger, but until these last few performances, he had largely underwhelmed in comparison to the expectation that his Designated Player status automatically brought. With Eric Choupo-Moting relegated to the bench by Julian Hall’s exceptional play, the Red Bulls need their other Designated Players to step up. One great game does not make a successful transfer, and neither would two great games, but a second would be a very positive sign. So keep an eye on Ruvalcaba to see if can repeat what we’ve already seen him do.

Side Notes

• Injury Report: Justin Che-hamstring (O), A.J. Marcucci-knee (O), Cameron Harper-hamstring (Q)

• The Red Bulls have opened their new training facility, the quite lyrical RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center. The complex has already received rave reviews, and is designed to be one of the top training center in the country, if not the continent, and will cater to the first team, the Red Bulls II, and academy players displaying the club’s (or at the very least Red HQ’s) commitment to youth development.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Prediction

Everything points to this game being a slugfest which probably means this will end up being a 0-0 tie. As for the official prediction, let’s go big with a 5-3 Red Bull victory.

There’s an old expression about Washington DC sports that dates back to days after the end of World War I. “First in war, first in peace, last in the league.” Now in the century that has followed, DC has seen its fair share of trouble and tribulations. In that time period I don’t know if the city has always lived up to those first two statements, but I have full faith in DC United’s ability to live up to the final part of that chant.

Bulletin Board

To say last Saturday was a disaster might be a little bit of an understatement. Okay it’s definitely an understatement. The Red Bulls were quite thoroughly thrashed by Montreal for the second time this season. It’s not great when a team loses by three goals on multiple occasions to a side that has not even pulled off a draw, much less beaten any other team in the league. The Red Bulls continue to struggle in transitions, easily the team’s biggest weakness last year, and one that hasn’t seemed to be remedied with new management. All three of the Red Bulls’ losses this season have been overwhelming defeats against quick counterattacking teams, accounting for a dreadful -7 goal difference, despite what’s essentially a .500 record. The Red Bulls certainly look better overall under Michael Bradley, but their biggest weakness honestly looks like a bigger vulnerability than ever before. If opposing teams continue to exploit it, then this could be a season ending problem. Luckily whether it’s a matter of pride or a lack of the right personnel, not many teams in the league utilize a counter attack first based strategy, though a lot of the league is capable of making an effective quick transition, something the Red Bulls will have to improve on if they hope to return to the playoffs.

Thankfully the Red Bulls’ oldest rivals, DC United, aren’t the best counter attacking team out there, though they do have a fairly solid defensive structure. Their 9 goals allowed this season are the third fewest in the East, though with only 4 goals scored in 8 games, they have by a fairly wide margin the least effective group of forwards in the entirety of MLS. They’ve been content to play for the 1-0 victory or even the 0-0 draw. An early goal will see them sit back and bunker if possible, and they are fairly reliant on former Philadelphia striker Tai Baribo, a man who looked like an early golden boot contender last season before fading down the stretch, is responsible for 3 of the team’s 4 goals this year. It honestly doesn’t feel like DC has much of a plan beyond just trying to find Baribo in the box, and otherwise sitting back and doing nothing. If they can’t connect with him consistently, then they really have no offensive gameplan. That might sound bad, but they are getting results. Well to an extent. With 2 wins and 2 draws on the season they’re only one spot below the Red Bulls in the standings. They might not be playing the most entertaining soccer (in fact they might be playing the least entertaining soccer in the world) but it’s kinda of sort of working for them.

Expect DC United to line up in a traditional 4-4-2, a basic line up for an uninspiring team. I would promise that would be my last insult of this piece, but this is a rivalry game so I promise nothing. Service to Baribo is largely reliant on midfielders/wingbacks Aaron Herrera and the Brazilian Joao Peglow. Both men are talented passers, and Herrera is a former All-Star in his own right, but the lack of real quality in the midfield and among other forwards largely limits their impact. It’s not a team that’s capable of controlling possession, forcing these two to sit farther back in the field than in an area that would probably best suit their abilities. The backline of Lucas Bartlett, Kyle Rowles, Silvan Hefti, and Kesuke Kurokawa has been a fairly compact unit, one with good communication that has effectively filled up passing lanes and have out physicaled attacking players, and with Herrera and Peglow’s support, are an absolute pain to break through. Goalkeeper Sean Johnson is long past his MLS Cup MVP days with NYCFC, but the former Red Bull killer is still an effective road block in goal. Both teams are on short rest from the weekend, on top of US Open Cup matches last week, so a bit of rotation in the starting lineup wouldn’t be that surprising. Either way, energy might be a little low for this game, something that would benefit DC’s more conservative style over the Red Bulls’ more aggressive press.

Stats Circle

• New York Red Bulls MLS Record: 3-2-3 (8th-E)
  DC United MLS Record: 2-2-4 (9th-E)

• New York Red Bulls Last MLS Result: 1-4 vs CF Montreal
  DC United Last MLS Result: 0-0 vs Philadelphia Union

• New York Red Bulls Top MLS Scorer: Julian Hall (5)
  DC United Top MLS Scorer: Tai Baribo (3)

• Fun Fact: Last Wednesday DC United lost to USL1 team, One Knoxville SC on penalty kicks after a 3-3 game that went to extra time in the US Open Cup. This is the first time an MLS team has lost to a Tier 3 side in the competition since Minnesota United lost to Union Omaha in 2022.

Players to Watch

Nikola Markovic

The NFL Draft is tomorrow, which likely means your sports feed has been filled with mock drafts, analysises, and predictions whether you want them or not. To be fair, the NFL Draft is filled with all the top young talent that’ll soon be on display in America’s most watched sports league. The MLS SuperDraft is not nearly as prestigious, often going overlooked by not just mainstream sports media, but regular MLS and US soccer coverage as well. In the media’s defense, it isn’t really the league’s primary source of young talent, as most of the competition’s top rookies are developed and signed through club academies. Really only a small handful of players in the SuperDraft usually end up having successful careers, and even fewer are capable of making an immediate impact in MLS. That’s not to imply there aren’t gems to be found. Quality players do still come out of the draft. DC United hope they found such a gem in number one overall pick, the Canadian Nikola Markovic, a center back and defensive midfielder drafted out of College Cup runner ups, North Carolina State. Markovic did not see much action to start the season, but has started each of DC’s last two games, going the full distance in both. He’s got good maturity for a player of his age and in college was a very vocal leader on the backline. While that can be tough to translate to the pros, he has excellent vision of the field, remains calm under pressure (a useful trait against the Red Bulls of all team, and has a physical ability that is MLS quality. He’s the exact kind of player who can be key to a successful bunker, and if DC United wants to pull themselves out of the funk they’ve been in, in the last several seasons, they better hope he’s the gem they think he is.

Emil Forsberg

To break a bunker in soccer a team generally needs three things: creativity, quick accurate passing, and patience. In a nutshell, the Red Bulls need Emil Forsberg. The Red Bulls’ captain isn’t quite displaying the same flair that made him the team’s best player over the last two years, and is showing signs at 34 of slowing down at his age. That said, he’s still the team’s most technically gifted player and even if his physical ability is beginning to decline, his skills are still there. When he’s at his best he takes the team to a whole different level, and it’s frankly hard to see the Red Bulls find a goal in this game if he’s not involved. New York might not be able to run the entire game through him, but they will need Forsberg to come through with some big plays to grab a win on the road.

Side Notes

• Injury Report: Justin Che-hamstring (O), A.J. Marcucci-knee (O), Cameron Harper-hamstring (Q)

Prediction

It’s a long, boring and ultimately unsatisfying game, as this edition of the Atlantic Cup ends in a 0-0 draw.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

In June of 1866 hundreds of Irish immigrants and Irish-Americans crossed the US-Canadian border in an attempted invasion of Quebec only to be violently repulsed. The Fenian Brotherhood’s goal was to conquer Canada in order to pressure the British to withdraw from Ireland. From 1866-1871, the Fenians would attempt several more invasions of Canada, each as equally unsuccessful as the last. It’s a series of events that’s vital to the chronicles of the relations between the two countries, yet these raids would become a mere footnote of American history. However, they would be crucial to the development of Canada’s national identity. Perhaps that lack of significance in the American psyche is a failure on our part, a fundamental negligence in trying to understand our neighbors to the North. While I doubt Michael Bradley included a thorough study of the Fenian Raids in his game preparations, I do hope he made an adequate attempt to understand his Canadian rivals. And if he does want to know more about the Fenian Raids for the Red Bulls’ next Canadian matchup, I have several books to recommend.

Bulletin Board

The Red Bulls put on an impressive display last week against reigning MLS champs Inter Miami, rallying together a tough 2-2 draw, and followed that up with a 3-1 victory over reigning USL champions, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, in the U.S. Open Cup in the middle of the week. Julian Hall was the unquestioned star of both games, putting together two brilliant assists against Miami and scoring a brace against Pittsburgh. The prodigy has been among the most clinical finishers in the league and has set himself apart as possibly MLS’ best young player. Though he’s hardly doing the job alone. Ronald Donkor and Adri Mehmeti have quickly become a top notch duo in the midfield, providing both significant support defensively and offensively. Donkor in particular is in the midst of a breakout season, and may have even competed with Hall for man of the match honors against Miami. Despite positive results, the team’s not quite flying yet, but it’s hard to deny the feeling that the building blocks of something special are being placed at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

If the Red Bulls are hopeful about their future, then Montreal are in complete despair about theirs. The artists formerly known as Impact are in dead last in MLS, with 1 win and 6 defeats in 7 matches, leading to them firing head coach Marco Donadel after a home defeat to fellow basement dwellers Philadelphia. Nothing has really gone right for Montreal, who have been largely lethargic in attack without any real creative options to provide a spark. The defense has been underwhelming to put it lightly and the midfield struggled to maintain possession. It’s hard to imagine anyone losing this team, imagine how embarrassing that would…oh right. Montreal thrashed the Red Bulls in Harison just a month ago for their sole win of the season. Not much really went right for New York in that game. The Red Bulls were torn to shreds by Montreal’s counter attacks, and the team largely lost its composure after an early controversial penalty went in Montreal’s favor, making sloppy plays, bad fouls, and spending more time yelling at the ref than focusing on the game. The good news there, is Bradley’s boys have largely managed to keep their heads on straight since then, so hopefully a month wiser Red Bulls team will be better suited to find a result tonight.

The thing about an interim-coach’s first game, is that it’s a little hard to predict what kind of changes he will make. The new temporary man in charge, Philippe Eullaffory, (the former coach of McGill University) could make notable tactical and lineup changes form his squad’s last game. But with such a short time frame since he officially took over, it’s hard to imagine implementing anything revolutionarily new. Montreal lined up in 5-4-1 when they beat the Red Bulls last month, a formation that allowed them to play a deep line defensive game, plugging up normal passing lanes, and taking advantage of constant Red Bull overextension to efficiently launch counterattacks. If it worked for them once, it would be reasonable to see them take that approach again. Midfielder Ivan Jaimie is key to that strategy, combining decent speed, good change pace, and accurate passing to be a key link up in those transitions. Striker Prince Owusu is the team’s primary goal scoring threat, scouting for half of the Quebois side’s goals so far this season, and is the most frequent target of their counter attacks. Of course a solid defensive approach is only as good as its backline (they’ve conceded the second most goals in MLS), which has previously established is a bit iffy, but Brayan Vera and young center back Efrain Morales do provide a decent physical presence as a duo, though lack some chemistry necessary to make a good partnership. If the Red Bulls can keep their heads on straight, avoid overloading on offense, and apply pressure to a mostly dysfunctional backline, then they should be capable of getting some measure of revenge on the road.

Stats Circle

• New York Red Bulls MLS Record: 3-2-2 (7th-E)
  CF Montreal MLS Record: 1-0-6 (15th-E)

• New York Red Bulls Last MLS Result: 2-2 vs Inter Miami
  CF Montreal Last MLS Result: 1-2 vs Philadelphia Union

• New York Red Bulls Top MLS Scorer: Julian Hall (5)
  CF Top MLS Scorer: Prince Owusu (4)

• Fun Fact: This is the first time Michael Bradley will face an opponent a second time as head coach. Let’s see what he’s learned.

Players to Watch

Wiki Carmona

Last month Wiki Carmona put together one of his best ever performances at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Sadly he did for the other team, as the former and often maligned Red Bull torched his former club with two rather impressive goals. The 23 year old Venezuelan could never quite find his footing for New York, despite being among the team’s leaders in minutes played. Now we won’t dive too much into his playing style, as Red Bulls’ fans are very much intimately familiar with his game, but Carmona has seemingly improved so far in this early stage of the season, despite not really seeming that physically or technically different from last year. Perhaps a change of scenery was all he needed, a new team that could help him boost his confidence. If he plays like he did last time these two teams faced off, then the Red Bulls could be in a lot of trouble this afternoon. Either way, I personally wish him the best. Well not today, but for the rest of the season to come.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty

Another person who’s benefited tremendously from a change of scenery is the man the Red Bulls traded Carmona to Montreal for. Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty has been a surprise breakout signing for New York, displaying both a decent defensive ability (a notable step up from past seasons) in that regard and providing useful versatility by pushing forward and helping stretch out the opposing team’s lines. He has good speed and excellent change in direction, a combination which will make him vital to the Red Bulls’ ability to respond to quick counter attacks. The team has had significant troubles with transitions in the past few years, and while Marshall-Rutty isn’t going to single handily fix that problem, his presence is a good step in the right direction in that regard.

Side Notes

• Injury Report: Justin Che-Hamstring (O), A.J. Marcucci-knee (O), Cam Harper-hamsting (Q).

• The Red Bulls victory over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Wednesday earned them a spot in the U.S. Open Cup round of 16 and a home match against Hudson River Derby rivals, NYCFC, on Wednesday, April 29th.

• Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti earned MLS team of the week honors for their performance against Miami.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Prediction

The Red Bulls learn from this mistake and smuggle home a fairly breezy 2-0 victory back across the northern border.

From a broader perspective, Red Bull New York’s defensive struggles this season made this pattern somewhat predictable. The team has consistently allowed opponents to generate a high volume of chances, and this match was no exception.
Inter Miami once again found space and opportunities, reinforcing an ongoing issue for Bradley’s side, which continues to concede too many dangerous situations even when the final result suggests resilience.

It is not completely fair to reduce the performance of a whole team to a couple of specific plays, but this game would’ve been a loss without the Hall’s usual effort and intelligence. Aside from those two plays made from basically nowhere, Bradley’s team was unable to produce a lot more.
Cade Cowell wasted a big chance by going offside, and Jorge Ruvalcaba has definitely been showing less technique and strength than anybody would’ve hoped.
Even though some numbers may be on their side, so far both acquisitions do not make a real difference, especially the right winger.
The team obviously needs to build chemistry, so it is only natural that they would struggle to have solid offensive transitions, but the amount of plays thrown away is almost annoying at times.
Again, considering the context, it happens for various reasons, ranging from technical mistake to bad decision-making.

It is quite clear that one of Bradley’s intentions is to rely on Cowell’s athletic skills by attempting many long passes towards him. Some of those actually translate to an offensive play, but the rate with which the team successfully produces them should be something worth a consideration. For every ball that manages to reach Cowell in the deep third, at least a couple of possessions are lost, and that is far from ideal.
Especially when you have a very aggressive midfield, consequently out of most of your defensive transitions. For different reasons, the three players in the center do not offer a considerable help to their defense. Some of these reasons are strictly related to their individual profiles, but others are connected to the way Michael Bradley has decided to play, which is obviously related to the system he is trying to develop.
When transitioning to an offensive phase, the team should begin to diversify their decisions, and rely on the qualities of their midfield.

Ronald Donkor was once again essential in this regard, with his incredible ability to manage possessions and create a numerical advantage.
As of now Bradley’s focus should be directed toward the other two elements of the midfield. He needs to find a way to get Adri Mehmeti back as the beating heart of the maneuvers, and Emil Forsberg might play a big role in that. As always the captain’s technical skills are undeniable, but his presence on the field is simply not as helpful and influential as it should. He needs to offer more passing options, to relieve Mehmeti on that side, he needs to be a real support for his teammates.

What Bradley asks from that position is of enormous difficulty, both tactically and athletically. Regarding this last aspect, it’s only fair to wonder if the Swedish player should start so many games and play so many minutes. It is definitely more acceptable to let a 17 years old continue to make mistakes, rather than players like Forsberg and Cowell, on which the expectations and requirements should be much higher.
Maintaining a continuity with the starting eleven is obviously critical when developing a new system, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t attempt a little rotation.
Most importantly, these games should be the testing ground for Bradley to understand who he can rely on for the long-term.

P.S.

At this link you can find some extras, mostly related to long passes tendency in this game.

Dear reader, if you would allow me to butcher the words of the Bard: a king dies, he is buried in the ground where his corpse is feasted on by worms. A fisherman plucks the worm from the ground, and uses it as bait to catch a fish, which he gifts to a beggar. Despite our status, wealth and accomplishment we are all equal in the face of fundamental forces of the universe like the passage of time and death. If even a king could end up in the belly of a beggar then surely a GOAT can be outplayed by a 21 year old Ghanaian at least once.

Bulletin Board

The Red Bulls responded strongly after a 6-1 thrashing against Charlotte before the intentional break with a convincing 4-2 victory over Cincinnati. Okay maybe convincing isn’t necessarily the right word. New York conceded several dangerous chances, which a more clinical team than Cincinnati may have been able to take better advantage of. The backline delivered some clutch moments;, Robert Voloder and Jakeele Marshall-Rutty have very much exceeded expectations as slightly less than heralded offseason additions, but they were also a little lucky, getting torn apart on a few plays that ultimately ended in Cincinnati misses. Dylan Nealis in particular was very lucky that a rather dangerous turnover ended up in a shot far off target. Still a win is a win and 4 goals is 4 goals. It’s hard to find any complaints with the Red Bull’s forwards, both in regards to the starters and the men coming off the bench, even if Cincinnati has been bleeding goals in the last month. Cade Cowell put together a remarkable performance, giving the Cinci defense fits, putting together a lovely assist to teenage prodigy Julian Hall and forcing an own goal. He’s shown remarkable improvement in his technical skills since his last MLS stint with San Jose, while his speed and athletic ability remain among the top percentiles in the league among wingers. If he consistently delivers performances like that, then this could be a special season for the young Californian.

The reigning MLS champions Inter Miami aren’t quite having a special season, at least not yet. The team quite loudly and boisterously declared the CONCACAF Champions Cup to be their main priority for the season, only to be immediately eliminated in their first matchup in North America’s premier competition against Nashville SC. The team has struggled to replace retirees Sergio Busquets and Jordie Alba, losing a certain creativity/variety in options. Their replacements David Ayala and homegrown left back Noah Allen have underwhelmed. As has reigning MLS goalkeeper of the year Dayne St. Clair and new DP/former Monterrey star striker German Berterame who was supposed to fill in for Luis Suarez, who’s seen his age and lack of speed relegate him to the bench.Miami has never been anywhere close to the most well rounded team in the league, but in years past it has been reductive to think of them as little more than Lionel Messi and ten nobodies.

Messi has always been by a wide margin the team’s best player, and he’s been crucial to their ability to recruit high quality players, like Argentina national team midfielder and enforcer Rodrigo de Paul, who otherwise would likely have never considered a move to MLS. But they’ve also been able to properly complement him in the midfield and in the attack (even if their defensive performances have been lacking). That hasn’t been the case this year, as Miami has become more and more reliant on Messi pulling moments of brilliance out of his hat rather than well structured team play.

That’s not to imply they’re not still extremely dangerous, they remain among the East’s top contenders and are still the betting favorites to repeat as MLS Cup Champions. That said there are vulnerabilities that can be exploited by an aggressive team with a little luck. Miami should line up in a 4-2-3-1 and are very much a Tiki-Taka styled team. That means they focus on controlling possession, something generally easy to do against conservative opponents afraid of leaving themselves open to Messi, along with short quick passes and intricate movement. That said they have tendency to overcommit in the attack, leaving them vulnerable to counter, and while their backline has improved compared to past years, it’s still rather underwhelming. If the Red Bulls can put on adequate pressure when Miami’s playing out of the back, before they can get the ball to their vaunted midfield, then New York can force mistakes. The most likely result may be a less talented, less experienced team getting battered by one of the top teams in North America, but there is a reasonable, if narrow path to victory here.

Stats Circle

• New York Red Bulls MLS Record: 3-1-2 (7th-E)
  Inter Miami MLS Record: 3-2-1 (4th-E)

• New York Red Bulls Last MLS Result: 4-2 vs FC Cincinnati
  Inter Miami Last MLS Result: 2-2 vs Austin FC

• New York Red Bulls Top MLS Scorer: Julian Hall (5)
  Inter Miami Top MLS Scorer: Lionel Messi

• Fun Fact: Inter Miami have never won a game at Nu Stadium. In their defense this will only be their second ever MLS game at their new home, after drawing Austin FC in the stadium’s debut last weekend.

Players to Watch

Rodrigo de Paul

The man affectionately referred to as Messi’s bodyguard, willingly left Atletico Madrid last summer to join his long time Argentine national teammate in Miami, becoming a significant difference maker to get Miami past the top teams in MLS and win the title. Make no mistake, this is someone who could currently be starting at one of the world’s biggest clubs if he wanted to.He’s a true physical box to box midfielder, who’s versatility and intensity makes him a significant threat whether he has the ball or not. He’s a skilled passer, an aggressive pressor, who is one of the few players in Miami’s midfield or attack who effectively tracks back to support defenders. Messi might be the player who wins the game for Miami, but de Paul will be the one doing the important off the ball work that keeps his team in the game, while simultaneously playing a crucial role in setting up plays for his teammates.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Ronald Donkor

Donkor should change his name to Johnny Cash because he has been everywhere, man. While the young Ghanaian midfielder showed significant signs of promise last season, he has taken a major step up this year, and is a big reason why the Red Bulls felt comfortable moving on from homegrowns Daniel Edelman and Peter Stroud. Donkor has been covering wide areas of ground as defensive midfielder, while also maintaining a calm presence under pressure beyond a typical player of his age. His defensive workrate has been exceptional, he’s displayed high tactical intelligence and he’s made several key passes throughout this early stage of the season. It’s not quite Dax McCarty reborn, but it has been a little Dax McCarty-esque, though to be clear Donkor is absolutely his own player. Tonight will be his biggest test, as the responsibility of not so much containing Messi, but mitigating the impact of the Argentine legend on the field will likely primarily fall to him. The Red Bulls have been in good hands with Donkor, but they’ll need him to take his game even another step further to have a chance of winning tonight.

Sidenotes

• Injury Report: Justin Che (O), A.J. Marcucci (O), Cameron Harper (Q)

• There’s another prospect in the system as the Red Bulls II have made the rare MLS signing of a player from Mauritania in the form of Abdellhali Nassr Dine on loan not from any Mauritanian club, but from the actual national football association of the country.

• Sports Illustrated Stadium will not be hosting any World Cup games this year, but it will host Scotland vs Bolivia on June 6th, as the Scots prepare for their first World Cup campaign since 1998.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Prediction

The Red Bulls strike first but don’t quite have the endurance to keep up with Miami in a 4-2 defeat.

After gaining one point in three matches, the Red Bull New York won their third game of the season, which now sees Michael Bradley’s team owning the 7th place of Eastern Conference. Even though the score suggests a dominant offensive performance, Cincinnati definitely produced more opportunities to get the ball into the net, with six (!) big chances created. Red Bull New York capitalized on a few offensive plays and converted a couple of chances with great technical execution, with Emil Forsberg taking the decisive lead of the game by shooting a beautiful free kick.

Besides the great shot made by Mohammed Sofo in stoppage time, the Red Bull New York scored two other times, in very similar ways.
Even with some recurring technical mistakes throughout the game, Cade Cowell was able to win some duels on the right side by imposing his athletic skills. Bradley’s team converted two plays thanks to a rapid low pass by Cowell, and a nice effort from Julian Hall, who always shows a lot of dedication and intelligence for a striker of his age. On the other side the music was dramatically different, with Jorge Ruvalcaba being a ghost throughout the game, and Matthew Dos Santos still showing many issues.

The recurring theme behind the issues mentioned above lies in the team’s broader defensive system. Bradley’s side continues to concede far too many counterattacking situations, a direct consequence of their aggressive approach both on and off the ball.
With many players committed forward during offensive phases and a consistently high defensive line, the team often leaves significant space to be exploited in transition.
This match, in particular, could have unfolded very differently had Cincinnati been more clinical with the chances they created. Red Bull New York’s attempts to anticipate the direct opponent, almost on every play, can quickly become a liability.
On several occasions, Cincinnati came within a single technical mistake of punishing this approach, highlighting how fragile that balance currently is.
Individually, Dylan Nealis and Robert Voloder delivered a generally decent performance, yet they too were exposed at times. When a tackle was missed or a read of the play proved incorrect, both defenders ended up conceding large portions of space, allowing opponents to progress.
Due to inconsistent positioning during transitions, Red Bull New York frequently found themselves structurally disorganized after losing possession, with poor spacing and disproportioned coverages behind. As a result, Cincinnati were often able to attack against an unbalanced shape, at times even creating numerical superiorities in key areas.

Teams have been trying to get the better of Bradley’s group by relying on counterattacks, which is becoming an easy trend that needs to be limited as soon as possible. Apart from working with the defense, another aspect that should be taken a step further regards the possession. An aggressive approach often requires a dominating midfield, and that should be the case with Bradley’s team.

Red Bull New York must learn to dictate the tempo, to tighten up the game vertically, and to concede as little time as possible to their opponent.
This is obviously easier said than done, especially when you have scored three goals in four of your previous games. Bradley’s team still has a lot of work to do with its offense, which lacks chemistry, and a clear mind on how to draw most of their plays.
Until the Red Bull New York manage to maintain a conversion rate similar to this game, attempting the adjustments described above can result in many boring and pointless draws.

It is still very early, and most of the issues are normal, considering the circumstances around the team. However this does not mean that the team shouldn’t work on long-term adjustments, one of the keys to a stable team is finding the right balance between short-term issues and long-term objectives.
This game is good for morale, but it should not take the focus away from any of the things highlighted in the season so far, the road is still very steep and dangerous.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Ōdī et amō. Quārē id faciam, fortasse requīris.

Nesciŏ, sed fierī sentiō et excrucior.

I hate and I love. Why do I do this, perhaps you ask?

I do not know, but I feel it being done and I am tormented.

-Catullus 85

Bulletin Board

While I doubt the Roman poet Catullus was a Red Bulls fan, I think he truly captures the Red Bull fan spirit. The honeymoon phase of the Michael Bradley era is officially over after New York suffered a 6-1 thrashing at the hands (or feet) of Charlotte FC. While the game didn’t really go completely off the rails until after Gustav Berggren (who was playing out of position at center back for unclear reasons) earned a 52nd minute red card, the Red Bulls were already down 2-0 at that point. It’s hard to take away any silver linings from that kind of performance. The Red Bulls aggressive approach was extremely vulnerable to Charlotte’s counters and the team remains reliant on Cade Cowell and Jorge Ruvalcabra’s ability to stretch the opposing defence, the latter of whom hasn’t quite adjusted to MLS yet. Combine that with some questionable tactical choices from Bradley and the whole game ended up being a train wreck. The New York skipper has some questions to answer, in what is the first real test of his tenure. Luckily, the international break gave him two weeks to try and find some solutions. One loss doesn’t ruin a season, but failing to learn from a loss can destroy one.

FC Cincinnati has been perhaps the biggest surprise of the young MLS season so far. That’s not a good thing for the Lions. Last year their resolute defense conceded the second fewest goals in the Eastern Conference, this year that once heralded backline has been repeatedly torn to shreds. In their last 3 games in all competitions, they’ve conceded 14 goals including brutal 6-1 and 5-1 losses to the New England Revolution and Liga MX side Tigres. A 4-3 win over Montreal managed to salvage this tough stretch, but the team’s been uncharacteristically undisciplined and inefficient. Now this could just be some early season struggles as the team builds up fitness, but there are clearly holes that need to be addressed and one has to wonder about the psychological consequences that conceding so many goals could have on the team’s morale.

FC Cincinnati are a high line, high intensity, aggressive team that combines powerful speed and flexibility to launch quick direct attacks when they have the ball, and to potentially maintain a consistent press when they don’t have the ball. That kind of approach tends to leave a team vulnerable, but is normally addressed by the likes of USMNT center back Miles Robinson (who’s suspended for this game after a red card against Montreal) and former MLS Defensive Player of the Year Matt Miagza. Now that backline hasn’t held up their end of the bargain, and that kind of causes the whole system to fall apart, leaving the offensive players without the freedom they need to run rampant. FC Cincinnati has had to deal with the fixture congestion that comes with CONCACAf Champions Cup play, but after being eliminated from the continental tournament, they should be better rested and properly rotated. That can be a big difference in a team’s performance, and the attacking duo of Evander and Kevin Denkey is as good as any one-two punch on this side of the Atlantic. Either one is fully capable of taking over a game and single handedly leading a team to victory, and together they are lethal. However, with Robinson out and star goalkeeper Roman Celentano likely missing as well, it’s hard to see those issues in the backline being fixed. This has all the making of a high scoring contest, though more so as a result of two teams’ inadequacies rather than their talents.

Stats Circle

• New York Red Bulls MLS Record: 2-1-2 (8th-E)
  FC Cincinnati MLS Record: 2-0-3 (9th-E)

• New York Red Bulls Last MLS Result: 1-6 vs Charlotte FC
  FC Cincinnati Last MLS Result: 4-3 vs CF Montreal

• New York Red Bulls Top MLS Scorer: Julian Hall (4)
  FC Cincinnati Top MLS Scorer: Kevin Denkey (2)

• Fun Fact: Among current MLS clubs, FC Cincinnati is the most recent team to win a USL trophy, winning the Player’s Shield (regular season champions) in 2018, in their final season in the second tier before joining MLS. The New York Red Bulls II are the last MLS reserve team to win the Players’ Shield in 2016 before moving to MLSNP.

Players to Watch

Evander

With 18 goals and 15 assists last year, the mononym Brazilian Evander was one of the very best players in MLS, finishing 4th in the league’s MVP vote. An exceptionally creative playmaker, he truly stands out among the top attacking midfielders in this country, combining exceptional dribbling technique with a powerful shot that makes him a threat from distance and nearly automatic in front of goal at short range. At least it used to. Through 7 games between MLS and CONCACAF play, Evander has yet to score a goal despite wracking up two assists. It’s a surprising drought for a player of his caliber, and while some of that could easily be attributed to general dysfunction from the larger team, Cincinnati needs him to be back at the top of his game so these early season issues do not grow into a larger problem.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Julian Hall

The Red Bulls’ child labor force has grown a little smaller since the Charlotte drubbing, with Julian Hall turning 18 on March 24th, meaning that 9 out of 11 of the team’s regular starters this season are now legally adults. The newly found man in question has had a great start to the season, at least on paper, with 4 goals in 5 games and earning MLS Play of the Gameday honors in week 1. It’s not often a teenager takes a starting spot away from a Designated Player, but Hall has seemingly relegated last year’s team top scorer, Eric Choupo-Moting to the bench. Despite Hall’s output, one has to question if that’s necessarily the right move. He certainly doesn’t create as many opportunities as Choupo-Moting and all of his goals so far this season have been short range shots fed to him by his wingers and midfielders. Smart positioning and effectively taking chances in front of goal are crucial skills. The Red Bulls of years’ past can certainly attest to the issues that come with a striker who lacks those abilities, but the nature of these goals may suggest an unsustainable scoring rate for Hall. There’s no question the young prodigy, alongside 16 year old Adri Mehmeti, is the highest regarded prospect the Red Bulls have produced since Caden Clark, if not Tyler Adams. Still with Choupo-Moting waiting in the wings, Hall will need to keep up this pace to guarantee a place in the starting lineup.

Side Notes

• Injury Report: Justin Che-hamstring (O), A.J. Marcucci-knee (O), Dylan Nealis-ankle (Q).

• Gustav Berggren is suspended for the match after a red card last game.

• On Wednesday the US Open Cup wrapped up its second round. With MLS teams entering the competition in the Round of 32, the Red Bulls have drawn the reigning USL champions, the Pittsburg Riverhounds for April 15th. If the Red Bulls win, they’ll face the victor of the match between NYCFC and USL1 side Westchester SC.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Prediction

The Red Bulls can’t quite keep pace in a 3-2 shootout loss.

With Jorge Ruvalcaba back on the left, the team returned to playing the system we’re used to, which relies on the constant movements of the Mexican, who moves more towards the center when the team does not possess the ball.
As the head coach’s decision made in the second half also indicates, Ruvalcaba is essential to the development of almost any offensive play, even with some decisional mistakes he is definitely one of the team’s beating hearts. I was honestly very surprised to see Michael Bradley subbing Matthew Dos Santos off the game during the halftime. The young leftback certainly wasn’t playing well, but he had worse performances in the season, which didn’t lead to a substitution. I have not read any statement from the post-game press conference, I don’t know if he had some physical problems, so I can only explain that decision by looking at how the fullbacks interpreted this game.

In an attempt to allow Charlotte as little time on the ball as possible, Michael Bradley’s team managed their maneuvers with a clear system of play: a 2-3-4-1.

One of the reasons behind this common system of play is forcing the opposing team to respond to these movements in the central areas of the field, where the presence of multiple players on similar lines naturally attracts pressure and compresses space.
By shifting the fullbacks inside and positioning them alongside Adri Mehmeti, the team aims to overload these zones and dictate the opponent’s defensive behavior.
In these situations, the objective is to create combinations, particularly the classic give-and-go sequences within the triangle formed by the fullback, the wide midfielder, and the central midfielder, with the wide midfielder acting as the linchpin of these interactions. His role becomes crucial not only in connecting passes, but also in timing movements and facilitating the transitions between short combinations and more vertical solutions.
When executed properly, these patterns can open passing lanes, and allow the team to progress through the thirds. However, as seen throughout the game, the effectiveness of this approach heavily depends on the precision and decision-making of the players involved.

Even if common, this tactical approach is not easy to execute because it requires both mental and technical quickness.
Going back to Bradley’s decision, I believe that he didn’t like some of the choices made by Dos Santos on that side, with the many attempts of long balls towards Ruvalcaba. Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty did a better job at managing the transitions, even though he was not followed properly by Cade Cowell and Ronald Donkor, who both made many technical mistakes. I will not compare every Cowell’ statistic with Ruvalcaba’s because of different playing times, but I will underline that the right winger managed to lose possession 11 times in 56 minutes, while Ruvalcaba only lost possession 3 times in 77 minutes.

I have never hidden my doubts over Bradley’s coaching experience, but the number of poor executions and individual mistakes that this team makes in both the main phases, definitely doesn’t help him. I mentioned some of the issues with the possessions, but I don’t think I need to underline the difficulties of this defense, even with all the circumstances involved.

Aside from embarrassing mistakes and players missing the game, one of the main objectives of the defense must be to improve the way it manages transitions.
I don’t know if this roster has been built following specific requests of the head coach, but the team’s profiles and characteristics are fairly peculiar. I’m obviously referring in particular to the CBs, with Bradley trying to build a highly dynamic system around them, for physical reasons among others.
It is not surprising that the team plays with a high defensive line and loose coverages, but they need to master the “art” of the offside.
Even with athletically gifted players such as Justin Che, every defensive play cannot possibly rely on recoveries and/or anticipations.
An aggressive approach like the one the Red Bull New York is trying to develop must always go hand in hand with the ability to get your opponent offside.
That is something I already underlined in another breakdown, and I know it requires a lot of time and chemistry, but it is imperative that Bradley works on this.
A week of extra training sessions could not come in a better time, and I expect the team to have a better execution in their next game against Cincinnati, hopefully with one of the starting centerbacks coming back.

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photo credit: Irish Maliborski

I once spent six hours in the Charlotte airport during a layover on my way home for Christmas. There’s no insight to be found in that story, no little glimpse into a greater truth or bit of whimsy to brighten the day. Just a cold tired boy on a long day trying to tell himself that this misery would be over soon and in the end would be worth something. The Red Bulls only have to spend 90 minutes in Charlotte, which will hopefully be a less tortuous ordeal.

Bulletin Board

Last week’s draw against Toronto FC, was a bit of a mixed bag, an enlightening mixed bag, but a mixed bag nonetheless. Eric Choupo-Moting’s heroics were enough to salvage a point, in a fairly competitive game. We’re 4 matchdays through the Michael Bradley tenure and we’re beginning to get a better idea of this team’s strengths and weaknesses, which have a surprisingly large amount of overlap. 16 year old wunderkind Adri Mehmeti has been the breakout star of the season so far, adding a creative spark to the midfield that has been lacking in past years, but he was effectively manmarked by TFC, which left the Red Bulls largely grasping for alternatives. While the team’s high intensity press has been fairly effective at times, they’ve continued to struggle in defensive transitions, one of the largest problems from last year, leaving the team exposed on more than one occasion to dangerous counter attacks. The league’s seen what Bradley’s boys can do and the league is quickly adjusting. It’s time to see if the rookie coach can adapt as well.

Charlotte FC is a well organized team, one that’s strongly suited to making those kinds of adjustments. Last week they played Miami to a 0-0 draw, effectively limiting the offensive prowess of the reigning champions. Outside of a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of the LA Galaxy, Charlotte’s been a fairly sturdy defensive unit so far, though the loss of star center back Adilson Malanda to England has been a hard hole to fill. Yet it’s the offense that will give the Red Bulls the most problems, as it’s a team with a plethora of threats, where goals can come from any direction.

Three separate players on the team hit double digit goals last season. Pep Biel is a dangerous attacking midfielder, who will frequently crash the box, and is also one of the most accurate passers in the league. Israelis Idan Toklomati and Liel Abada are both high speed attackers, with Toklamati displaying impressive dribbling skills for a striker. Former Premier League star Wilfried Zaha’s technical ability is world class, combining a dribbling skill that makes him one of the most dangerous players in the league in one on one situations with an impressive physicality. 2022 World Cup USMNT midfielder Luca de la Torre hasn’t quite jelled with his new team, but his own playmaking ability could make him a dangerous center piece to build out attacks from once he develops chemistry with the squad. It’s a fast and technical team, that when clicking well, will control the midfield, giving their forwards freedom to press forward with dangerous runs. Veteran center back Tim Ream and former MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Krisijan Kahlina, offer stability behind this group even though both are showing signs of decline. Charlotte should line up in a 4-3-3. It might be a bit cliche to say the game will be decided in the midfield, but the game will almost certainly be decided in the midfield presenting quite the challenge/test for the young duo of Mehmeti and Ronald Donkor.

Stats Circle

• New York Red Bulls MLS Record: 2-1-1 (4th-E)
  Charlotte FC MLS Record: 1-2-1 (6th-E)

• New York Red Bulls Last MLS Result: 1-1 vs Toronto FC
  Charlotte FC Last MLS Result: 0-0 vs Inter Miami

• New York Red Bulls Top MLS Scorer: Julian Hall (2)
  Charlotte FC Top MLS Scorer: Pep Biel (3)

• Fun Fact: While the Red Bulls have largely had a notable advantage in their short history with the 2022 expansion team, with a 5-2-2 record in all competitions, they’ve yet to actually win on the road at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.

Players to Watch

Wilfried Zaha

There aren’t as many players in MLS who are as technically gifted as Wilfried Zaha, and outside of Lionel Messi, there’s a decent argument that the man with 300 Premier League appearances might be the best pure dribbler in the league. Add in a strong pace, and he’s the exact kind of player the Red Bulls are most scared of during quick transitions. If New York can’t show some improvements in that area, then Zaha may very well be the one who picks the team apart. Even if he’s successfully shut down, he can still be a problem. While the threat of the Ivorian is very real, the Red Bulls have to be careful not to focus too much on Charlotte’s most famous player, or else they risk opening themselves up to the likes of Biel and Toklomati. Sometimes the prospect of a player can be just as dangerous as the actual player himself, and Zaha rightfully demands attention, which helps create space for his teammates to run through.

photo credit: Irish Maliborski

Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty

The task of managing Zaha will likely fall to someone very familiar with the man, as Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty spent most of last year on loan to Charlotte from CF Montreal. While it wasn’t a poor stint, it wasn’t the most successful one either. The 21 year old right back has displayed some impressive talent as a prospect, making his MLS debut at the age of 16 for Toronto, making him the second youngest Canadian debutant in the league’s history. However, he hasn’t quite yet taken that next step to live up to that high prospect billing, which is why the Red Bulls were able to acquire him for the often maligned Wiki Carmona. However perhaps Marshall-Rutty is taking that next step as we speak, as he has excelled in his first few games with the Red Bulls, and has a strong argument to be the team’s top new signing so far. The question now is if this is a legitimate step forward or just a hot streak of games. With Cam Harper nearly recovered from an injury that ended his season last year, Marshall-Rutty will need to maintain those strong performances for what could become an intriguing position battle between two talented players.

Side Notes

• Injury Report: Justin Che-hamstring (O), A.J. Marcucci (O), Cameron Harper-knee (Q), Dylan Nealis-ankle (Q)

• The international break is almost upon us, and a very important one at that with the World Cup fast approaching, players are praying for one last chance to impress their national team coaches and make the final rosters. Sadly it doesn’t seem like it will be a very red World Cup at this point, with Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty (Canada) being the only Red Bull so far to receive a call up from a country competing in the tournament.

Prediction

The Red Bulls find themselves on the road and gut out a physical 2-1 victory.

Especially in the second half the team produced some interesting offensive transitions, but Bradley’s players were just unable to properly convert them into effective dangerous plays. Sometimes for a bad decision and sometimes for bad execution.
After a dominating first game, teams have clearly understood Adri Mehmeti’s role must be taken just as seriously, no matter the age. Red Bull New York’s CDM was man marked in this game too, having to manage Toronto’s decently aggressive pressure.
Right now one of the main objectives of Bradley’s team must be finding alternative solutions to having Mehmeti man marked, because the Red Bull New York has been relying too much on quick combinations through the center for their offensive transitions. We saw some excellent ones in this game too, produced by Ronald Donkor and Jorge Ruvalcaba, but the team cannot always hope for an explosive play by the Ghanian midfielder.

With Cowell out because of the birth of his first child (congratulations to him and his family), Bradley decided to give Mohammed Sofo a chance, also by letting him play the most comfortable position he could find for Sofo in Bradley’ system. Without many surprises however, Sofo struggled to have any kind of impact in this game, mainly for two reasons.
The most important one is related to the issues that the team has been showing in terms of creating a consistent passing network on that side of the field.
Second, the young winger is not exactly known for his passing skills, so pairing him with Matthew Dos Santos was probably not the brightest idea that Bradley could take.

Becomes even less bright when you throw away the chance of increasing the chemistry between the Dos Santos-Forsberg-Ruvalcaba axis, which showed some glimpses of improvement in the previous game. So by trying to get a player comfortable, as often happens in other contexts, Bradley’s decision led to multiple players struggling. The differences in the manner in which Ruvalcaba played against New England, and how he played the last game, are proof that the Mexican winger deeply relies on close combinations. He needs a supporting cast around him, and how he played when moved more towards the center is another proof of that.

In this game Bradley’s team showed two other recurring issues that have already appeared in the early stages of the season, problems connected specifically connected to defensive transitions and corner kicks. Both aspects have the potential to become significant weaknesses if they are not addressed properly, especially for a team that wants to play with the kind of intensity that Bradley is trying to implement.
Even when considering how the head coach intends to play, the structure remains too chaotic during the defensive transitions.
When possession is lost the team often finds itself disorganized, leaving spaces that opponents can exploit with relatively simple movements. This does not come from a lack of effort, but rather from a structure that still looks uncertain and from players who are not always perfectly synchronized in their reactions.
There is a clear need for better communication between the defenders, and obviously more playing time for a completely new defense that is still learning how to function as a unit. Building chemistry in those situations is rarely immediate, and the current difficulties suggest that the back line still needs time to fully understand Bradley’s principles and to react more cohesively when the team is forced to transition quickly into a defensive phase.

Still considering the way this team plays, the performances from corner kicks have been disappointing to say the least.
On the team’s official Discord, fans have been jokingly underlining how this could be one of the shortest teams in the league, and that might really be the case, again considering how Bradley interprets positions like the centerback and the striker.
With that in mind, what we have seen from the corner kicks just does not really connect the dots. You obviously cannot do the same play on every kick, but it is quite absurd that the team hasn’t been attempting some particular schemes from that situation. Especially considering that throwing the ball towards the center increases the chances of allowing a quick turnover, and this team certainly has a weak spot for counterattacks.

Avoiding the loss is extremely important for morale, for a team that obviously still needs a lot of time to work on things like the ones highlighted in this article.
The “element of surprise” clearly did not last long, and Bradley’s journey in New York is already getting serious.