Three things: Red Bulls at the halfway point
The Red Bulls are officially in the back half of its season. Where do things stand and where are they going.
With the game vs Nashville, the New York Red Bulls kicked off the second half of their season. Currently sitting on 31 points from 19 games or 1.63 ppg, the Red Bulls sit 4th on the adjusted table. This time last year the team was hovering just outside of the playoffs.
Sandro Schwarz builds a foundation and resets the culture
Coming into the season the Red Bulls required a culture shift. The years under Struber had left things looking bleak in multiple ways. Tactically the game model was hard to watch, an all-out press against the ball never evolved into anything more leading to games that mirrored a toddler trying to slam a square peg into a round hole. Off the field, the vibes felt robotic with everyone going through the movements but devoid of any emotion, let alone joy.
On paper, this was a large task but Sandro has so far proven up to the task. The vibes from what I can observe are a complete 180 off the field. After games you see the coaching staff celebrating with their families, you see pure joy when they score. The positive vibes are reflected in conversations I have had across the org. This of course leads into the game model. A greater emphasis on ball retention and a dialed-down, at times, has led to a more aesthetically pleasing on-field product. The model is more akin to what I have seen at the academy level where the teams look to dominate both with their pressing and with the ball.
The shift in the game model has led the Red Bulls to adopt a press that feels more sustainable for the long MLS season and an offensive approach that looks to pick its moments to go into transition. The most exciting element is that it feels like Sandro is just scratching the surface with these system tweaks and higher levels can be reached. The foundation is there something coming into the season Sandro had to re-establish in order to be successful.
Player Development:
One of the most important elements of this season has been the individual development of players. Multiple players have taken a step forward but no one has taken a bigger one than Dylan Nealis.
The younger Nealis entered the season on a 1 year prove-it deal. The general sentiment was that he was a solid depth piece, able to play both outside back and center back, someone who could do a job but you wouldn’t want starting every week. Through the mid-way point, Dylan has cemented himself as the team right back and earned a long-term extension to go along with it.
So where exactly has Dylan improved? Everywhere. Defensively he is much stronger defending 1v1 in space something teams frequently targeted in the past. Part of that improvement in 1v1 situations comes from an improvement in his positioning. He rarely overcommits or gets caught too far or too close to the nearest center back.
On the offensive side of the ball, he has pass accuracy risen from 69% to a much more respectable 76%. His successful take-ons, a stat measuring each time he dribbles past an opposition defender, has also risen. Finally, his progressive passes received have increased from 1.74 per 90 to 4.16 per 90 highlighting the more advanced positions he is finding himself in. While past managers have pigeonholed him as a stay-at-home right back Sandro has allowed him to get further forward it has provided positive results in the entire team’s attacking posture. Dylan’s development has turned a position of concern in the offseason into a strength.
Taking the next steps
Sandro Schwarz has set a foundation and likes to say the best transfer is the work he does with his team on the training field and in cases like Dylan Nealis he is not wrong. But, if the team wants to enter the elite tier within MLS and be a true cup contender more needs to be done. Emil Forsberg and Lewis Morgan have been as advertised however the attack is still lacking in talent. Now with the rumored departure of Frankie Amaya the already thin CM depth has only gotten thinner. For the Red Bulls to improve they need to replace Amaya and add either a DP number 9 or another attacking mid to partner with Forsberg at a minimum. They should be looking to fill all 3 spots with veteran-proven talent.
When meeting with the media Sporting Director Julian De Guzman acknowledged the need to replace Amaya. While he was less committed about other upgrades I did not get the vibe that this would be a one-and-done window.
Halfway through things are looking much better than they were this time last year. The team is playing well and rightfully so the expectations have gone up. Now is the time for Jochen Schneider and ownership to go all in and bring in upgrades and push this roster, on paper, to another level.