Daniel Royer fires a volley past Sean Johnson for the New York Red Bulls’ first and only goal in a 1-0 win over rivals New York City FC in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday, June 14. (Photo Credit: New York Red Bulls)
HARRISON, N.J. —— The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is seen as a secondary competition to many Major League Soccer sides, one which allows its main players to rest from a grueling league schedule and allow younger players to gain experience.
But when it came to Wednesday night’s fourth round matchup at Red Bull Arena, both the New York Red Bulls and visiting New York City FC didn’t hesitate to bring out their best 11 players onto the pitch. Neither side has won the competition so both were eager to advance to the Round of 16, with a chance to knock out a bitter rival adding some juice to the meeting.
In the end, the Red Bulls came on top as they had done five of the first six times the teams met, a Daniel Royer goal in the 68th minute enough for the home side to cruise to a 1-0 win in which they dominated the second half.
Danny Royer opens his @opencup account! ?⚽️ #NYisRED | #NYvNYC | #RBNY pic.twitter.com/MV0kYwHuKv
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) June 15, 2017
Here’s how each player performed on the pitch in a fiery Hudson River Derby:
New York Red Bulls:
Ryan Meara – He wasn’t forced into action too often, but when his name was called, Meara responded well.
He put enough pressure on McNamara in the 16th minute to force him to shoot faster than he wanted to and hit the crossbar. Meara truggled against Villa, who nearly put it past him twice in the first half, first inches away with a shot from the left and then onto the far post with a strike from the right.
The second half was a breeze in comparison. He was needed only in a pair of sweeps and nothing more.
For someone who doesn’t play often, a clean sheet is mighty impressive. Meara gets a 7.7.
Sal Zizzo – Starting at right-back, Zizzo was often found up the pitch, but most of the Red Bulls attack occured through the left side. Zizzo didn’t do much wrong, but he also didn’t do much to help the side. Aside from a pair of blocked shots and a miss, the full-back’s performance was rather empty.
Simply put, Zizzo was ‘meh.’ He gets a 5.0.
Aurelien Collin – Back from an abdominal strain he picked up in training that kept him out for eight games since April 25, Collin gave David Villa acres to operate on a counter-attack early on that nearly led to the opening goal had it not been for the ball hitting the crossbar twice before it was cleared by Aaron Long.
After that early slip-up, Collin looked as good as he did prior to the injury. He was strong in the air, smart in anticipating NYCFC’s moves in attack and rarely was he beat on the ground.
For that, he gets a 6.8.
Damien Perrinelle – Didn’t have much work to do on account of his team controlling the majority of the second half, but when he was forced to react, he didn’t complicate things. Solid performance from an at times errant defender, Perrinelle gets a 6.9 for a nice performance.
Aaron Long – Long was tasked at filling the hole at left-back created due to a combination of international duty (Amir Murillo played 90 minutes for Panama against Honduras Tuesday night, Kemar Lawrence did the same for Jamaica against Peru) and injury (Connor Lade picked up a knock in training early in the week). He did well early on, coming out on top of a dangerous one-on-one with Jack Harrison.
He didn’t provide much going forward but did well enough to hold Harrison to warrant a positive review for his performance.
For his stout defensive output throughout the 90 minutes, Long gets a 7.4.
Felipe – As aggressive as he’s always been, Felipe did better than the last time I wrote a player rating about him. Perhaps having the chance to play further up the pitch with Tyler Adams playing the defensive role in midfield helped.
Felipe cut off passing lanes in midfield often, was active on both sides of the pitch. Threaded a great cross onto Bradley Wright-Phillips in the 43rd minute that would’ve led to the opener had it not been for a good save by Sean Johnson. Got on end of a great ball from Wright-Phillips, patiently beat his defender and fed him back a great ball, only for the striker to sky the hit.
Felipe even whipped in a decent ball on a free kick, but like every other set-piece the Red Bulls had on the night, it resulted in nothing.
For his night, Felipe earned a 7.7.
Sacha Kljestan – His service, both on corners and an early free kick, wasn’t very good, but when he went for goal, Kljestan was among the matches most dangerous. He hit a free-kick just over the bar early in the second half and nearly found room to strike shortly after.
Kljestan was far more active in the second half, spraying the ball through midfield and providing a calming presence on the ball.
Nearly a ? for @SachaKljestan ❗️#NYvNYC | #RBNY pic.twitter.com/Hnxi7D1moY
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) June 15, 2017
Subbed off for an ovation with a minute of regulation to go, Kljestan put in a shift as good as one could ask for in a mid-week cup tie with a rival in front of a half-empty home stadium.
He gets a 7.5.
Tyler Adams – After a stellar few weeks in South Korea with the United State Men’s National U-20 side in the World Cup, Adams slid right back into the starting 11 at holding midfielder, slotting to fill Zizzo’s spot at right back whenever the attack moved onto that side of the pitch.
Smartly fouled David Villa at midfield to kill an NYCFC counter-attack early in the second half, gladly taking the yellow to prevent an opener. He’d cut off another counter-attack with 10 minutes to go, catching up to recently subbed on Sean Okoli and sliding in to knock the ball out of play.
He was calm on the ball when he had it, never forcing a pass and always making the smart decision. When he didn’t have the ball, he was in the right position 99 percent of the time and did very well to prevent NYCFC from creating much in attack.
https://t.co/Eqtah8KP54!@tyler_adams14 still in U-20 form ?#NYvNYC | #RBNY pic.twitter.com/RFo9ypNLqa
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) June 15, 2017
“I said to him after the game that he’s so much fun to watch,” said Red Bulls assistant coach Chris Armas, who was in charge of the squad as head coach Jesse Marsch was suspended a match for the debacle against Philadelphia Union in the competition last season. “Watching him play, the way he could cover ground and at such a young age, he’s that fearless and he could just clog up the middle and shut things down. I thought in the second half, one of those recovery runs he made down the left channel, it’s incredible to watch.
“I think we all have to take notice and enjoy that as much as we’re going to have him here.”
Adams gets an 8.5.
Mike Grella – Didn’t make himself seen much throughout the first half, providing little in attack and nothing defensively. Was subbed off at the half for Daniel Royer because of it.
His performance earns him a 3.
Alex Muyl – Seemed to be everywhere on the pitch, backtracking on defense to recover the ball, linking play in midfield and providing darting runs and darting passes moving forward. Looked to have picked up a knock midway through the first half, Muyl continued to fight throughout the first half.
The fight paid off when he forced Brillant to make a sloppy pass and recovered the ball high up the pitch for Bradley Wright-Phillips, leading to the first and only goal of the match.
Muyl wasn’t as active early in the second half and even picked up another knock with 10 minutes to go, but he still found time in the final seconds to toy with his defender and beat him on the endline to earn a corner. Muyl finished off a phenomenal performance by burning more clock in the final minute, beating a defender and earning a foul to seal the win.
Muyl gets an 8.4.
Bradley Wright-Phillips – He made some darting runs early but couldn’t latch onto end of passes.
Got first real chance in the 43rd minute at top of the box off a great feed from Felipe, but he seemed to be falling back as he hit it, putting it just within the reach of Sean Johnson, who dove to his left and saved it for a corner. He had another chance 15 minutes into the second frame on a move he started well but finished terribly, first leaving a nice touch for Felipe to latch onto, leading to another phenomenal pass from the Brazilian, but this time he hit it way over the bar.
Wright-Phillips didn’t enter the scoresheet as he usually does against the Boys in Blue, but he did contribute yet another unofficial assist on the night’s only goal. Recovering the ball after a sloppy pass from Brillant hit off of Muyl, BWP’s strike was blocked by Johnson but the rebound fell perfectly for Royer, who would score the first and only goal of the match.
For his efforts, BWP gets a 7.6.
Subs:
Daniel Royer – He came on at halftime for Mike Grella, and while it took him a few minutes to acclimate, he provided more of a presence in attack. Finding space to operate on the right, Royer would help link play with Kljestan, Felipe and Wright-Phillips in midfield. The latter giving him a chance to open the scoring within five minutes but his shot went straight to Sean Johnson.
His best contribution came in the 68th minute, when he patiently waited for the rebound of a Wright-Phillips shot saved by Johnson to land on his feet.
CLEAN UP CREW!
Royer bangs one home!#NYvNYC | #RBNY pic.twitter.com/Qq9nnBdPeB
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) June 15, 2017
Royer would time the volley a bit awkwardly but that played to his advantage, the shot dribbling slowly past two diving defenders and Johnson, who rushed to recover but would miss the ball.
The goal would be enough to push the Red Bulls through to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16, leaving a rival in their path.
For that reason alone, Royer gets an 8.6 and Man of the Match honors.
Sean Davis – Came on with a minute to go, had little time to do anything. Davis used a nice move to beat a defender and get to the endline to burn some clock, but that isn’t enough to earn a rating.
He gets no score.
NYCFC:
Sean Johnson – Made a great save in the 43rd minute against Bradley Wright-Phillips, diving to his left to block the shot out for a corner. Controlled a strike from Daniel Royer in opening five minutes of the second half.
As for the goal, he did as well as he could given the fact he was left out to dry by his defense. He stopped Wright-Phillips initial strike thanks to quick thinking to come off his line, but when it came to Royer’s rebound, there was nothing he could do.
The loss can’t be pinned on the goalkeeper. Johnson gets a 7.2.
Ben Sweat – One of the better players for his team, he didn’t make the fans sweat for most of the match. Controlled in the back and decent in attack, Sweat was away from the action of the goal, standing on the opposite end of the pitch when the ball was recovered by Bradley Wright-Phillips, leaving him little time to recover and defend the strike by Daniel Royer that would decide the result.
Sweat gets a 5.2
Alexander Callens – Did his best to recover from Brillant’s error on the goal, but couldn’t get down quick enough to block Royer’s rebound volley. Was decent other than that, won most of his challenges and prevented the scoreline from becoming more bloated like it could have.
His damage control earns him a 5.4.
Frederic Brillant – The Frenchman has a horror of an error midway through the second half, receiving a pass from his goalkeeper and immediately losing it to Bradley Wright-Phillips. He attempted to make up for his mistake by tracking back, but his effort to block Daniel Royer’s strike was even more pathetic than his pass that deflected off Wright-Phillips.
Perhaps he was tired, but the movement appeared lazy from Brillant. At fault for the goal, and by proxy, his team’s loss, Brillant earns a 2.3.
Ethan White – Sacrificed for Sean Okili with 12 minutes to go, White wasn’t so hot throughout the match.
He gets a 4.6
Mikey Lopez – If I asked you where Lopez played, would you be able to tell me?
The answer is he played in midfield, but even when his side was in the match during the first half, he rarely had a say in it. When NYCFC was dominated in the second half, Lopez was practically invisible.
He gets a 3.2
Tommy McNamara – Had a great chance to score in the 16th minute, but his shot bounced off the bottom of the crossbar twice without passing the goal line — at least according to the referee. Bad luck.
.@Tommy_Mc15 oh so close to breaking the @opencup deadlock…#NYCFC 0-0 Red Bulls pic.twitter.com/McmOneMb7z
— New York City FC (@NYCFC) June 15, 2017
Aside from that, McNamara wasn’t able to produce much else, spending most of his time chasing the ball to recover it rather than pushing it forward in attack.
His effort earns him a 5.6.
Maxi Moralez – Was active in midfield in opening 20 minutes, but picked up a knock near halftime. Was subbed out at the half for John Stertzer. NYCFC immediately struggled to move the ball in midfield and connect with attack.
“He had a problem with his calf, so that’s the reason he came off at halftime,” Vieira explained. “Maybe this is one of the reasons why we didn’t play as well in the first half, because it was difficult for us to find the creative players in the midfield and that’s why we struggle a little bit more in our passing game.”
More for how his team struggled in his absence than what he produced in his presence, Moralez gets a 6.8.
Alex Ring – After a decent first half, Ring struggled to distribute the ball as well as he has been known to do. Ring was the target of most of head coach Patrick Vieira’s instructions from the touchline in the second half. Playing without the metronome of the midfield in Moralez, Ring was overwhelmed by the Red Bulls press and never really got a chance to get it going.
As a result, he gets a 5.8.
Jack Harrison – The young winger found space on the right wing early in the match, attempted dribbling past Aaron Long but was stopped quickly by the improvised full-back. From there on, Harrison contributed little to the match, often pushed back and forced to pass the ball backwards when he touched it in the second half.
His lackluster performance earns him a 4.6.
David Villa – Closely watched by Collin and Perrinelle throughout the match, Villa was given next to no breathing room to operate and getting called for offside whenever he did manage to get in behind the backline.
When he was given space in the first half, the striker managed to find Tommy McNamara for his side’s best chance and was close to scoring himself with a strike that rattled the far post.
.@Guaje7Villa's turn to hit woodwork now… #NYCFC pic.twitter.com/PL0YS7sxGr
— New York City FC (@NYCFC) June 15, 2017
But his side was never really able to get it going in attack, the hosts dominating a majority of the possession and clamping down tightly in the midfield, so it became difficult for Villa to do much.
Among the few on his team to put in a decent shift, Villa gets a 7.2.
Subs:
John Stertzer – He came on for an injured Maxi Moralez at halftime and provided nearly nothing for his side. He was subbed off for Jonathan Lewis immediately after Royer’s opener for the Red Bulls in the 68th minute. In between, he did little other than lose possession and disrupt the attacking flow of his team.
That alone earns him a 2.6.
Jonathan Lewis – Came on as Vieira looked to push his team forward to create more danger and get an equalizer, but he struggled as mightily as Stertzer and Moralez before him. Lewis couldn’t find much space to work in and his team had difficulty retaining the ball during his time on the pitch.
His 20 minute cameo was uneventful but not completely due to him.
Lewis gets a 4.9.
Sean Okoli – Came on in with 12 minutes to go and nearly had an immediate impact. Pushing the counter-attack with acres of space in front of him, Okoli was stopped short by a fantastic recovery from Tyler Adams.
Aside from that, Okoli was unable to contribute much. His short appearance earned a 5.1.
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Follow Brian Fonseca on Twitter @briannnnf for updates. Email him at brianfilipefonseca@gmail.com with questions, concerns, tips or story ideas.
