Winger Alex Muyl celebrates with teammates after scoring. Photo courtesy of goal.com/Vincent Carchietta.
With the Red Bulls fourth victory of the 2017 season in the books, it is worth analyzing the key takeaways from Saturday’s 2-0 home win over the Columbus Crew. The victory puts the teams level on points with 13 a piece while Columbus remains top of the Eastern Conference on goal differential.
1. Two for Two
No, we aren’t talking about Bradley Wright-Phillips. On Saturday, New York winger Alex Muyl nabbed his second goal in two games by scoring against the Crew. A cross by full back Kemar Lawrence found Muyl who, with a well timed run, ran in past the Columbus defense and flicked the ball into the back of the net. In his sophomore season, Muyl has blossomed into a more mature and complete player having shaken the identity as a “work-horse” sort of player. While facets of Muyl’s dribbling and ball control will undoubtedly improve in time, his ability to time his run and find space in key situations has made him an important fixture for New York thus far in the season.
2. Expect the Unexpected
The 4-2-3-1 came back last week against D.C. with much success. We were naive to think the formation would make a come back as Jesse Marsch put the Red Bulls out in his newly favored 4-2-2-2. Yet the secret to the formation’s success against Columbus on Saturday is down to fundamentals. The truth is Columbus didn’t press and allowed New York the ability to pick out incisive runs and cut up the Crew’s defense. Marsch’s system may have found its stride against teams who are more keen to absorb pressure. When the Red Bulls can dictate the tempo and flow of the game, they’ve proven they are all but impossible to beat.
Continuing with the trend of unpredictability, winger Daniel Royer got his second goal of the season on Saturday via a penalty kick. Red Bull fans will recall Sacha Kljestan has been the go-to converter from the spot for New York. Although Kljestan has faltered in some of his last few attempts from the spot, he has been steady for the most part. Royer’s penalty is a bit odd if unsurprising. One can only speculate that the decision to have Royer take the penalty was by Marsch’s design to relieve some of the pressure on Kljestan taking penalties.
3. The Importance of Playing on the Front Foot
As we’ve seen in previous years, the Red Bulls are most effective when they can control the flow of the game. Although New York enjoyed less overall possession, they were still wholly in control limiting Columbus to two shots on goal. Goalkeeper Luis Robles didn’t have much to do and we have the midfield to thank. Tyler Adams, having stepped up to the plate in the wake of Dax McCarty’s trade to Chicago, has become something of a revelation. At the tender age of 18, Adams is already showing ball control above his years. Winning most of his duels and acting as an important pivot player in the center of the field, Adams has shown maturity above his years helping New York play on the front foot.
New York will return to action on Saturday April 29th for their last of a three game home stand as they take on the Chicago Fire. The emotional return of fan favorite Dax McCarty coupled with ex-German International Bastain Schweinsteiger’s arrival should make for an exciting match.
Scoring Summary:
11′ RBNY: Alex Muyl, assisted by Kemar Lawrence
38′ RBNY: Daniel Royer, penalty
Disciplinary Summary:
63′ RBNY: Luis Robles, yellow
72′ RBNY: Daniel Royer, yellow
83′ Crew: Finlay, yellow
Starting Lineups:
RBNY: Robles, Lawrence, Long, Collin, Lade, Adams, Felipe, Kljestan (84′ Davis), Royer, Wright-Phillips (73′ Gulbrandsen), Muyl (66′ Etienne)
Crew: Steffen, Raitala, Naess, Crognale (39′ Williams), Afful, Trapp, Artur (6′ Abu), Meram. Higuain, Hansen (61′ Finlay), Kamara
New York Red Bulls
Columbus Crew
