As the Red Bulls welcomed MLS’ worst Colorado Rapids, there was a good chance this would be the classic trap game for New York. On paper Colorado was the easiest game of the 3 New York will play in a 7 day span, on the pitch however, New York will perhaps look at this game, and feel this one was the one that got away. Not a very good night for the Red Bulls, and even though they remain undefeated, they come away from this game with a sense of loss. Here’s how each one of the Red Bulls players fared:
Luis Robles – 7.5
Robles had 2 saves on the night. The stat may be indicative of pretty quiet night, which he did have, but the 2 saves are goal saving saves. the first one in the 14th minute, 1 on 1 with Badji, Robles came up do deny a sure goal by the Rapids. The second one in the 36th minute, again defending a 1 on 1 situation against Badji. The Red Bulls can thank Robles for winning the duel against Badji, and for keeping Colorado from winning this game
Chris Duvall – 6.5
The young right back had a much easier game than against L.A. He tried to be more involved in the Red Bull’s attacking maneuvers to create mismatches in the final third. Duvall had a good cross in the 12th minute that Chris Irwin had some trouble with, but no one was around to clean it up.
Damien Perrinelle – 5.5
Perrinelle had his worst performance in a Red Bull’s jersey. Often poorly positioned, and beaten by Badji’s speed, the center back had a night to forget, missing on some key tackles. The Frenchman was also off his build up game, turning the ball over way too many times, when the Red Bulls needed passing sharpness out of the back.
Matt Miazga – 6.0
Not much better than his partner in the center of the Red Bulls defense, the young center back lacked the experience to make up for his partner’s miscues. The good news is that the result could have been a lot worst for the Red Bulls, and the center back pairing would have been directly involved in the negative result.
Roy Miller – 7.0
Making his first start since the first game of the season, Miller had a decent game. His experience, and good touch make him a valuable asset to this Red Bulls team, and although Kemar Lawrence has done well with his opportunities, Miller’s experience may give him a slight edge. Not a lot of work defensively on the night, as Colorado packed the middle and didn’t challenge the Red Bulls on the wings.
Dax McCarty – 6.5
Captain consistency didn’t have his best night in the Red Bull midfield. Much like most of the team, McCarty’s passing wasn’t as sharp as he has accustomed us to, but as the leader of this team McCarty came out in the second half determined to lead this team to erase the bad first half performance. McCarty came out for Dane Richards in the 73rd minute, at a time the Red Bulls needed to throw men forward.
Felipe – 6.5
Much like McCarty the Brazilian also lacked sharpness in his passing game. As part of a midfield system where sharpness and fluidity is one of the keys for success, Felipe’s many missed passes were definitely one of the reasons for the Red Bulls shortcomings in this game, especially in the first half. Felipe still had a good opportunity to put the Red Bulls ahead, but his placed effort in the 65th minute just missed Colorado’s goal.
Sacha Kljestan – 6.0
Kljestan’s performance falls right in the same level as his team – not good enough. Sacha did well to get himself in position to score, and would have most likely scored, had he not been brought down for the Red Bulls penalty kick. His curler in the 64th minute could have saved the Red Bulls’ night, but the crossbar had the final say, and denied a beautifully worked shot by Kljestan.
Lloyd Sam – 7.5
If there is something you can’t fault Sam of is the lack of trying. The Red Bull’s most dangerous player worked hard to make something happen, but it wasn’t enough. Sam created space to unleash his shots, and put in his share of crosses, but with the height advantage in the center of the Rapids’ defense most of his crosses were cleared. Sam was substituted in the 86th minute, but not before picking up a yellow card in the 56th minute.
Mike Grella – 6.5
Mike Grella made a return to the starting 11, and had a decent outing. He is not as explosive as Sam, but he had a few chances where he could have made the difference. Grella could have done better with free header in the 13th minute, but couldn’t direct the ball on Colorado’s goal. In the 18th minute Grella had another good look, but decided poorly on the execution, going for a chip, when it called for driven shot. His heads up play and cross into the heart of the box originated the play in which Kljestan was brought down for the Red Bulls penalty kick.
Bradley Wright-Phillips – 7.5
Bradley got his name on the score sheet almost one month later since his last goal against Columbus. A well executed PK tied the game for the Red Bulls, and the British forward could have added more to his season tally but saw his efforts go wide or being blocked by a defender or saved by Irwin. BWP had a chance to be the game’s hero in added time, but his header at the second post missed its target.
Sal Zizzo – 6.5
Zizzo came in the 63rd minute for Mike Grella, and aside from a couple runs, and a shot in the 70th minute that went wide, Zizzo didnt do much more.
Dane Richards – 6.5
Richards came in for McCarty in the 73rd minute but brought very little to New York’s attack.
Anatole Abang – N/R
Abang came in for Sam in the 86th minute, didn’t have enough time to get involved in the game.
