Preview: New Look Red Bulls Start Season Against Veteran Sporting KC

photo by Matt Kremkau

New York Red Bulls will start the process of disproving the naysayers on Saturday night against Sporting KC in the team's home opener at Red Bull Arena. New head coach Gerhard Struber will lead a very young and unknown squad against an injury riddled KC team that can still be a major threat to New York's intentions of starting fast.

The Red Bulls are expected to return to their high-pressing style that made them incredibly successful since 2015. While it didn't directly lead to a US Open Cup or MLS Cup winning season, the game plan is one that both Struber and the organization feel is the proper path to that end goal.

Still, fans are still wondering who will lead the line. Since the departure of Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York has had difficulties securing goals.

"The whole team has the responsibility to score goals," said Struber during the pre-match press conference. "We have many players that have the ability to score goals. It is more a group of players, it's more the team that we need in the end to score. I think it's a completely different time."

The method of relying on your entire team as opposed to a singular player is something Red Bull teams know well. Julian Nagelsmann in Leipzig has transformed the team from relying heavily on Timo Werner to distributing the load among other players. It has led to success with the team still in German Cup and second place in the Bundesliga.

In MLS, the goal may be the same. New York will be looking to different players, many of whom are still unknown, to produce the magic in front of goal. Saturday's game will be the first true glimpse into what the club's preseason work has produced.

Probably Starting XI:

New York Red Bulls: Coronel; Duncan, Long, Tarek, Gutman, Davis, Casseres, Valot, Clark, Fabio, Royer

Where to Watch: MSG Network or ESPN + 8PM Saturday

Comments

Red Bulls Announce Fan Experience Improvements

by Garry Redman On top of the theme nights announced this season, something new has been added the next time the season ticket holders and supporters step inside The Cathedral... The state-of-the-art LED lighting system at Red Bull Arena will provide higher on-field light levels for enhanced visibility and safety and introduce new entertainment features that heighten the overall experience for spectators. Built around Musco's Total Light Control—TLC for LED™ technology, the new system is designed to provide exceptional playability and uniformity while minimizing glare. Cleaner, whiter light will elevate the broadcast quality for fans watching around the world. Color-changing fixtures and Show-Light® Pro entertainment technology will allow the Red Bulls to wash the stadium in different colors and synchronize light shows to music, heightening the fan experience during goal celebrations, player introductions, and other big moments. If you have no idea what this means, cl...

Quotes: Red Bulls Show Promise, But More Work Need To Be Done

photo by Matt Kremkau Sixty seconds in a ninety-minute match. That’s all it took for Sporting Kansas City to ruin the Opening Day festivities at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night. The supporters in attendance saw crisp passing and a stout defense that kept the visitors at bay, despite not having striker Alan Pulido in the starting lineup. But significantly, the supporters were buoyed by a return to that press that has last seen since Jesse Marsch was in charge. But that was the first 45 minutes. In the second half, things turned for the better and then, shockingly, worse for the home side that evening. Midfielder Caden Clark, who scored the opening goal, spoke about the match as a whole: I’ve kept that in the back of my mind, actually, not scoring at home. I really wanted to do that in front of the supporters, and it was great to do that in front of the few that were here tonight who brought the noise. When I scored that [goal] the place was shaking, and you feed off of that and gai...

Editorial: New York Red Bulls are Fun to Watch

photo by Matt Kremkau by Daniel Feuerstein The New York Red Bulls 2024 season starts off and running. In their first three matches, they have looked different from their last five to six seasons of doom and despair when trying to attack or have a lapse in judgment on the defensive end. The two big editions for the club are undoubtedly the imports from Sweden in Centerback Noah Elle & attacking midfielder Emil Forsberg. Two players who are a part of the Swedish National Team have started off well in Major League Soccer. We all knew what we were getting right away from Forsberg. A high-energy creative and attacking midfielder who was already bought in from day one, when Director of Sport Jochen Schneider went to Leipzig and brought him over. He was already committed to making the trip to the United States to play his brand of soccer, and so far he hasn't disappointed. Even though he has come close three times off of free kicks, hitting the crossbar twice and being saved by the ke...

Red Bull News Network

Search This Blog