Skip to main content

RECAP: Red Bulls Survive First-half Disaster, Draw Charlotte FC, 2-2

photo by Matt Kremkau

by Garry Redman

HARRISON, NJ - The Red Bulls managed to survive a dreadful start punctuated by a brace by Ben Bender, only to fight back in the second half in a wild match that ended in a 2-2 draw Wednesday evening at Red Bull Arena. 

The Red Bulls returned to regular season action looking to pick up some ground on the teams in front of them in the Eastern Conference. Separated by only three points, Head Coach Troy Lesesene viewed this homestand as necessary for the team.

The team looked out of sorts right from kickoff. And in the 13th minute, they paid for it dearly as Charlotte goalkeeper Kristian Kahlina delivered a deep ball right to Ben Bender that defender Sean Nealis lost sight of and let loose a left-footed shot that skipped past a flat-footed Carlos Coronel for the match’s first goal. It would be the fourth time this season that the opponents would get on the scoreboard first. The Red Bulls would be on the losing side in those matches.

It would go from bad to worse in the 19th minute as Ben Bender scored again from an inexcusably careless giveaway in front of their own net. For some unexplainable reason, the New York defense stopped playing because they thought the referee would call a foul in the process. But Bender didn’t and picked up the loose ball and blasted it in the back of the net. 

The Red Bulls thought they received a lifeline toward the end of the half but after a check by VAR. This handball was clearly seen by basically everyone in the building and was dismissed, capping off a very frustrating first half for the hosts and their beleaguered supporters. 

Whatever was said by Coach Lesense during halftime worked, for in the 53rd minute of the second half, the Red Bulls finally responded. A great ball was crossed over in the box by Elias Manoel to Dante Vanzier, who knocked in the back of the net for his second goal of the season.

With the goal bringing the team fully back to life, they looked like a very different team as they pressed for the equalizer. And in the 58th minute, they got it. Off a corner, Sean Nealis got a quick pass in the middle of the scrum over to Cameron Harper in the middle of a scrum got it past a diving Kahlina as the momentum swung firmly toward the hosts, with Harper picking up his first goal of the season.

Red Bulls received a scare late in the match. Patrick Agyemang raced down the file with only Coronel to beat, but the Brazilian goalkeeper stood his ground, making the much-needed save and endiCharlotte’se’s attack. 

Thankfully, the official blew his whistle brining the match to an end, with both teams sharing the points. While the final outcome was a welcome relief to some, others felt that the team let an good opportunity slip through their fingers thanks to the dreadful display in the first half. Now the Red Bulls must now look ahead to the match against Atlanta United FC to pick up some much-needed points at home.


Starting XI:

New York Red Bulls: Carlos Coronel: Sean Nealis, Hassan Ndam, Cameron Harper, Kyle Duncan, Frankie Amaya (Daniel Edelman 46’), Peter Stroud (Dante Vanzeir 46’), Wiki Carmona (Omir Fernandez 75’), Cristian Casseres Jr., Luquinhas, Elias Manoel (Tom Barlow 90’)

Charlotte FC: Kristijan Kahlina, Nathan Byrne, Jaylin Lindsey, Guzman Corujo (Jan Sobocinski’66’), Adilson Malanda, Ashley Westwood, Brandt Bronico, Justin Meram (McKinzie Gaines’75’), Ben Bender (Harrison Afful’85’), Enzo Copetti (Patrick Agyemang’85’), Kerwin Vargas (Kamil Jozwiak’66’)

Scoring Summary:
13’ - Charlotte FC - Ben Bender, assisted by Kristijan Kahlina
19’ - Charlotte FC - Ben Bender, assisted by Enzo Copetti
53’ - New York Red Bulls - Dante Vanzier, assisted by Elias Manoel
58’ - New York Red Bulls - Cameron Harper, assisted by Sean Nealis

Disciplinary Summary:
11’ - New York Red Bulls - Sean Nealis - Yellow Card
26’ - New York Red Bulls - Cameron Harper - Yellow Card
43' - Charlotte FC - Guzman Corujo - Yellow Card
45’ - New York Red Bulls - Carlos Coronel - Yellow Card
55’- Charlotte FC - Jaylin Linds - Yellow Card
84’ - Charlotte FC - Brandt Bronico - Yellow Card
88’ - New York Red Bulls - Dante Vanzier - Yellow Card
89' - Charlotte FC - Nathan Byrne - Yellow Card
90’ - Charlotte FC - McKinzie Gaines - Yellow Card
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
1 comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more