Deviating from the norm at Montclair State University, the Red Bulls instead opted to spend Thursday's training session on the pitch at Red Bull Arena.
Following the team's workout, midfielder Dane Richards took a few minutes to catch up with NewYorkRedBulls.com to discuss the start of the season, the recent string of injuries and Saturday's match against New England
.
There are a lot of guys missing from the team at the moment with injuries and more. What do the rest of the guys on the team have to do to step in and fill their places?
They have been watching the games and have been at practice, so they are aware of what’s going on. Just step in and do the same job and maybe even better. We’re looking forward to this week’s game and they have a chance to give the coach a tough time in selecting his 11.
The offense has been on fire so far this season. With so many starting defenders out of action now, how important is it for the offense to continue to carry the team through this stretch?
Well, the good thing is we are at home. When we are at home we just got to go at the next team. The best way of defending is attacking. So, we just gotta go, press them, and just from the start go at the other team.
How do you feel the production has been from the wings so far this year?
Not the start we expected, but it’s just seven games. So, hopefully we can score some goals and get some more assists. Not a great start. We’re not putting up a lot of stats on the board, but we just got to work. It’s just seven games as I said before.
You guys have gotten off to some very quick starts at home this year. In the three home games so far, the team has scored three goals in the first ten minutes. How much does that help set the tone for the match and provide momentum for the team?
Definitely, once we get the early goals and the crowd is behind us, it’s an unbelievable feeling. Hopefully we can do it on Saturday, get the crowd behind us from the first 15 minutes and just keep trying to score more goals, put the pressure on the next team.
The New England Revolution come to town this week. It’s a rivalry game and obviously, they’re a team you’re very familiar with, having played them so often over the years. What are the keys to beating New England?
We know they’re a threat. They have Shalrie Joseph and a bunch of other players that are very dangerous. We just need to try to keep a clean sheet because we haven’t had a clean sheet all season. New England, I know has a different coach and different players and all of that. They’re definitely a threat. It’s always tough because it’s a rivalry so we just gotta take it as a rivalry game and just go at them. We know it’s going to be a tough game so we just gotta be confident, move forward and try to score some goals.
