The Red Bulls’ new high-pressure philosophy has taken their first three opponents by surprise this season, but through a quirk in the schedule they will face D.C. United for the second time in four games Saturday night at RFK Stadium.
So what happens now?
“I think we caught them off-guard a little bit that first game,” midfielder Dax McCarty said. “I’m expecting a very competitive game the way it always is against them. … D.C.’s probably going to make some adjustments and have some things that we’re not ready for. They’re a good team. They have very good players who can change a game and they’ve got a goalkeeper right now that’s probably the hottest goalkeeper in the league, other than our goalkeeper. It’s always fun to go to RFK because we know their fans will be up for it.”
McCarty is referring to D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid, who is beginning to establish himself as the long-term replacement for Tim Howard on the U.S. national team. Last week Hamid made a number of incredible saves in a 1-0 victory over Orlando City SC, a performance that should have earned him MLS Player of the Week honors.
“He’s unbelievable,” McCarty said. “The guy just makes saves. He’s a goalkeeper that started very young and has matured a lot since he came into the league. He’s a guy who certainly makes the goal smaller for them and he gives their defenders and their midfielders confidence that if they step out or make a mistake he’s out there and is going to make a save. It’s probably how we feel about Luis (Robles), two of the best goalkeepers in the league for sure.”
D.C. United (3-1) sits atop the Eastern Conference with nine points, two ahead of the Red Bulls, thanks to back-to-back 1-0 wins over the Galaxy and Orlando City SC, both on goals in stoppage time. Last week’s winner came from midfielder Luis Silva, who was making his season debut following an offseason of leg muscle injuries.
“We’ll see if he starts or not,” midfielder Sacha Kljestan said. “Obviously he’s not the fastest guy in the world but he’s good around the goal. He puts plays together and he’s always had some goals and assists in big games. If he’s on the field he’s a guy we’re going to have to be aware of.”
Even without forwards Fabian Espindola (suspension) and Eddie Johnson (heart ailment) D.C. United is still a formidable team, especially at home. Throw in the rivalry and you have the makings of an intense game.
“It will probably be a little bit of a different game than the one at Red Bull Arena, when we were all over them in the first half (of a 2-0 victory),” Kljestan said. “(D.C. United coach) Ben Olsen’s probably going to be on them to start the game a little bit better. We’re going to hope to start the game on the right foot and put the game on our terms.
“When you saw us play against D.C. the first time they didn’t have any ideas how to break us down. They just played the ball back to Hamid and just kicked it up the field. I expect a little bit of the same. It’s not going to be easy to break us down. A lot of our goals have come when teams have tried to break us down, so maybe you’re going to see them try to play less from the back and play more balls forward. We’ll see how we adjust to that because D.C. is good at winning second balls.
“This is a huge chance for us to take six points away from them and step on their throats early in the season,” Kljestan said.
Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch expects D.C. United to make adjustments but insists his club will play the same way. A victory would equal the best start in club history, matching the 2007 team that began 3-0-1.
“We know that teams are going to scout us and know us a little bit more, but we feel like it’s not just the goals that we’ve gotten from high pressure, it’s the grasp of the game,” Marsch said. “If we continue to commit tactically to that in the right way, more often than not we’re going to be able to dictate the tempo.
“We want to be the aggressor every game. Sometimes that will be with the ball, but without the ball we want to be the team that sets the tone and makes sure that we limit the other team’s time and space. We said from the beginning, whether it’s been from me or the players, we don’t want to be a team that sits back on the road. We want to attack in all situations and we want to be the aggressor, and we’re going to go down to D.C. and do the same.”
