The Red Bulls can say what they want about their two-game losing streak. How some bad breaks and failure to capitalize early led to the 2-0 loss to the lowly Philadelphia Union. How they outplayed the first-place Sounders in Seattle and should have at least come away with a draw, only to lose, 2-1, on a great goal in second-half stoppage time.
And they’re probably right on both counts. But the bottom line is this: It’s still a two-game losing streak, and that can easily turn into a three-game skid unless they find their early-season form tonight against the Dynamo in Houston.
So, does that make this a must-win game a third of the way into the season?
“No, it’s not a must win at all,” Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch insisted. “It’s a go down there give a good performance and know that we can walk out of there with three points (game). It’s too early in the season to start putting ultimatums on anything. We’ve been good throughout the season, we’ve been consistent, the only part that hasn’t been consistent is the results, but the rest has been there. I know that if we stay true to who we are the results will continue to come.”
That may be true, but the statistics don’t lie. The Red Bulls have earned just six points from their past seven games (1-3-3). A few weeks ago they were in a tight battle with D.C. United and the New England Revolution for first place in the Eastern Conference. Since then, the Red Bulls have fallen 11 points behind D.C. United and four behind the Revolution, although they have games in hand on both clubs.
To make matters worse, the Red Bulls will again be playing with a patchwork back line. Damien Perrinelle, who returned to the lineup last week after missing a game with a hamstring injury, picked up a yellow card against the Sounders and will miss the Dynamo match due to yellow-card accumulation. With Ronald Zubar (hamstring) still out and Matt Miazga with the U.S. Under-20 team, Marsch has decided to move left back Roy Miller inside to pair with Karl Ouimette and leave Kemar Lawrence outside. It’s a risky move considering Miller did not play well in an inside role against the Union.
“We’re going to go with Roy,” Marsch said. “His savviness and experience, especially going into a tough place like Houston to play, we think he’ll help us play out of the back, he’ll help us in the air and he’ll be smart enough in the way we move and play to help eliminate plays. We’re counting on him to have a big game.”
Miller will have to deal with the Dynamo’s double scoring threat. Forwards Giles Barnes (six goals) and Will Bruin (five) have combined for 11 of the team’s 17 goals, while All-Star midfielder Brad Davis leads the team with four assists, which brings his 14-year career total to 116.
Many Red Bulls fans thought Sacha Kljestan would be that type of player when he was acquired in the offseason, but Kljestan has collected just two goals and one assist after amassing 15 goals and 33 assists in five years with Chivas USA before his transfer to the Belgian league.
“He’s been very good, and in the run of play he fits us the way we want to do things very well,” Marsch said. “Now it’s just coming down to we know he’s dangerous around the box, and can his eye for plays and his eye for attacking plays lead to more goals?
“He’s not just a final-play guy. He’s an entire-game, every-aspect-of-the-game player, and that’s what we want out of that role. We want a guy that can fit in, can cover ground, can make it hard, knows how to press, but then is smooth on the ball, helps connect plays, help make things easier for the players around him, and in the end, yeah, put some final plays together. I think Sacha fits that identity really, really well. All parts of his game have been fantastic, and now it’s just adding a few more goals and assists, but it will come.”
While Marsch feels the goals will come as well, the Red Bulls (4-3-5) have scored just 15 goals all season, led by forward Bradley Wright-Phillips with five and midfielder Lloyd Sam with four.
“I continue to say that I’m not worried about scoring goals,” Marsch said. “We’re going to have lots of contributors on that end. It’s about, especially when you go on the road, not giving up goals. For the most part in Seattle we kept their attackers at bay and then gave up a late goal, so now we need to make sure our focus is to minimize Houston’s strength, play our style, play our tempo and go down there and get a result.”
That might mean going to the bench, where Marsch has not had a lot of attacking options outside of midfielder Dane Richards and forward Anatole Abang. Marsch, however, feels there is talent in the academy pipeline.
“We like our young guys,” he said. “The 18 is modified as well because you’re missing guys like Ronald (Zubar) and Matt (Miazga) and now Damien (Perrinelle) and Sal (Zizzo). The 18 takes on different shapes at different times. We have a group that we know can go down to Houston and compete and play hard and put it on our terms and come out with a win.”
