After their first win of the season, the New York Red Bulls host Toronto FC this Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m ET.
Here are the Keys to the Game, presented by TriHonda Dealers:
Keep Tallying Shutouts
Against the Fire, the Red Bulls got their first win and first shutout of the new season. The 2-0 shutout was the first home shutout since October 28, 2020 against the New England Revolution.
“I think our effort defensively, our effort to put pressure on the ball early and our shifting through the back line was very good today,” said center-back Aaron Long. “I think that all contributed to them not having many looks.”
Full-back Kyle Duncan finished the game with six tackles and won 11 of his 12 duels.
Meanwhile, Brazilian goalkeeper Carlos Coronel earned his second career shutout in MLS and an MLS career-high of four saves on Saturday.
Continue Adding to Cásseres Jr. and Clark’s Scoring Numbers
Cristian Cásseres Jr. has scored a goal in back-to-back games, while Caden Clark has scored one goal in each of New York’s first two home games.
The offensive contributions from both attacking midfielders have been notable, and what’s worth pointing out is that Brazilian striker, Fábio, got both assists in Saturday’s win over Chicago.
Also in Clark’s first goal of the season, Fábio participated in the play that led to The Kid’s golazo.
According to Opta, Cásseres Jr. has taken six shots this season, two of which finished in the back of the net. While Clark scored his fifth goal in MLS with only seven league career starts in his bag.
Fábio has yet to net his first MLS goal, one of his attempts in the first half against Chicago hit the woodwork; nevertheless, his two assists were fundamental in both Cásseres Jr. and Clark’s respective goals.
Toronto Travelled to Mexico City for SCCL Play
This week, Toronto FC finalized their participation in the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League after losing to Cruz Azul with an aggregate of 4-1.
Considering all the travel the Reds have put up in recent days, it will be interesting to see if Head Coach Chris Armas will use a similar Starting XI for this week’s matchups.
So far this season, Toronto have one loss and one draw. Last year’s Landon Donovan MLS MVP, Alejandro Pozuelo, has yet to play this season due to injury.
