The New York Red Bulls went through a misty single training session at IMG Academy on Tuesday in preparation for Wednesday’s IMG Suncoast Pro Soccer Classic match vs. Toronto FC.
Having played a mostly second XI in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Oklahoma City Energy FC, head coach Jesse Marsch is expected to push most of his regulars around 60 minutes in the team’s second preseason match vs. Toronto FC (LIVE 7:30pm ET on NewYorkRedBulls.com/Live).
One player outside the regular group that is likely to be heavily evaluated Wednesday is center back Jhon Kennedy Hurtado. Under contract with MLS, the Colombian defender ended the 2014 season with Chivas USA before passing through the MLS Dispersal Draft following the campaign.
With just a week-and-a-half until the season begins, a strong performance from the former Seattle Sounders man could go a long way to helping Marsch fill out his center back corps.
On the flip side, after Toronto FC ran out a strong side in their 1-0 win over HB Koge, the Toronto Sun’s Kurtis Larsun reported this week that Reds coach Greg Vanney would run out a similar team to what the Red Bulls saw in their 2-0 win over TFC earlier this month in Orlando:
What They’re Saying
Through much of the season in 2014 rookie defender Chris Duvall wrote his name on the team sheet as starting right back before a dip in form saw him lose his spot to Richard Eckersley.
Starting with a new manager, a new philosophy and the Englishman gone in 2015, Duvall has taken back that mantle, with Jesse Marsch often pointing to the player as one he believes will thrive under his new system.
Coming back into the first 11 is a goal of Duvall’s, but not one above the overall mission.
“Of course I’m trying to win the starting spot,” he told NewYorkRedBulls.com on Tuesday. “The more important thing is I’m trying to become a better player. Every day out here, all the guys pushing each other, as a team we’re getting better.”
Behind Duvall, there’s little doubt that Luis Robles will once again be firmly entrenched between the pipes this season.
While Marsch’s high-tempo style is more of an adjustment for the players ahead of him, the veteran goalkeeper said he’s had to make changes to his game as well this preseason.
“The idea is when we do pressure, we go as a group,” Robles told NewYorkRedBulls.com “It starts from the front and goes all the way to the back. We have to make sure there’s a lot of communication and that our spacing is right. Obviously for me I can’t have too much space between me and my backline.
“It’s going to put some pressure for me to come out of my comfort zone, but everything that he’s asking for each individual is a little bit out of our comfort zone and I think that’s good. We’re going to grow as players, we’re going to grow as a team and I think we’re excited about the challenge ahead of us.”
As for Wednesday’s match vs. TFC, Robles said he views it as just another step in preseason.
“There’s a bigger step ahead of us as we go into the season but we just want to focus on this next one. If we can implement the way we want to play, if we can continue to improve our condition and get a better understanding of how we want to play, I think that’s what we’re looking for.
“Of course the result is always important but it’s not as important as the product we put out there.”
Standings and Implications
Given that it’s preseason, it’d be wrong to get too wrapped up in what Wednesday’s different results would mean for Saturday’s IMG Suncoast Pro Soccer Classic finale. That said, it’s understandable that you’d want to begin planning your weekend.
Heading into Wednesday, New York sits atop Group A with four points, while both HB Koge and Toronto FC sit tied with three points. In Group B, fellow MLS sides Philadelphia Union and Columbus Crew SC have had little trouble with their opposition, each sitting on six points ahead of their clash Wednesday at 5pm ET.
Where the Red Bulls place in the Group could hinge on what Energy FC does in their match vs. HB Koge earlier in the day. The higher the team finishes in the group, the later they’ll play in Saturday’s final matchday.
While there are a host of scenarios, as long as the Red Bulls draw vs. Toronto FC, they’ll play either Columbus or Philadelphia in either the 5:00pm or 7:30pm ET game on Saturday.
A loss to Toronto combined with an Energy FC win over HB Koge would see the Red Bulls finish third in the group and setup a 2:30pm kickoff on Saturday, likely with the Costa Rican U-23 side.
Clearly as the final tune-up, the team would prefer to play another MLS opponent prior to starting the season.
