The game plan is a simple one. Outwork the opposing team, put pressure on the defense, cause turnovers, then capitalize. Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch believes if you can do all that, good things will happen.
And so far this season, they have.
The Red Bulls are 2-0-1 for the first time since 2007 following their 2-1 victory over the Crew Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio, and are the only unbeaten team in the Eastern Conference. Leading the East this early in the season? That’s something Red Bulls fans are just not used to.
They outworked a team that for 20 years has been the epitome of hard-working, blue-collar team (remember the Crew’s original logo, three tough-looking guys in hard hats). The Crew had won seven in a row at home and are considered one of the top teams in the East, so the victory was not only a statement game for the Red Bulls, but the four points earned from the first two road games of the season is more than any fan could have hoped for.
”I think that it’s important to continue to validate how we’re doing and what we’re doing,” Marsch said. “It’s not just the win, but it’s how we played; I think that’s what’s important. It’s that we continue to try and move ourselves along and honor the process and keep pushing, and we’re being rewarded for it right now. But right now it’s still key though to keep our heads and keep pushing every day.”
The Red Bulls’ best chance in the first half was the result of the team’s new philosophy. Pressure on the right side by defender Chris Duvall forced a bad pass that was picked off by Felipe Martins. His pass on the right to Lloyd Sam led to a cross that Sal Zizzo clipped off the crossbar in the 10th minute.
But when you attack you are vulnerable to the counterattack. The Crew immediately caught the Red Bulls too far up the field and had a great chance in the box just seconds later that was broken up by a sliding tackle by defender Damien Perrinelle.
Though both teams played a 4-2-3-1 formation, the Red Bulls held their two defensive midfielders – Felipe and Dax McCarty – back a bit to protect a young, inexperienced defense. And that was key, considering Perrinelle and Matt Miazga, the two central defenders, made some poor passes that could have proven costly if not for the stellar play of goalkeeper Luis Robles.
Felipe, who has been one of the unsung Red Bulls this season, provided the pressure that led to the first goal, a mirror image of the second goal that clinched the victory over D.C. United. Felipe’s steal allowed Bradley Wright-Phillips to draw the defense toward him before he laid the ball off to Sam in the right side of the box. As Sam lined up the shot he was taken down for a penalty kick, which Wright-Phillips converted in the 49th minute.
With the game tied at 1-1, pressure in the 67th minute led to the game-winning goal by Mike Grella, who had come on for Zizzo barely a minute before. Pressure by Grella and Wright-Phillips forced a bad back pass that Grella intercepted. With a defender closing in, Grella lofted a cheeky 35-yard chip over Crew goalkeeper Steve Clark. The goal was the 1,000th in Red Bulls history over all competitions. Fittingly, it clinched a huge victory.
Now before we get too giddy, you have to realize that teams will be quick to make adjustments to the Red Bulls’ high pressure. And that could come as soon as the next game, when the Red Bulls travel to Washington to take on D.C. United on April 11. Ben Olsen, last season’s MLS Coach of the Year, saw his midfield outnumbered and outplayed in a 2-0 loss to the Red Bulls March 22 at Red Bull Arena, and you can bet he’ll be prepared for the rematch.
Marsch, however, should feel confident. Throughout the course of the season there will be times when the Red Bulls won’t be on their game, when the offense won’t be clicking and the defense will appear susceptible. But the game plan shouldn’t be affected. Effort is a state of mind, a will that comes from fitness and resilience, not from a technical skill level. So it should always be expected.
And while it may not always result in a victory, when you go into a game believing you will outwork the opposing team, half the battle has already been won.
