The New York Red Bulls look to continue their early season momentum as they travel to Columbus, Ohio to face Columbus Crew SC. This is the first of three meetings with Crew SC. The next matchup will be on July 4, and Red Bull Arena will host the final game between these clubs on October 3.
The match will be held on Saturday, March 28, and coverage from MAPFRE Stadium will begin at 7:30 p.m. EDT (TV: MSG2).
Here are some important statistics and a look ahead to the Red Bulls’ third match of 2015.
New York Red Bulls
- Record: 1-0-1
- Leading Goal Scorer: Lloyd Sam (2)
- Assist Leader: Felipe/Dax McCarty/Bradley Wright-Phillips (1)
- Saves Leader: Luis Robles (8)
- International Duty: Kemar Lawrence (Jamaica), Karl Ouimette (Canada)
Columbus Crew SC
- Record: 1-1-0
- Leading Goal Scorer: Kei Kamara/Justin Meram (1)
- Assist Leader: Ethan Finlay/Waylon Francis/Wil Trapp (1)
- Saves Leader: Steve Clark (5)
- International Duty: Waylon Francis (Costa Rica), Justin Meram (Iraq)
All-Time Regular Season Series
- New York Red Bulls lead all-time series, 26-25-9
- Series tied in matches played at MAPFRE Stadium (formerly Columbus Crew Stadium), 10-10-4
Tactics
Both the Red Bulls and Columbus Crew SC favor the 4-2-3-1 formation, but execute their game plans very differently. Much has been made of Jesse Marsch’s “up-tempo” style soccer, but last week’s dominating victory against rivals D.C. United proved just how effective the new-look Red Bulls can be when constantly applying pressure and possessing the ball. The midfield trio of Sacha Kljestan, Felipe and Dax McCarty were unstoppable at times, delivering dangerous balls and outclassing the United midfield for the majority of the night. The midfield will have to be just as brilliant when RBNY face Columbus, especially since this is a team that likes to sit back, absorb pressure, force turnovers and hit back at opponents with quick counter-attacks. In fact, two of the three Crew goals scored against RBNY in their last meeting, Oct. 19, 2014, were scored on the counter.
Who to Watch
After two matches, Bradley Wright-Phillips and Lloyd Sam are the two to watch for New York Red Bulls. In the opening match of the season, Sam scored a masterful curler, while Wright-Phillips was left without a single shot. In response to the opening day disappointment, Wright-Phillips bounced back with a MLS Player of the Week performance, scoring once and assisting on Sam’s second goal of the season. The pair have been the most entertaining to watch so far this season and, in a league full of attacking duos, one cannot help but wonder if this is the newest budding attack tandem in MLS.
Columbus will be without defender Waylon Francis (Costa Rica) and midfielder Justin Meram (Iraq) due to international duty, but Crew SC has no shortage of talent. At the back, U.S. international Michael Parkhurst anchors a strong back line which, like the Red Bulls, has allowed only one goal this season. Midfielders Ethan Finlay and Federico Higuain combine as one of the league’s deadliest attacking midfielders, while forward Kei Kamara, back for his second stint with Columbus Crew, looks to find the back of the net for a second straight game.
The men to watch for Columbus, however, are defensive midfielders Tony Tchani and Wil Trapp. Tchani, a former New York Red Bulls midfielder, returns from suspension to re-join the young U.S. international Trapp. Together they help protect the Crew’s back four and form one of MLS’ best defensive midfield pairings. The duo specializes in forcing turnovers, and are critical to the Crew’s counter-attack style offense. Tchani and Trapp were the primary reason Columbus defeated RBNY so convincingly in the teams’ last outing of 2014. The winner of the midfield battle between Kljestan, Felipe and McCarty versus Tchani and Trapp could decide the outcome of the match.
Wil Trapp Update
From ColumbusCrewSC.com:
Wil Trapp is slated to depart for Denmark following the Black & Gold’s March 28 Major League Soccer match against the New York Red Bulls, rejoining Crew SC after international duty.
