RECAP: Wiki Came Back and Had His Cake as Well, 0-3
Before the season, Red Bull New York traded Wiki Carmona to Montreal in exchange for Jakheele Marshall-Rutty; this felt like his revenge game.
Before the game started, there were some changes to the lineup, like having Eric Maxim Chupo-Moting in the starting XI, so in Michael Bradley’s scheme, Julian Hall moved to the wing.
Also, because of an injury, Robert Volonder was thrust into the starting lineup.
First Half
This half had some interesting things in it. On one hand, it had the Red Bulls controlling the ball and dictating what happens with it, except in the final third. But on the other hand, Montreal went into half-time with a 2-0 lead. The first goal came from a penalty, which was ticky-tacky. In this play, Ivan Jaime was tackled in the box in the third minute. After 4 minutes of VAR review, the call was upheld, and Montreal made it via the foot of Prince Owuzu. After that, there were a myriad of questionable calls going against the Red Bulls. One was a potential red card, which was neither sanctioned nor reviewed.
There was another call, which was a potential penalty against Montreal, that was also not called or reviewed.
Near the end of the half, there was a free kick in which Wiki Carmona scored the first of his two goals of the game. There was a lapse in the team in the 43rd minute when a free kick was awarded near the box, where the wall was not set up correctly, and Evan Horvath misjudged the shot.
Second Half
This half started with the Red Bulls continuing with their attacks, but to no avail. Many chances started well, but in the final third, they dissipated. Then, in the middle of the half, around the 50th-67th minute, the game turned into a lull in the way that both sides had the ball near the middle of the field. But on the 68th minute, Horvath, instead of booming the goalkick further in the field, decided to play it short and play from the back. That in itself is not a problem, but there was no point in it, as Adri Mehmeti had a weak pass, and Carmona scored his second goal of the game.
After this gaff, the lull continued, and near the end, Red Bull New York gained more possession and pressure in the final third, but the same problems with finishing. Near the end of the game, many fans left, and most departed after the third goal, having seen this movie ending.
This was the worst game in the Bradley era, with many mistakes from the get-go. Why did Hall change his position while not changing the setup?
This was also Marco Donadel, who knew the ins and outs of the Red Bull system and where to attack or defend.
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