RECAP: Battle of the Hudson, US Open Cup Style; NYCFC Take Down Red Bulls, 3-1
There were several changes to the starting lineup, as Joyeux Bungi was not even called to the bench after what happened in Cincinnati, with Mathew Dos Santos taking his spot.
First Half
In the first 15 minutes, it felt like a continuation of the PSG-Bayern Munich game. This was due to a series of attacks on both sides of the field, but it was broken when, in the 9th minute of the game, scoring began. In a corner kick made by Maxi Morales, Kai Trewin scored the first-ever goal made by NYCFC against the Red Bulls in a knockout game in history. Six minutes later, the Red Bulls scored with the foot of Julian Hall, assisted by Cade Cowell, in an acrobatic way.
In the 28th minute, there was a major gaffe by referee Chris Penso: a missed penalty after NYCFC tripped Cowell, which was called on Cowell. They were both holding onto each other, and then when Cowell won possession, he tripped.
In the 38th minute, Raul Gustavo scored for NYCFC again from a corner kick in a very similar way to the first. I can see Dylan Nealis being subbed off because the goals surrendered were mostly on his side of the defense, and have Tim Parker come in, as he played remarkably well after not racking up many minutes prior.
Second Half
This half started the same as the first, but in a higher concentration for NYCFC. In the 57th minute of the game, another corner for NYCFC, another goal. This time, it was made by Thiago Martins from a through ball from Maxi Morales, as he has three assists from three corner kicks.
In the 66th minute, Michael Bradley changed the structure of the team by making a triple substitution. In came Nehuen Benedetti, Juan Mina, and Rafael Mosquera for Emil Forsberg, Jakheele Marshall-Rutty, and Cowell. After these changes, NYCFC stepped up and attacked more and more, almost suffocating Red Bull to ensure there weren’t any surprises at the end of the game.
In the 80th minute, the Red Bulls showed some life as they finally reached the goal defended by Matt Friese, and the last two subs came on: Mohamed Sofo and Eric Chupo-Moting, who replaced Hall and Jorge Ruvalcalba. For all that the Red Bulls try to get the initiative, NYCFC has been able to snuff them out to the point that the end of the game seemed like a lull.
Final Thoughts
This was the first time NYCFC knocked out the Red Bulls in any competition in the Red Bulls’ history.
Moreover, in the last couple of games, the Red Bulls have conceded 13 goals, which shows how bad their back line has been throughout the year and has made it almost impossible to win any game in the last four.
The Red Bulls will return to action on Saturday against FC Dallas, then play the revenge game on May 16th in Harrison.
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Categorized:Red Bulls