Getting Reacquainted with Red Bull New York, MLS's Kings of Falling at the First Hurdle

To some, an insurmountable obstacle.

Thumbnail History
Born as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (and with a logo inspired by, yet embarrassing on, the bottom of a skateboard), aka, Red Bull New York, aka, New Jersey’s finest soccer team, has always been a weird one – e.g., the first time they reached MLS Cup (2008), they made it on a run through MLS’s Western Conference. Despite later, praiseworthy successes (wait for it), few things have defined the MetroStars/Red Bull franchise like their franchise-long failure to take that final, winning step; the once-famous saying, “that’s so Metro” was coined for real and persistent reasons. Their Red Bull/energy-drink era started, both on and off the field, with the 2006 season and, setting aside second slap from the Wooden Spoon in 2009 (the first came in 1999), the deeper pockets and connections have moved the team in a…broadly positive direction. Playing in the nation’s biggest media market obliged them to swing bigger than most when signing players, even before the rebrand, and they have signed some infamous egos, er, players including Rafa Marquez and Lothar Mattheus, as well as some high-profile signings that didn’t quite hit – e.g., Youri Djorkaeff and maybe famous U.S. internationals like Tab Ramos and Claudio Reyna. Going the other way, they have launched a dozen or so famous careers for domestic stars. One could build the short list a couple ways, but I’m going with Jozy Altidore, Michael “Coach’s Son” Bradley, Tim Howard, Tim Ream, Tyler Adams, and Luis Robles (here's their all-time roster, so you can name your own). Those players provided the foundation for the big signings to finally pay off and that combination allowed them to put together some of the most consistent teams in league history – and notice I used the word “consistent,” as opposed to successful. Their best seasons started with the signing of French legend Thierry Henry and continued with Bradley Wright-Phillips – notably, one of the two players, with Robles, who was present for all three of the Supporters’ Shields the Red Bulls won between 2013 and 2018 – leading the line. Yes, it was raining Shields (Hallelujah!) over New Jersey through the mid-2010s. All that star-power relied on getting the supporting cast right and their Austrian brain-trust did with with players like Tim Cahill, Dax McCarty, (too briefly) Sacha Kljestan, and even Joel Lindpere, Garrin Royer, even deeper cuts like Sean Davis. Churning out a succession of rugged, successful defenders like Aaron Long, Jeff Parke, and even Marquez bought a succession of attacking units time to win games the Red Bulls otherwise would have tied. And yet, for all that consistency and success, the Red Bulls have never won a cup final. No, not even the U.S. Open Cup (runners-up twice, the last attempt in 2017). All that has made the Red Bulls the team that MLS fans know today – i.e., the one that qualifies for the playoffs every season, give or take a couple (even if all of those recent “wild card” performances don’t count on the Joy Points Scale).

Total Joy Points: 39

Getting Reacquainted with Red Bull New York, MLS's Ugly Duckling (And All That Means)

Pow.

[Standing Disclaimer: While I have watched…just a stupid amount of MLS over the years, I don’t watch the vast majority of games, never mind all of them. As such, it’s fair to take anything below that isn’t a hard number or a physical trophy as an impression, a couple steps removed.]

Thumbnail History
Born as the New York/New Jersey Metro Stars (and with a logo inspired by, yet embarrassing for, the bottom of a skateboard), Red Bull New York, aka, New Jersey’s finest soccer team, has always been a weird one – e.g., the one time they reached MLS Cup (2008), they made it by way of a run through MLS’s Western Conference. Despite later, praiseworthy successes (wait for it), the Red Bulls have been…haunted, I suppose(?), by a failure to take that final step – hence, the once-famous saying, “that’s so Metro.” Did that start over the earliest seasons when they missed the playoffs almost as often as they made them (they even felt the cruel caress of a Wooden Spoon in 1999), or when they seized their second Wooden Spoon in 2009 (yep! the season after their only MLS Cup)? I don’t know, honestly. What I do know is that the rebrand from MetroStars to Red Bull came in 2006, immediately before that sharp rise to and fall from glory. And yet, that second Wooden Spoon season aside, the Red Bulls became the team that MLS fans know today – i.e., the one that qualifies for the playoffs every single season (which, per one in-house source, is a sportz record). They’ve crossed that threshold with a heavy limp, at times, and more lately than before (i.e., four of the past five seasons). In some ways, that has become the Red Bulls new normal…

Best Season(s)
It’s gotta be one of the three seasons that Red Bull won the Supporters’ Shield, so that’s 2013, 2015 and 2018. All that started with the arrival of France/Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, but he was only around for the 2013 Shield and probably mattered most in terms of creating a culture of success and/or embracing the full potential of having one of the world’s most famous cities (NYC) as a recruitment draw. Only two big-name players were present for all three Shields, both of whom belong on the MLS all-time lists for me: Luis Robles, one of the more underrated goalkeepers in MLS history, and Bradley Wright-Phillips, one of the best pure, poaching goal-scorers the league has ever seen. Midfield machine Dax McCarty deserves honorable mention for being present for two of their Shields, but how much this succession of Red Bull teams rotated and still found good parts to replace the departing ones – e.g., Tim Cahill, Jamison Olave and Tim Cahill in 2013, Damien Perinelle, Sacha Kljestan and (why not?) Mike Grella in 2015, and Aaron Long, Sean Davis and Daniel Royer in 2018 - is more or less the story.

Los Angeles FC 2-2 Portland Timbers: A Game in Three Acts

Yeah, what the hell? Middle-aged beefcake

I was going to title this post “Real Rocky,” but that was premised on the Portland Timbers losing to Los Angeles FC tonight. After giving it some thought, that only made sense superficially - e.g., maybe Portland’s the underdog (yes, fine, probably), but they’re not shitty players, they weren’t heavies for the mob before getting into soccer, and so on. Also, didn’t the first Rocky(!) end in a tie?

Unlike all the Rocky sequels, Portland’s 2-2 draw against LAFC didn’t suck (don't @ me). In keeping with all the Rocky movies, however, it told a tale in scenes and acts. Two rivals fought, the upper hand shifting from one (I’d give the Timbers the first 20 minutes and most the time after both teams made subs) to the other (LAFC dominated the first half and held the edge up to about the 60th, when a combination of legs and talent gave out) across (roughly) 97 sprawling minutes. Come to think of it - and why the hell have I never used dramatic structure to frame a game? - this game fit a three-act formula with unusual precision…if literally and exclusively from the Timbers perspective. Here’s the outline:

The Timbers start strong - all is well! - and find their just reward through a clinical goal from Jaroslaw Niezgoda that, if only in retrospect, came easily, too easily, as if in warning. As the game turns to the 30th minute (end of Act I), storm clouds gather on the horizon…here, “the horizon” means the top of Portland’s defensive third, where LA’s players found way too much time and, with that, they started stringing together combinations, picking up fouls in dangerous places (as demonstrated by Eduardo Atuesta’s free kickbefore the 30th minute!). Curtain. [End Act I]

And yet Portland had held the weight of LAFC pressure at bay, even into Act II. LAFC edged close, and closer, then so close you could feel their swampy Orlando breath on your neck, but surely, they couldn’t…NO! A bolt by Latif Blessing lacerates the heart of Portland’s center, finding LAFC’s dashing forward, Bradley Wright-Phillips at the true and vulnerable heart of Portland’s defense…or, rather, 5-10 yards behind it. He lashes home, honestly, one hell of a goal, but I’ve always loved that guy…more on him later, in fact. The siege continues, fortune slips through Portland’s fingers one probing combination sequence after another, unrelenting, dizzying, leaving Portland gasping for air, wondering whether the next threat would come from around the fullback, or into the seam between fullback and centerback. They succumb to the weight, at long last (actually, just four minutes), and, with chance following chance, the Timbers seem doomed to fall under an avalanche of goals, and into a hell where they'll face their dread, smelly rivals, the Seattle Sounders…again (and again and again and again). And yet LAFC’s attacks do not relent [Ed. - For the factual record, LAFC posted 19 shots, just three of them on goal; just building tension here; don’t want to give a false impression.]…until the half-time whistle. Both sides go to their (ideally) sanitized locker rooms to regroup, perhaps reflect on their fate in the universe. Perhaps a player offers a soliloquy…

MLS 2018 Week 7: 10 Things, 2 Games, and 1 Grim Tiding

I need MLS to be a better product. In spite of the similarities...

How to attack this week’s pile of games? First of all and, as usual, I watched the now-usual Portland Timbers v. [TEAM], plus two other games - which, this week, included Atlanta United FC v. New York City FC and Vancouver Whitecaps v. Los Angeles FC. I have notes about and links to both down below, but...to the task at hand…

OK, full disclosure: I ran out of steam last night. It happened during one of those monster preambles and, no, stopping right there; preambles are for posts that draw more than 25 page views. With that, I’m going to list 10 things that stood out in the weekend’s games - hopefully stuff you’re not seeing elsewhere (but, that’s OK too). I’ll wrap up with extended notes on the two non-Timbers games I watched (see above), and here’s a link to my write-up on the Timbers’ squeaky-bum win over Minnesota. I’ll see what my 10 talking points leave hanging, and might squeeze in a quick, more or less global wrap-up, one that leads with where Portland fits into the big picture, but that’ll be it. OK, 10 things about Major League Soccer Week 7….swear to fuckin’ Gahd they’re counting goofy.

10) Darling. Just to say it, I’m just fucking dying to know how Atlanta fans feel about Darlington Nagbe. I mention the beauty goal he scored down below, one that got called back (for good reason), but any Portland Timbers fan watching this game would recognize every run he made. And probably tear up a little.

9) Derbies. New York derbies are gonna be fantastic this season. LA derbies won’t suck either. Things don’t look so tight up here in Cascadia yet, but…give it time. Or, y’know, fuck it. Off year.

8) Haves and Have Nots. NYCFC deserves special mention, not just for that magnificent little war they played against Atlanta, but because they just kicked the shit out of Real Salt Lake at home just 5 days prior. I gush about David Villa down below, but the RSL win showed what they can do without Villa (plenty). And some of the numbers versus…just holy shit: 665 passes to 374; 26 shots, 8 on goal versus 11 shots, 5 on goal. The gap between NYCFC and RSL is a matter of class. (ouch.)

Best Damn Game of the Weekend (BDGotW): New Jersey Smacks Around New York

Fun! Just keep your hands where I can see 'em.

Major League Soccer's Week 20 featured a trio of routs (briefly, what Montreal did to Philly, and TFC’s, or rather Sebastian Giovinco's, destruction-by-free-kick of DC), but, for sheer entertainment value, for emotions heightened to high, permanent "eeeeee!", for just sheer fun, none of them topped the New York Derby. I didn't have the pleasure of watching the whole thing (on which, sad), but it turns out that New York City FC bloodying the New York Red Bulls earlier this month was just what this match-up needed!

The Red Bulls opened playing loose, just running head-long all over as if the goal of soccer was just getting tired. I know this feeling well thanks to all those times I responded to the own-goals I scored by trying VERY, VERY HARD TO MAKE IT BETTER. Their eagerness to repair the damage from that early July loss showed in every over-hit pass and the way players chased those not so much like they wanted the ball to play it, but to jump on it again and again and again, until it was flat. Until it knew their shame and embarrassment for letting even a sliver of blue into New York.

It looked desperate stuff and felt the same, basically, and one got the feeling that they wouldn't settle into the game until they scored – and that's when all the freneticism paid off. The Red Bulls picked off a pass coming out of NYCFC's defensive third and, between NYCFC's distorted defensive line and a flat diagonal from Sacha Kljestan to Bradley Wright-Phillips, they stuffed the mistake straight down their throats. That theme carried through the game until the Red Bulls came out 4-1 winners.

MLS Week 22 Games Notes: Philadelphia Union v. New York Red Bulls

Not all introductions go well.

(I watch the damn things, so it always feels like a waste to not comment on it. I just couldn't figure out how to get them into the weekly MLS wrap. So I stopped trying. Oh, and I updated the Conifers & Citrus Interest Rankings - see right sidebar!)

Why I Watched
The Philadelphia Union picked up the kind of player that fascinates me – e.g. foreign guy that I've never heard of, but who looks to have a decent resume. Yep, I'm watching for Tranquillo Barnetta (whose name sounds made up). There are more new guys to watch on the other side of the center-stripe, too, what with the New York Red Bulls now lousy with Wrights-Phillipseses.

Overall (Or, Was It Worth It?)
Yeah, if only for the way it told two tales of a player's league debut: Philly had Barnetta come on about the 64th minute; he coughed up a penalty to New York at, oh...the 66th minute (NOTE: Unofficial count....well, nailed it, actually). New York's Shaun Wright-Phillips, on the other hand, showed off a little of what he's all about (e.g. dribbling/combining; good wheels), all the way up to setting up his brother, one Bradley, for one of New York's three. Details aside, I called the game "territorial" in my notes. I'm not saying that neither side wanted possession, but the primary focus appeared more about getting the ball into the opposition's half and, through high pressing, keeping it there. It wasn't always pretty, or even often – that's not a style I like a lot – but the game sorted out about right (e.g. 3-1 to New York).

Notes on Philly
Because I don’t watch them a ton, I can't say if Philly always struggles with some defensive fundamentals, but they did against New York. The biggest one: a failure to sort out quickly, who goes to the ball and who follows the player. Happened all over with them, and it didn't help. That said, the Union does some things I like – e.g. when they're wide, the look for runs that cut inside at the top of the box instead of continuing toward the touchline to get behind. Mixes it up nicely, for me. Uh, what else? Sebastian Le Toux still has both the spit and fire. Also, Gaddis strikes me as good symbol for Philly as a club: reasonably good, but a bit too sloppy with...everything – e.g. passing, trapping, movement. And, to circle back on the reason I tuned in, Barnetta neither impressed nor disappointed me. He just looked like he didn't quite know what was going on, when he needed to know it. It'll come. Probably.

Notes on Red Bulls
First of all, this is not a great team. It is a good and competitive one, though, and that carries a team far enough in MLS, and even further in the East. One thing I like about New York: how well their midfielders assist with getting the ball out of the back, mainly through finding good angles for outlets. It's just understanding movement, really, and it's not all that different from what Columbus does; New York just looks more comfortable doing it sometimes. New York's other strong suit: defensive rotations; this helps them so much with keeping the game in front of their defense. And, on better days, this happens when the defense breaks down. OK, don't want to go much longer (I have a one-page limit for these), so I'm just going to list 'em: Damien Perrinelle gripes a ton (wait, no, that's Toronto FC's Damien Perquis; my bad...but, jesus, the tantrums Perquis threw), but he's also very intelligent; his defending isn't flawless, by any means, but he reads the big picture very well and his covering runs show it. Matt Miazga could very well be something special; kid looks like a stork, but he's very accurate with those big dangly feet. Finally, when the Wright-Phillips’ combined to score, the approach play felt very English (or I'm exaggerating...shh...) to me: quick and athletic. That feels like a new look for New York, but...well, I'm not sure I think it should.

All for now...