Edson Buddle might never start again.
The New York Red Bulls striker scored three goals in 20 games as a starter, but on Saturday night he scored three in a span of 18 minutes off the bench to lift the Red Bulls to a 6-0 win against Real Salt Lake at Giants Stadium. It ties a club record for most goals scored in a game, set exactly six years ago against the Dallas Burn.
The win was Bruce Arena's first as head coach of the Red Bulls since taking over at the beginning of the month.
After failing to find the back of the net in the first half, the Red Bulls exploded for six in the second half, all with a man advantage after Jack Stewart was sent off eight minutes in.
Arena made one change at the half, bringing on Buddle for Chris Henderson with Todd Dunivant moving up on the left side of the field.
The move paid dividends 10 minutes into the second half when Buddle tapped in Dunivant's cross to the far post, snapping a goalless streak of 11 total games dating back to July 1.
Buddle struck again in the 61st minute, heading a Marvell Wynne cross past RSL goalkeeper Jay Nolly from 15 yards out. He then completed the natural hat trick, beating Nolly to a deflected ball at the near post, turned and lofted a left-footed shot into the net in the 72nd minute.
Seconds after entering the game, Jordan Cila scored his first league goal of the year in the 74th minute and Dunivant made it 5-0, tapping in a John Wolyniec pass to the far post.
Wolyniec scored his first goal back at Giants Stadium on a gift from Willis Forko in the 86th minute. The Red Bulls acquired Wolyniec from the Los Angeles Galaxy on Aug. 17.
Real Salt Lake was reduced to 10 men after just eight minutes when referee Gus St. Silva sent off defender Stewart for taking down Wolyniec from behind on a breakaway.
Because of Stewart's red card, RSL head coach John Ellinger was forced to make his first substitution in the 20th minute, bringing on defender Nelson Akwari for rookie Medhi Ballouchy.
Since Seth Stammler had a left knee contusion from Friday's training, Arena started Dema Kovalenko on the right and moved Danny O'Rourke back to holding midfield. Wolyniec started up front, replacing Buddle.
The only change in the starting XI for Real was Nolly starting in place of a suspended Scott Garlick (yellow card accumulation).
Despite playing nearly the entire first half with a man advantage, the Red Bulls had few scoring chances. In the 27th minute Wolyniec took Amado Guevara's long ball but sent it into the stands on one bounce. Nine minutes later, Youri Djorkaeff's pass to the far post just missed a sliding Guevara.
Their best opportunity came in stoppage time when Guevara took a heel pass from Kovalenko and forced Nolly to dive out to get a piece of his cross. Wolyniec came barreling in for the rebound, but it was cleared by RSL defender Eddie Pope.
Real, which saw its four-game winning streak snapped, had one quality chance. But Red Bulls goalkeeper Tony Meola saved Carey Talley's shot in the 34th minute.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
