When the New York Red Bulls traveled to Frisco for Thursday night's match against FC Dallas, their main goal was leaving Pizza Hut Park with a victory, and if not at least staying undefeated on the season. They accomplished all that, thanks to a 79th-minute goal from Hunter Freeman, and also departed with another nice bonus.
In the second half, New York established a new MLS record for the longest shutout streak to start the regular season, a mark that now stands at 360 minutes, having gone their first four games without conceding a goal. Besides the win, the streak was a popular point of discussion in the Red Bulls locker room after the victory.
"I think we play very well as a unit," said Red Bulls head coach Bruce Arena. "It's our entire team that understands that when the other team has the ball that we have got to work together and try to get it back. Our ability to hold the ball at times is a defensive mechanism as well. We're continuing to grow as a team but we're pretty happy with the win."
Freeman agreed. "It's not just the defense and the 'keeper, it's the whole team," he said. "Our defense starts up top with Jozy (Altidore), Dave (Van den Bergh) and Dane (Richards) and comes all the way back to us in the back. We might not be playing the best at times but we're smart when we play it out of the back and smart when we knock it forward to go on with it and live to fight another day."
Just 11 days ago, the Red Bulls defeated FC Dallas 3-0 at Giants Stadium, but could have caught the Hoops on a down note, as they were playing for the second time in four days with a cross-country trip in between. Thursday's match showed the first meeting was no fluke.
"It was a tough game," Arena said. "Dallas has a good team. I felt that in the first half, we played pretty well but didn't do well with our final cross and finish. I thought the first half was a good half.
"The second half, things got a little bit more even and I think the game could have gone either way. We scored a great goal and are fortunate to get out of here with three points. But I think we earned them. We played for 90 minutes, a pretty good game."
Van den Bergh set up the winning tally with a precisely struck cross from the right flank.
"I think we did well," he said. "We deserved the victory in the end. I don't think they had too many real chances other than in the final 10 minutes when they were pushing everyone forward. I think we had the better chances throughout the game and dominated them in possession as well. It's another shutout, our fourth in a row and also our first road win. All in all, it was a good game."
Arena gave his Dutch midfielder a glowing review for his play on Thursday.
"He's a good player," Arena said. "I think (FCD's) Drew Moor is an outstanding right back. Defensively, he's the best right back I've seen this year. Obviously, we haven't been around the league yet, but he's a good player. He makes it tough on Dave.
"Dave is a great crosser of the ball. His cross led to the goal and a couple of other good chances. He had a good night. He's a good left-sided player, which is rare in our league at this point."
But the man of the match was Freeman, who netted his first career MLS tally in the 79th. The sequence started when van den Bergh received a pass from Altidore to the left of the FCD goal. The Dutchman then curled his cross toward the far post, where Freeman was waiting unmarked.
All the native of Allen, Texas (less than 30 minutes from Frisco) had to do was put it in the net, and he blasted it into the far side of the goal.
"I had 15-20 friends and family here, if not more than that," Freeman said. "That is my first goal in the league and that's always a good thing. When you can do it at home, that makes it that much better. To get a win out of it and to still not give up any goals is about the best-case scenario you could ask for."
When asked if the win against an FCD team that was on top of the MLS Western Conference standings might give them more respect around the league, van den Bergh said that didn't matter.
"I don't really care what people think of us," he said. "I only care about what we know that we can do. I don't really care if people underestimate us. Let them and they'll pay the price."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
