NEW YORK RED BULLS vs CHIVAS USA
RED BULL ARENA, Harrison, N.J.
March 30, 2014 (WEEK 4, MLS Game #34)
3 p.m. ET (UniM·s; MSG)
The New York Red Bulls return home to take on a Chivas USA side continuing a road swing when the clubs face off Sunday afternoon at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls are still looking for their first win of the campaign, coming off a 1-1 draw at the Chicago Fire last weekend. Chivas USA started their road journey with their first loss of the new season, dropping a 3-1 decision at FC Dallas a week ago.
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REFEREE: Juan Guzman. SAR (bench): Sean Hurd; JAR (opposite): Scott Kachmarik; 4th: Robert Sibiga
MLS Career: 37 games; FC/gm: 24.9; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 12; pens: 8
SUSPENDED: none
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (16 meetings): Red Bulls 4 wins, 19 goals … Chivas USA 6 wins, 25 goals … Ties 6
AT NEW YORK (8 meetings): Red Bulls 3 wins, 13 goals … Chivas USA 3 wins, 15 goals … Ties 2
LAST YEAR (MLS):
8/25: CHV 3, NY 2 (Morales 30; Torres 47+, 81 – Cahill 31; McCarty 86)
- This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
- The Red Bulls haven’t defeated Chivas USA at home since 2010, when they took a 1-0 win in the first encounter between the teams at Red Bull Arena. Chivas have come away with a win and a draw in their last two trips to New York.
- New York has not won at Chivas USA since 2005, a 2-0 MetroStars victory in the season finale in Chivas USA’s inaugural season. Chivas won 3-2 at home in the only meeting a year ago.
- Coaches record: Wilmer Cabrera vs. NY: first game … Mike Petke vs. CHV: P1 W0 L1 T0
NEW YORK RED BULLS
The New York Red Bulls reached a second consecutive draw, coming back for a 1-1 result with the Chicago Fire on Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park. The Red Bulls sit in a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with two points from three matches on the season.
LAST MATCH
- The Fire got off to a dream start, taking the lead after just six minutes. Midfielder Jeff Larentowicz rose highest to meet Harry Shipp’s corner from the right wing, thundering home a header into the top right corner of the net.
- The Red Bulls struck for an equalizer in the 21st minute. Again it came from a penalty kick, Dax McCarty reacting quickest to slot home a loose ball from a crowded penalty area.
- Red Bulls boss Mike Petke made three changes to the team that reached a 1-1 result with the Colorado Rapids at Red Bull Arena. Ibrahim Sekagya came into the back four for Armando, and Eric Alexander and Jonny Steele started in place of Bobby Convey and Bradley Wright-Phillips.
- NEW YORK RED BULLS (4-4-2): Luis Robles - Richard Eckersley, Jamison Olave, Ibrahim Sekagya, Roy Miller - Lloyd Sam, Dax McCarty, Eric Alexander (Bobby Convey 83), Jonny Steele (Peguy Luyindula 72) - Tim Cahill, Thierry Henry.
TEAM NEWS
- The Red Bulls are still winless on the season after the draw at Chicago. Last year, the Red Bulls opened the season 0-2-2 – and still went on to claim the Supporters’ Shield for the best regular season record in the league.
- “I was very, very happy. Very happy and satisfied with our effort and the way we started the game and played throughout, to be honest with you. It’s something we really haven’t seen over the last few games,” said Red Bulls head coach Mike Petke. “… The biggest thing for me was our balance today. It’s what we haven’t seen a lot from preseason until now; we seem like one team from front to back instead of a group of six and a group of four.”
- Against the Fire, Petke dropped Thierry Henry deeper into the midfield, into a second striker role behind Tim Cahill.
- “All of a sudden, we were having problems with other teams penetrating through the middle,” said Petke. “Why not put Dax [McCarty] back to blockade that and bring Thierry back, so he doesn’t have to run back all the time? I think he did well. He was able to have the view of the field in front of him with the ball instead of checking back a lot and Tim battled up front. It was great.”
- Said goalkeeper Luis Robles: “It’s easier for guys to run off of him. He’s also a great outlet, knowing that when he’s that deep, if you can find him, not only is he going to keep the ball, but you’re going to get the ball back. I think him, Eric [Alexander] and Dax, that triangle in the middle was good. We had a bulk of the possession.”
- Petke ran out a third different back line in as many matches, inserting Ibrahim Sekagya back into central defense for the suspended Armando, alongside Jamison Olave for the first time this season.
- “The reason we’re so pleased is because we’re seeing positive progress in just the way that we’re playing,” said goalkeeper Luis Robles. “I think defensively we were solid. The back line, today, the shape was good.”
- Dax McCarty scored his first goal of the season, the Red Bulls first goal this year from a set piece. Unlike the first two, this one did not come from a header.
- “I’m not one the biggest guys on the field, but it’s just a mentality. You just want to have to attack the ball; you have to want to score goals,” said McCarty. “Luckily my coaches have faith in me to put me in the box in those situations and I’m just going to try and keep being a pest and being dangerous on set pieces.”
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA suffered their first defeat of the new season, falling 3-1 to FC Dallas on Saturday evening at Toyota Stadium. Chivas USA sit in a tie for fifth place in the Western Conference with four points from three games.
LAST MATCH
- FC Dallas took the lead in the 71st minute. From a free kick, Mauro Diaz sent in a looping ball that found defensive midfielder Hendry Thomas in the box. He nodded the ball down for an onrushing Fabian Castillo, who put the ball first-time into the back of the net.
- The lead was 2-0 in the 79th minute. From just inside the halfway line, Diaz and found Je-Vaughn Watson on the far side. The perfectly weighted ball skipped off a defender and allowed Watson to dribble around an exposed Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy before slotting home from a harsh angle.
- Two minutes later, Chivas USA pulled a goal back when substitute Kris Tyrpak took a pass from Adolfo Bautista on the left side of the box and sent in a low cross for Erick Torres to turn home from close range.
- But just five minutes later, FCD restored their margin when substitute Michel drove a free kick through the wall from outside the area on the right, the ball taking a deflection on its way past an outstretched Kennedy.
- Chivas USA head coach Wilmer Cabrera made two changes to the team that held out for a 1-1 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC at StubHub Center. Eriq Zavaleta started in central defense in place of Bobby Burling, and Luke Moore came into the side in place of the suspended Agustin Pelletieri.
- CHIVAS USA (4-4-2): Dan Kennedy - Eric Avila, Eriq Zavaleta, Carlos Bocanegra, Tony Lochhead - Mauro Rosales, Oswaldo Minda (Marky Delgado 44), Thomas McNamara, Leandro Barrera (Kris Tyrpak 71) - Erick Torres, Luke Moore (Adolfo Bautista 78).
TEAM NEWS
- On the road for the first time, Chivas USA suffered their first defeat of 2014. Chivas USA have not won on the road for more than a year, since a 4-1 win at the Chicago Fire on March 24, 2013, now 16 consecutive league games without a victory.
- “There have been a lot of great additions to this team and you've seen the rewards of that through our first two results at home,” said goalkeeper Dan Kennedy. “Certainly, we've got a lot of new guys on this team, to this league, so we need to make sure we all get on the same page for these road games and make sure we're putting in a good shift on the road.”
- Chivas USA striker Erick Torres extended his goal-scoring streak to three games to start the season, and now has scored 10 goals in 18 MLS games since coming to the league at midseason a year ago.
- “In the second half, we actually came out a little more courageous on the ball, a little bit better in possession. We were definitely more dangerous,” said Kennedy. “Unfortunately, we gave up the first set piece goal. That changed up the tempo of the game and we gave them some momentum Ö and the game got away from us.”
- Eriq Zavaleta, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2013 SuperDraft, made his first career MLS start, playing in central defense alongside Carlos Bocanegra. Zavaleta is on loan to Chivas USA from Seattle Sounders FC.
- “It was very solid, very solid. Throughout the 90 minutes it was simple, solid. It was a good showing for him,” said Cabrera.
- Chivas USA conceded their first two goals from set piece opportunities this season, having now allowed six goals overall in three matches for the year.
- “When you make those mistakes on set pieces, and lose concentration, you don't deserve to win. You have to get punished in order for us to improve because we've been working on set pieces, and today we lost concentration and then we got punished,” said Cabrera.
- There are a couple of injury concerns ahead of the New York match. Oswaldo Minda was forced to leave the FC Dallas game before halftime with a hamstring injury and has yet to return to full training. Center back Bobby Burling is also still out with shoulder and elbow injuries.
- “Minda is making progress and, at this point, is probably better than we thought he would be,” assistant coach Paul Caffrey said. “There’s a possibility that he will be out, but we have Agustin [Pelletieri], who comes back in. Agustin maybe doesn’t have the size [of Minda], but he’s a dynamic, tough player who is more than capable of handling that role.”
