Preview: RBNY aim for second straight win as Montreal visit

NEW YORK RED BULLS vs MONTREAL IMPACT
RED BULL ARENA, Harrison, N.J.
March 31, 2012 (WEEK 4, MLS Game #29)
4 p.m. ET (TSN/RDS; MSG)

The New York Red Bulls and Montreal Impact meet for the first time in Major League Soccer as the expansion club visits Red Bull Arena on Saturday evening. The Red Bulls are coming off their first victory of the season in their home opener, a 4-1 win against the Colorado Rapids. The Impact are on the second game of a three-game road swing, starting it last weekend in a 2-0 loss at the Columbus Crew.

REFEREE: Michael Kennedy. SAR (bench): Kermit Quisenberry; JAR (opposite): Paul Scott; 4th: Daniel Fitzgerald
MLS Career: 145 games; FC/gm: 28.7; Y/gm: 3.8; R: 28; pens: 48

COMPLETE GAME GUIDE (PDF)

INJURY REPORT: NEW YORK RED BULLS — OUT: FW Juan Agudelo (L knee surgery recovery); QUESTIONABLE: MF Teemu Tainio (R ankle contusion) … MONTREAL IMPACT — OUT: DF Nelson Rivas (L hamstring strain); FW Eduardo Sebrango (L groin strain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Hassoun Camara (R quad strain)

INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: MTL: Evan James, Carl Haworth (both Canada U-23)

SUSPENDED: MTL: Jeb Brovsky (through April 1)

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME: First meeting.

RETURN MATCHES: 5/19: Montreal Impact vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.;  7/28: Montreal Impact vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.

• Coaches record: Hans Backe vs. MTL: first game … Jesse Marsch vs. NY: first game

NEW YORK RED BULLS

The New York Red Bulls started off their Red Bull Arena schedule for 2012 in fine fashion, getting goals early and often for a 4-1 defeat of the Colorado Rapids on Sunday afternoon. The Red Bulls are in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference, with 3 points from 3 games.

HIGHLIGHTS: NY v COL
LAST MATCH

• The Red Bulls were two goals to the good after just six minutes. Thierry Henry put New York into a third-minute lead when he picked off a bad back pass from Rapids midfielder Ross LaBauex, then raced in on goal before tucking a low shot past goalkeeper Matt Pickens.
  
• New York doubled their lead through a goal from Kenny Cooper in the sixth minute. Henry began the sequence when he sent a ball into the box for Cooper to run onto, and he fired a low shot from the right of the area inside the far post.
  
• The Red Bulls made it 3-0 eight minutes after the break. Wilman Conde took a free kick from just inside the halfway line and found a streaking Henry, who beat a halfhearted Colorado trap and produced a signature goal, opening his hips and curling a right-footer inside the right post.
  
• The Rapids pulled back a goal in the 77th minute. Rafa Marquez was stripped of the ball by Jaime Castrillon, who knocked it forward to Omar Cummings. The Jamaican forward raced in on goal and curled a beautiful shot over Red Bulls goalkeeper Ryan Meara from just outside the area.
  
• The Red Bulls sealed the contest in the 89th minute. Left back Roy Miller dribbled into the penalty area and drove a low cross to the near post, where Cooper got a touch from two yards out.
  
• Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe made three changes to the team that fell 3-1 to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. Wilman Conde and Rafa Marquez made their first starts, coming into the team along with Kenny Cooper, with Stephen Keel, Teemu Tainio and Victor Palsson all out.

NEW YORK RED BULLS (4-4-2): Ryan Meara - Jan Gunnar Solli, Markus Holgersson, Wilman Conde, Roy Miller - Dane Richards (Brandon Barklage 90), Dax McCarty, Rafa Marquez, Joel Lindpere (Mehdi Ballouchy 85) - Kenny Cooper, Thierry Henry.

TEAM NEWS

Thierry Henry scored twice and set up a third in the Red Bulls’ 4-1 win against Colorado. It was Henry’s second two-goal game of his MLS career ñ he also netted a pair and set up a third April 21, 2011, vs. D.C. United.

Henry, Cooper Happy With Goals, Win
Kenny Cooper also scored two goals, now giving him three for the season. It was his first two-goal game in MLS since April 19, 2009 (for FC Dallas vs. Toronto FC). His first goal was the 50th league goal in his MLS career, set up by Henry.

“He has everything. He creates goals, scores goals, and on that particular goal he put the ball right in my path. I could not have asked for a better pass,: Cooper said. “I hope that with each game, if I’m out there with him, he’ll feel comfortable with me. I’m hungry to get better every day. He’s someone I can learn from along with a lot of other players here.”

The Red Bulls suffered a potentially big blow when Juan Agudelo suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee while with the U.S. U-23 national team in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Agudelo said he will be back in 3-4 weeks, earlier than the prognosis of 6 weeks.

“It’s tough, but I don’t like to look at the negative things,” Agudelo said. “The positive thing is that it wasn’t my ACL or anything. It’s just a little knee injury that’s very minor, so I’ll be back soon. Your meniscus is not as bad as some people think. They just need to scrape it up a little bit and I’ll be fine.”

Rookie goalkeeper Ryan Meara was credited with his first victory. “It would’ve been perfect if we kept a clean sheet, but we’ll settle for the win,” he said. “Out of the three games, this is the game I was the least busy in, which is good. I don’t mind when I’m busy and have stuff to do, but at the end of the day I’ll take the first win of the season and go from here.”

Wilman Conde, making his first appearance for the Red Bulls, set up the third goal with his free kick service from midfield.

MONTREAL IMPACT

The Montreal Impact went down a man early and fell to a second road defeat on their inaugural MLS campaign, a 2-0 loss to the Columbus Crew on Saturday afternoon at Columbus Crew Stadium. The Impact are tied for seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 1 point from 3 matches.

LAST MATCH

• The complexion of the game turned after just 19 minutes when defender Jeb Brovsky was issued a red card in the 19th minute for an elbow to the back of the head of Mirovan Mirosevic.
  
• The Crew scored their first goal of the season in the 30th minute when Mirosevic converted a penalty kick. Emilio Renteria drew the spot kick when he rushed into the right side of the box before being hauled down by Felipe Martins.
  
• The home side then doubled the lead in the 66th minute. Olman Vargas, making his first MLS start, snapped a header off a Shaun Francis cross from the left flank.
  
• Impact head coach Jesse Marsch made no changes to his team for a third consecutive match, keeping the group that gained a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire at Olympic Stadium.

MONTREAL IMPACT (4-4-2): Donovan Ricketts - Jeb Brovsky (sent off 19), Tyson Wahl, Matteo Ferrari, Josh Gardner - Davy Arnaud, Felipe Martins, Patrice Bernier (Collen Warner 46), Justin Mapp (Lamar Neagle 69) - Justin Braun, Sanna Nyassi (Bernardo Corradi 46).

TEAM NEWS

The game in New York will start a quick turnaround, as the Impact will face a game at Real Salt Lake on Wednesday evening.

“We may make a couple of changes,” Marsch said. “We’re just looking at each game individually and the week as a whole to try and see how to handle it the best way, to give ourselves the best chance to get as many points as possible.”

HIGHLIGHTS: CLB v MTL
Marsch showed some signs of changes ahead at halftime in Columbus, when he brought off Patrice Bernier and Sanna Nyassi in favor of Collen Warner and Bernardo Corradi.

“It was kind of trying circumstances to come into a match like that, with us being down a man and a goal,” Warner said. “But I was happy to get those first minutes. Jesse said he was going to throw a few more guys into the rotation, so everybody’s going to be ready and I think a few more guys are going to get called on in the games coming.”

When Jeb Brovsky was sent off, captain Davy Arnaud — who scored the club’s first goal in MLS — moved to right back for the remainder of the match.

“Our response was good, we didn’t feel sorry for ourselves,” Arnaud said. “We still gave them a good game and made it tough on them. Even with us down to 10, they had a tough day today. On another day, we might get a couple of goals. We had plenty of moments to get back in the game, and even after the second, we continued to battle. I don’t think the performance was bad, it’s just tough playing with 10.”

Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts was credited with eight saves against Columbus. “He’s an experienced guy, we obviously always feel good having him there,” Justin Mapp said. “He made some great saves. He’s going to do big things for us throughout the year and we have nothing but confidence in him.”

The Impact also continue their three-game road swing looking for a first road goal in the club’s MLS history.

“For the most part, the common understanding of each other, and how to play on the field, is there,” Marsch said. “What I think will help us get through that [situation up top] as quickly as possible is the fact that the mentality and the commitment of the guys to each other is so strong that we won’t allow ourselves to worry about if little things don’t come off or how long it’s going to take for everything to be perfect.”