New York Red Bulls head coach Jesee Marsch may still be tinkering with his lineup, but the results have been hard to argue with.
Through three games, the Red Bulls find themselves atop the Eastern Conference and off to their best start since 2007. And he’s done so while seemingly still testing the waters on the team he just took over for this past offseason.
Aside from fielding a different backline in all three matches, the vacancy at left midfield created by Thierry Henry’s retirement has yet to be locked down. Thus far, Marsch has used gone with a tandem approach, giving Sal Zizzo and Mike Grella opportunities in that spot.
And the job is still there to be won.
“Both of them have established themselves within the group,” Marsch told MLSsoccer.com. “They were both good in preseason. We went with Mike in the first game, but it wasn’t an easy decision. I think that they each provide a little something different. The good news is that they’re both good from the start, and they’re good off the bench.”
Zizzo has started New York’s last two games, a 2-1 win over Columbus Crew SC on Saturday and a 2-0 win over D.C. United on March 22, and came off the bench in their season-opening 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City. Grella started in the opener and came off the bench on Saturday to score the game-winning goal.
They each understand that their differing skillsets could mean inclusion or exclusion on any given matchday.
“I always think about scoring goals and setting goals up, and he’s more of an old-fashioned winger,” Grella said. “[Sal’s] pacey; he gets up and down the wing very well. We’re slightly different.”
Added Zizzo: “Mike gives us more of a central striker approach to that position. He’s good with his back to the goal, and I’m more of a direct, old-fashioned winger.”
Taking into consideration the contrasting styles to their play, Marsch has been able to pick and choose his moments with both players. With two reliable options at his disposal, Marsch admitted that factors such as the week’s opponent and each player’s current form will go a long way to determining who will see first-team minutes.
“Sal’s good on the move,” Marsch said. “He’s aggressive in the attack to make runs to test the backline. He’s a little bit sharper from wide positions in terms of putting balls in and finding little spaces to make plays. Mike’s overall impact on the game – defensively, covering ground, being aggressive in the final third, his sharpness around the goal – makes him different than Sal. Mike’s pure physical ability to run, cover ground and pressure [the defense] is really good. It’s the reason why he got the nod over Sal in the Kansas City game. We felt like he’d be able to give us a little more physically from the start.”
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The onus of adjusting their style each week falls not only to Grella and Zizzo, but on the rest of the starting lineup, as well. While Marsch has a system that he would like to implement in every game, it admittedly changes based on the personnel.
“More than anything, it’s important for the team to understand the strengths of each guy when he’s in the game and how to use him,” Marsch said. “We try to get Mike closer to goal because he’s good around the goal and can finish plays really well. Sal’s more of a guy who finds wide positions more that can whip balls in and find advantages that way.
“They’ve both made it hard on me because they’ve both been good and sharp. They’ll both play big roles [throughout the season]. It’s a nice problem to have as a coach figuring out which way to go.”
