HARRISON, N.J. – It was a different New York Red Bulls team that emerged from the locker room for the start of the second half against New York City FC in the first-ever U.S. Open Cup match between the rivals.
Was it a tactical change?
“It was the halftime talk,” joked Chris Armas, who filled in for the suspended Jesse Marsch as Red Bulls head coach.
Armas said it was the Red Bulls will to win that was the difference in a 1-0 victory in the fourth-round showdown at Red Bull Arena.
“We talk about the New York Red Bulls and what makes us us,” Armas said. “I think we saw that in the second half to the highest level.”
Both teams made one change for the start of the second half and each played instrumental roles in the way the game played out following a scoreless first half.
New York City FC coach Patrick Vieira was forced to substitute the influential Maxi Moralez, who left the match with a calf injury. John Stertzer came on, but the service to David Villa was stifled and the Red Bulls dominated the midfield in the second half.
“For the team it was a little bit of a shock the injury of Maxi,” Villa said. “We were a little bit lost without him. It was difficult. They scored on a mistake from us.”
Daniel Royer came on for the Red Bulls, replacing Mike Grella to start the second half and it was Royer who scored the lone goal on a first-time volley in the 67th minute.
“It was a really good volley, and a difficult one, and he managed to hit the target and he scored,” Vieira said. “We had two greet chances in the [first] half where we hit the post and we create some situations in the [second] half where we make the wrong decision.”
Royer said his mentality was “to be dangerous, shifty and a person to be an option for all the other players.” He played that role perfectly after Alex Muyl picked off a pass from Sean Johnson to Frederic Brillant and fed Bradley Wright-Phillips.
“We were very dominant in the second half,” Wright-Phillips said. “I think them losing Moralez is probably a blow to them. We were quite dominant with our press in the first half and in the second half we took it to another level.”
NYCFC, which exited the Open Cup in their opener for the third consecutive year, was left to rue their missed opportunities. Tommy McNamara had goalkeeper Ryan Meara beat in the 16th minute, but his shot twice caromed off the crossbar without crossing the goal line.
Villa also hit the post five minutes before halftime.
“I think they did play better in the second half, the same way we played better in the first half,” Vieira said. “I strongly believe both teams created chances and the only difference is that they take their chances in the second half.”
