FC Cincinnati, fresh off the international break, is travelling to the East Coast to face a conference rival in the New York Red Bulls.
THE RED BULLS
During the offseason search for a new head coach to replace MLS Cup finalist Sandro Schwarz, the Red Bulls went with the surprise promotion of American soccer legend Michael Bradley from his role as coach of the reserve team. It was a move that resembled the other clubs in the Red Bull portfolio.
For the first time in a few seasons, the Red Bulls were in the market to raise their ceiling rather than lower their floor. Ethan Horvath and John McCarthy were signed to fight for starting goalkeeper; former FC Dallas talent Justin Che was signed to be a RB/CB hybrid; Gustav Berggren was a needed addition at #6; Andy Rojas, a young Costa Rican, for the left-wing, and Jorge Ruvalcaba from Pumas as a marquee addition in the same spot.
Unsurprisingly, Bradley has opted to trust in the homegrown talents to start alongside the newly-added core players. With it has come a style that tries to maximize possession and goals. This has brought mixed results: when it has looked good, the youngsters are balling and the style is flashy; when it has looked bad, they collapse to their opponent.
They began the season with two convincing wins over Orlando and New England—all three goals scored by 17-year-old Julian Hall—and have since been winless in their last three, which included an 0-3 loss to Montreal and a 1-6 loss to Charlotte. Since February 28, they have only scored consolation goals courtesy of Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting and Julian Hall.
The Red Bulls will be eager to return to good form, especially against an opponent that has played some physical, competitive soccer against them in recent years. Can going all in on young talent in a push for the conference prove itself against Cincinnati?
THE ORANGE & BLUE
To the relief of the Orange and Blue faithful, the club pulled off a back-and-forth 4-3 win over CF Montreal with a very late Denkey winner. The attack stood out, as Ender Echenique had a man-of-the-match performance with a goal and an assist, and Ayoub Jabbari netted his first league goal. Another positive was the much-needed determination shown.
Prior to that, uncomfortable questions were being asked. They had gone winless in their previous 3 league matches—which included a 1-6 loss to New England—and were disgracefully sent out of the Champions Cup with a 1-5 loss to Tigres. They were sitting near the bottom of the conference.
Their latest result has sent them barely above the playoff line. The focus is now on climbing up the conference table. But there is more to it than that: the club knows it has to prove that it can still compete under Noonan. The need for a win is just as crucial as before. Still, it will be anything but easy, as the Red Bulls are as desperate for a result.
It doesn’t help that some of the lineup is a question mark. Teenage Hadebe, Bryan Ramirez, Pavel Bucha, and Kévin Denkey have only just been returning from international duty. Roman Celentano has been recovering from a strain. The absence of Miles Robinson, due to his red card suspension, will hamper the defense against that energized attack. Dado Valenzuela will not be able to fill in up top as he serves the last match of his extended red card suspension. The Orange and Blue will have to dig deep for all 3 points.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Cincinnati’s player to watch is Kevin Denkey. He has been carrying the club’s attack, with 2 goals in his past 2 matches—both of which came at opportune times.
The Red Bull’s player to watch is Adri Mehmeti, one of their highly-touted prospects. The 16-year-old has proven his ability to direct buildup and break lines, and already racked up 2 assists on the young season. Whether or not he bosses the middle, against a Cincinnati side that has struggled to do so, will be a deciding factor for his team.
PREDICTED LINEUP:
MATCH INFO
WHERE: Sports Illustrated Stadium
WHEN: 7:30 PM
WATCH: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+
LISTEN: ESPN 1530 iHeart Radio w/ Tommy Gelehrter and Kevin McCloskey
