Harrison, NJ — The Ball Out was in sunny New Jersey as the New York Red Bulls took on the FC Cincinnati at Red Bull Arena.
New York recently broke a five-game losing streak against Atlanta and was seeking to remain in strong standing in the east against a Cincinnati team that is fighting for a playoff berth.
Both teams have attacking offensive styles so we expected to see lots of shots on goal.
With NY making starting lineup adjustments, John Tolkien and Kyle Duncan looked to make an impact as young starters for the Red Bulls.
The keys to the game for New York was centered around attacking the goal with as many shots as possible and stopping FC Cincinnati’s strikers, especially Luchero Acosta. Acosta has been having a solid season thus far.
Early in the 14th minute on a header from former FC player Matt Mizaga, the Red Bulls immediately attacked on the goal but failed to strike back and regain momentum.
After an overturned penalty, NY tied the contest 1-1 with a successful penalty kick score by Patryck Klimala.
Heading into halftime the energy in the stadium was low. The stadium capacity was about 1/4th full, with a smaller turnout for a New York team. The crowd was especially small considering Saturday’s game had stakes in the eastern conference playoff scene.
As the game waned, the energy did as well and this match became a defensive struggle. Shots on goal were few and far between as the match concluded in a tie. This means well for FC Cincinnati as they keep their heads above water in the playoff race. The New York Red Bulls, however, have to get some wins to solidify a stronger position in the eastern conference.
Head coach Gerhard Struber spoke about maintaining control and belief in the offense’s ability to score. He felt that the club needs to look critically at this game, saying they need to create more opportunities with a greater sense of urgency. They expected three points today and he was unhappy with the offensive turnout.
“Cincinnati came with a plan, they came out buzzing and got a lucky goal on us. We are not happy at all. They played the game and slowed it down but we aren’t using it as an excuse,” expressed star midfielder, Dru Yearwood.
NY Red Bulls
Twitter:@NewYorkRedBulls at @RedBullArena
IG: @newyorkredbulls
FC Cincinnati
Twitter:@fccincinnati
IG: @fccincinnati
