ANALYSIS – Back at Red Bull Arena following a successful business trip to Cincinnati, the New York Red Bulls welcomed former teammate Tom Barlow and the Chicago Fire. Prior to the match, there was a brief tribute to Barlow, a 2018 draft pick for the Red Bulls. He joined the match late in the second half, applauded by the crowd. The Fire went on to frustrate the Red Bulls, playing to a scoreless draw, the first of the season at Red Bull Arena.
Chicago Fire Frustrate Red Bulls at Home
New York Red Bulls Started Game Strong
New York came out swinging in the opening fifteen minutes, tallying five shots in that time. This effectively pulled the visitors around the pitch. Forwards Dante Vanzeir and Lewis Morgan made several attempts on goal, but could not break through. As the first half wore on, Chicago found their bearings. Chris Mueller charged up the left channel repeatedly, and Kellyn Acosta often gained control on the right. While the Fire built up their passing game, they were not the threat they needed to be on RB goalkeeper Carlos Coronel.
Stoppage Time Fireworks
A Red Bull defender Andres Reyes was sent off for violent conduct. In the box for a corner kick, Fire defender Tobias Salquist went down injured. Head referee Sergii Boiko at first issued Reyes a yellow card. But while Salquist was assessed by trainers, the offense was reviewed by VAR. Boiko returned from the screen to issue the red. Manager, Sandro Schwarz, followed up with a tactical exchange, bringing in Sean Nealis to shore up the defense. This meant pulling Vanzeir much earlier than he would have wanted. At first, Dante left for the locker room as well, and him being upset at being subbed off was obvious. Following the match, Schwarz acknowledged the frustration: “Everyone knows it was a tactical situation… It’s normal emotion and everything is good.” While some might see conflict, Schwarz reiterated the depth of emotion that soccer brings.
Stifled and Stressed
The pace of the second half noticeably slowed. Captain Emil Forsberg made way for Brazilian striker Elias Manoel. Team lead scorer Lewis Morgan was kept on nearly the entire match, likely in hopes of more magic. Late in the match, defender Peter Stroud suffered an injury that forced him off the pitch. There is no official word yet from the club regarding his prognosis. Schwarz praised the squad for being able to hold off the Fire, despite being one player short: “The second half was [a] great performance, tactically.” Coronel also cheered the clean sheet: “I think we won a point, it is important to add. We played fifty minutes with one less player. And how we played, how we behaved is an example of the strength we have, of the mentality we have.” Fans have expressed their renewed excitement about the Red Bulls, and this draw did little to dampen their spirits.
The Red Bulls travel to Los Angeles this week for a west coast matchup with LAFC. Kickoff will be at 10:30pm Eastern on MLS Season Pass from AppleTV.
More must-reads: