After some recent lackluster performances, the Red Bulls returned home for a midweek clash against TFC that was shaping up to be a little bit of a must win for the squad. Having gotten many players back from the Gold Cup and only winning once in their last eleven attempts, anything but three points at home against a TFC side that has not won away from home all year would have put up some serious warning flags for the Red Bulls. Luckily though, the team put forth a fantastic performance on Wednesday night to not only put out the small fire in the camp, but send a message to the rest of the league that the Red Bulls have the potential to be a real force to be reckoned with.
Beyond just the tactical things within the game that went well, there were many other positives to take out of the game (it’s hard for this not to be the case when you win 5-0). First, the starting lineup finally seemed to resemble the best eleven for the Red Bulls, and this group illustrated the firepower they have. It was great to see a healthy Luke Rodgers playing up top again along with Henry. These two complement each other very well as Rodgers’ extreme work rate and movement can compensate for Henry’s immobility at times. Furthermore, Henry brings such ability and intelligence that Rodgers does not offer. Both of their strong points make up for the other’s weaker points and, as has been demonstrated when the two are able to play up top together, they can create real problems and unbalance almost any defense.
It was also great to see the important contributions of both Solli and Agudelo. As he has proven over the course of the season, Solli can be a very dangerous weapon attacking out of the back. He does well to pick his times to get forward when he is not tracked and has the ability to provide very effective service from the wing. The Red Bulls have a very dynamic attack and can do damage from many different angles. Solli is certainly one of these options and it was very nice to see him continue to cause problems for the opposition. Agudelo is also another example of the many different, dangerous attacking options the Red Bulls have. Despite not getting the playing time he would probably like to so far this season, it is good to see that he is still completely committed to the squad and still has the sharpness to come off the bench and make an impact. It’s nice for Agudelo himself to be rewarded with two goals and also shows the depth of attacking options the team has when everyone is fit.
As satisfying as the victory was, it is also important to keep everything in perspective. The game was against Toronto. No disrespect to them, but realistically this was always a game the Red Bulls should have won as I would think pretty much everyone would agree they are the better team. Furthermore, the Red Bulls finally seemed to rediscover that confidence from earlier in the season that they will take three points when they step on the field. However, this is just one game in the middle of the season and is only the second win in the last twelve games. As I mentioned in the mid-season report card for the team, it is unrealistic to expect the team to be able to continue at this level for the rest of the season. No team, except maybe Barcelona, can be that good that consistently over such a long period of time. This game illustrated the potential quality the Red Bulls have, but they will need to conjure this quality a little more consistently come the end of the season and post-season. It will be interesting to see how the Red Bulls follow up this performance when they host DC United on Saturday night. This game also comes just after the De Rosario, Dax McCarty trade, which gives the game another story line. And to think DC will have revenge on their mind after being embarrassed 4-0 at home earlier in the season, this game has the makings to be a good one.
(image courtesy of Getty Images)
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