The New York Red Bulls will be looking for revenge come Saturday night when they host the San Jose Earthquakes at Red Bull Arena. The last time these two teams met was in November during the 2nd leg of their MLS Playoff series when New York lost to San Jose 3-1 at home. The loss meant San Jose would advance 3-2 on aggregate. It was a devastating blow for New York as their dream season from worst-to-first was crushed in front of their home fans.
New York is hoping to bounce back after a tough loss to rivals Philadelphia Union. The Red Bulls dominated possession against Philly, but one bad pass, from otherwise solid defender Tim Ream lead to the lone goal which ultimately cost New York the game.
The biggest problem for New York going into this game is designated player Thierry Henry. He has been fighting an ongoing Achilles injury which has resulted in disappointing performances from the French superstar. However, Coach Hans Backe stated Thursday that Henry will start against San Jose. This choice is not a fan favorite as Henry has been nothing but a waste of space out on the field. His recent performances include a missed penalty kick in the season opener against Seattle. Other than that he has been mostly absent from the pitch. It will certainly be interesting to see if he can finally get his act together against San Jose.
Another problem New York has been facing recently is in the net. The team has seen each of its three goalkeepers start this season, yet they still seek a solid starter. Bouna Coundoul will get the start again Saturday despite his recent lackluster performances. He is known to have frequent mind slips that give each Red Bulls fan a mild heart attack. While it would be wiser to start backup goalie Greg Sutton, Coundoul will get yet another chance to prove his worth.
Ranked 7th in MLS’ Power Rankings, San Jose is coming off of a 1-1 draw against a struggling Toronto side. Bobby Convey and Chris Wondolowski got the best of the Red Bulls in their last meeting, but the scoreboard has a new name on it this year. 23-year-old Simon Dawkins has two goals so far this season, matching last year’s Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski for the team lead. Together, these two players have scored more goals than the Red Bulls have scored in total this year. San Jose’s offense will be a difficult test for New York’s defense.
While NY has had difficulty scoring lately, they always seem to find the back of the net when at home. Prediction: 1-0 New York
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