Red Bull New York should have been able to see out a 3-1 second-half lead and come away from Wednesday’s meeting with rivals D.C. United with three points gained.
Instead, a leaky Red Bull New York back line allowed the visitors from the capital city to escape Sports Illustrated Stadium with a 4-4 draw.
Following the match, the frustration was clear in midfielder Adri Mehmeti’s face. Though he’s only a 17-year-old with nine career MLS matches under his belt, it was clear to see how much this match meant to him.
His eyes told the story as much as his words. The disappointment and frustration on his face were clear.
Mehmeti Calls for Improvement
“We went up 3-1, and to concede right after the goal we scored — a great goal from George — it sucks, you know,” Mehmeti said. “But I think it’s just the mentality to bounce back and keep going in the game, you know, and not let them go 3-3. Then we go 4-3, okay, that’s great, and then 4-4.
“I mean, it sucks the way we concede those goals. But our things stay the same, our ideas stay the same. It’s just we improve on it, we look at the video, and it gets better going into the next game.”
Teen Midfielder Urges Red Bulls to Move On Quickly
But the youthful midfielder also communicated hope and the accountable leadership qualities of a player twice his age. He might be only weeks removed from his 17th birthday, but there’s wisdom in his words.
“We’ve just got to move on and keep sticking together and keep playing as a team,” he said. “Keep playing in their half, control the game, control the tempo. Again, we’ve got to move on and focus on the next game.”
Mehmeti’s attention quickly turned to the challenge of facing FC Cincinnati on the road on Saturday.
“We can’t be very sorry for ourselves now,” he stated. “We have a game in the next two days. We’ve just got to focus, regroup and look at the video. Whatever we did wrong, we fix it in training.”
Saturday’s match at TQL Stadium will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
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