Red Bull New York should have seen out a victory on Saturday in Atlanta but crumbled in a 2-1 defeat to last-place Atlanta United.
After captain Emil Forsberg gave New York a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute, the visiting Red Bulls fell apart in a dreadful second-half performance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Even though the Red Bulls owned the majority of possession at 58 percent and outpassed Atlanta 582 to 397, two critical defensive mistakes handed three points to the cellar-dwelling hosts.
Defensive Mistakes Cost Red Bull New York in Atlanta
Tristan Muyumba pulled Atlanta United even at 1-1 with an outstanding finish in the 69th minute. Though it was a precise strike to the upper 90, multiple Red Bull New York defenders hesitated to close him down.
Then came Fafà Picault’s go-ahead goal in the 82nd minute. Picault went completely unmarked on his run to the back post to score the match-winner, giving Atlanta its first victory in 105 days.
Dylan Nealis Blames Lack of Concentration in Defeat
Defender Dylan Nealis admitted that a lack of concentration in key moments cost the Red Bulls.
“Speaking as a defender myself, I think we should close up shop,” Nealis said following the defeat. “Being on the road with the 1-0 [lead], we could end it there, and we could even be dangerous in the attack and kill off the game. But not only myself, but the rest of the guys, the defenders on the team, take pride in that.
“We could be better defensively. Lack of concentration some moments, gave up some easy chances to let them stay in the game, and eventually they punished us. Frustrating, frustrating result.”
It’s too late in the season for the Red Bulls to be conceding freebie goals like that.
“I don’t know if I would call a lack of concentration,” head coach Michael Bradley explained. “Obviously, when you get to the end of the game like that, and now you’ve made some subs, the part of being able to organize things quickly to be able to make sure that regardless of what the other team is trying to do, regardless of how they set up, that we are alert and looking around and ready to deal with that moment.
“Yeah, that part is important in a moment like that in the game. So I wouldn’t just go, I wouldn’t simplify it and just say it was a lack of concentration. Obviously, concentration is always a part of the game and always a part of key moments, but certainly there’s a lot that go into those moments, and we have to continue to get better in those ways.”
Michael Bradley selected a front three of Julian Hall, Mijahir Jiménez and Cade Cowell after the attacking trio delivered a 3-2 victory last time out over Orlando City SC on August 1.
Jorge Ruvalcaba returned in a 71st-minute substitute appearance after serving his one-game suspension.
Choupo-Moting Makes Long-Awaited Return
Veteran forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting entered the match in the 86th minute. It was his first match action since New York’s 3-1 victory on May 9 in Chicago.
It continues to remain puzzling why Choupo-Moting’s experience and goal-getting abilities are being wasted after he scored 17 goals in 33 MLS matches last season.
The Red Bulls will return to Sports Illustrated Stadium on Wednesday, August 19, to face Nashville SC. When they take the pitch in Harrison, the Red Bulls must be ready to play with focus, togetherness and ruthlessness.
Wednesday’s contest is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will be broadcast on Apple TV.
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