On Wednesday night, Red Bull New York will face its toughest challenge of the season against first-place Nashville SC.
Nashville enters Sports Illustrated Stadium atop the Supporters’ Shield standings and is brimming with confidence after last Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Lionel Messi and Inter Miami.
Hany Mukhtar leads the way for Nashville. The German forward was recently voted MLS Player of Matchday 20 after he recorded a brace against Inter Miami.
“Nashville are a really good team,” Bradley said during Monday’s press conference. “Obviously, by a lot of standards, you would say they’ve been the best team in the league so far this year. So we’re excited for the opportunity to test ourselves against them.
“I think Nashville’s football ideas, in terms of having guys in the center of the field, in between the lines, the understanding between their attacking players of how to be fluid and how to balance who wants the ball to their feet and who’s running deep and then how that gets complemented by fullbacks moving into the attack. I think that part is all pretty interesting. So we’re going to continue to look really closely at them, make sure that our players are prepared in the best possible way, and be ready as always when the whistle blows to go after them and to go after the game in a really strong, aggressive way.”
Red Bull New York Eager To Test Themselves Against Nashville
Bradley and his players are united in their belief that aggressive attacking play is the best plan to claim three points against the league leaders.
“We know where Nashville are on the table — they’re a good team, first place, of course, and we have to score more goals,” midfielder Adri Mehmeti said.
“That’s the way we have to go about it, because if you look at the previous games, Atlanta, Charlotte, we’re doing the right things, we’re getting in around the box, but it’s just the final product at the end of the day. If we score more goals, goals kill games. So that’s what we’re going to look to do, and hopefully get a positive result, and then continue from there.”
Red Bulls Must Show More Defensive Discipline
But Red Bull New York’s most recent outing, a 2-1 road defeat to Atlanta United, exposed the Red Bulls’ defensive vulnerabilities. No one stepped up to close down Tristan Muyumba’s long-range 69th-minute equalizing goal, and Fafà Picault waltzed in unmarked toward the back post to score the 82nd-minute game-winning goal.
Perhaps the Red Bulls were too aggressive in pursuit of a second goal when they could have switched the plan to lower the tempo and patiently wait for openings to exploit.
“Speaking as a defender myself, I think we should close up shop,” defender Dylan 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.”
Simply put, the Red Bulls should have departed A-Town with three points in hand. Atlanta was mired in a seven-match winless streak, and Saturday’s victory was their first win in 105 days.
Nashville SC Brings Dangerous Firepower and League-Best Defense
On Wednesday, the Red Bulls cannot afford to repeat similar defensive blunders against a Nashville team that possesses an attack featuring Mukhtar, striker Sam Surridge, who has scored 12 goals in 13 MLS matches, and winger Cristian Espinoza, who has recorded nine assists.
Then there’s the matter of breaking down a Nashville side that has only conceded 15 goals through 19 matches, giving the club the best defensive record in MLS.
Red Bull New York and Nashville Injury and Lineup News Ahead of Wednesday’s Match
It wouldn’t be surprising if Bradley reverts to his trusted attacking trio of Jorge Ruvalcaba, Julian Hall and Cade Cowell after Mijahir Jiménez struggled to make an impact against Atlanta.
UPDATE: 6:30 P.M. ET:
Red Bull New York has announced the following starting XI:
Goalkeeper: Horvath
Defenders: Nealis, Che, Bazan, Dos Santos
Midfielders: Forsberg (C), Mehmeti, Donkor
Forwards: Ruvalcaba, Hall, Cowell
Substitutes: Marshall-Rutty, Valencia, Choupo-Moting, Harper, Parker, Sofo, Benedetti, McCarthy, Jimenez
There are no changes to the Red Bulls on the Player Availability Report. Winger Rafael Mosquera is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s match due to a thigh injury. Goalkeeper A.J. Marcucci remains out due to a knee injury, though he could soon enter the training phase of his rehabilitation, according to Mark Fishkin of Seeing Red.
OUT: A.J. Marcucci (knee)
QUESTIONABLE: Rafael Mosquera (thigh)
Forward Warren Madrigal is the only player listed on Nashville’s Player Availability Report. The 22-year-old Costa Rican attacker is out due to a lower-body injury.
OUT: Warren Madrigal (lower body)
How to Watch Red Bull New York vs. Nashville SC: Time, TV and Stream Info
Kickoff for Wednesday’s match is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will be streamed on Apple TV in English and Spanish. Steve Cangialosi will handle play-by-play responsibilities alongside Danny Higginbotham on the English broadcast. Raul Guzman will call play-by-play in Spanish.
Matt Harmon and Steve Jolley will call the action on Red Bulls Radio.
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