Red Bull New York are looking to jump-start their season after losing five of seven matches since returning from the World Cup break.
A positive result on Saturday away to Seattle Sounders FC would be essential to the Red Bulls staying above the playoff line. Only two points separate the eighth-place Red Bulls from the 12th-place Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Red Bulls were able to acquire reinforcements before the MLS Secondary Transfer Window closed by completing loan deals for midfielder David Ruiz and defender Devin Padelford.
Ruiz and Padelford Could Debut for Red Bulls on Saturday
It’s possible that Ruiz and Padelford could debut for New York against the Sounders at Lumen Field.
Red Bull New York head coach Michael Bradley said on Thursday that Ruiz had been a long-desired transfer target.
“We’re excited to add David to the group,” Bradley said. “David was a player that has been on our list for a while, and so we were able to use the opportunity to bring him and add him to our group to what we’re doing here. So we’re really excited. For a young player he has good experience in the league. He’s played with a lot of good players. He’s played under a lot of good coaches, and we’re really excited to add him to our midfield group.”
Padelford has the ability to play at left-back and as a central defender. The 23-year-old made 16 appearances for Minnesota United FC this season, contributing one goal and one assist.
“We’re really excited to add Devin to the group,” Bradley said. “Bringing Devin in gives us another MLS-proven young player who has athleticism. He has competitiveness. He has some versatility in terms of his ability to play left-back, left center-back, and so we’re really excited to add him into what we’re doing.”
Bradley, Red Bulls Prepare To Contain Dejan Joveljić and Christian Roldan
Seattle has endured similar struggles to the Red Bulls. The Sounders enter Saturday in 12th place in the Western Conference. Seattle most recently earned a victory on May 13 against the San Jose Earthquakes and are currently on a 10-match winless drought.
Despite the Sounders’ poor run of form, Bradley identified recent signing Dejan Joveljić and Christian Roldan as key threats that New York will need to contain.
Red Bulls Must Find a Way to Stop Joveljić
Joveljić scored a brace in his Sounders debut in a 2-2 draw against Chicago Fire FC on August 29.
“I think when you look at Seattle right now, I look at Dejan Joveljić,” he explained. “Obviously, he arrived last week, played his first game against Chicago — immediately scores two goals, shows his quality, shows his ability to find chances and score goals in this league. You knew it before, and you can see already that he is going to be a really important player for them, and is going to provide a big boost.”
Roldan returned against Chicago in a 33-minute appearance after a calf injury forced him to miss four consecutive matches.
“The other player that I look at is Christian Roldan. Obviously, he is their talisman, and getting him back for some minutes against Chicago, I would expect that he is in a place where he can start the game against us. Christian means a lot to that club, a lot to that city, and to have him back on the field will be a really important thing for their team.
“Obviously, it’s been a difficult period for them. But I know enough of their players. I don’t know [head coach] Brian [Schmetzer] great, but I’ve played and competed against him a lot over the years, and I know that they’ll be doing everything they can to make sure that they’re ready to really push and make a run here as the season moves into the last third, and so we’re ready and we’re excited for the challenge.”
Red Bull New York and Seattle Sounders FC Injury News Ahead of Saturday’s Match
The Red Bulls finally have a clean bill of health after winger Rafael Mosquera recovered from a thigh injury that had kept him sidelined since late May.
Seattle, on the other hand, will be missing five players due to injury.
OUT: Pedro de la Vega (quad), Jesús Ferreira (hamstring), Yeimar Gómez Andrade (calf), Nikola Petković (knee), Jackson Ragen (knee)
Saturday’s match will be broadcast on Apple TV at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Mark Rogondino and Heath Pearce will call the action in English, while Carlos Mauricio Ramirez and Max Cordaro will provide Spanish commentary. Matt Harmon and Steve Jolley will be on the air on Red Bulls Radio starting at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
More Red Bull New York Coverage
Enjoyed this story? Follow us for the latest updates! | Bluesky | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Leave a Reply