Red Bull New York head coach Michael Bradley is asking for one last big push from his players before the 2026 FIFA World Cup break.
The 38-year-old head coach is demanding that his players approach Saturday’s contest as if it were a major final with a trophy on the line.
“We’re going to go to Kansas City ready to play that game like a final because it’s the final game for two months, and there’s nothing to hold back,” Bradley stated. “There’s nothing to save yourself for, and so we’re going to go there and be ready to lay it all out there.”
If the Red Bulls are able to earn a victory against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night, it will be 10 points out of a possible 12 gained from the final four MLS matches before the World Cup break.
The Red Bulls enter the contest in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings and are well aware that anybody can beat anybody on any given day, so they’re not overlooking a struggling Kansas City side.
Justin Che Warns Against Underestimating Struggling Sporting KC
Defender Justin Che isn’t taking Kansas City lightly despite Saturday’s hosts being second from bottom in the Supporters’ Shield standings. Kansas City owns the worst goal differential of all MLS clubs at minus-21.
“I say it time and time again — you can never rule out a team,” Che explained. “A team that has nothing to lose is the most dangerous team. I think, especially in this league, any team could beat any team. So it’s the last game before the break, but it’s something where I and the group are focused on hopefully getting the three points and to finish off on a strong note for the second half of the season.”
Bradley is hoping that the atmosphere at Sporting Park will bring the best out of his players.
“Kansas City’s always a hard place to go to,” Bradley said. “It’s a great stadium, intimate, fans are right on top of you, and so we’re really excited for the game. As a player, it’s a great atmosphere to play in. The field is normally in really good shape, and so we’re excited, but again, we have complete respect for Kansas City, for the way that they’ve responded after a really difficult start.”
Red Bulls Attack Looking To Rebound After NYCFC Draw
The Red Bulls will need to rev up an attack that faded in the second half against rivals New York City FC in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Though Jorge Ruvalcaba scored in the match, the attacking trio of Julian Hall, Cade Cowell and Ruvalcaba will need to be sharper and more inventive for New York to come away with three points in Kansas City.
Emil Forsberg, Choupo-Moting and Matthew Dos Santos Listed as Questionable
It’s possible that Red Bull New York will be without captain and creative midfielder Emil Forsberg, who is dealing with a hip injury, left-back Matthew Dos Santos, who has been slowed by a calf injury and veteran striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who missed the previous two matches due to a knee injury. All three players are listed as questionable.
Saturday’s match is scheduled for an 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time kick-off. Mark Followill will be providing English-language play-by-play with Lori Lindsey serving as color commentator, while Nacho Garcia will be calling the match in Spanish.
Fans can also tune in to Red Bulls Radio with Matt Harmon and Steve Jolley, which can be streamed on the official Red Bull New York app and RedBullNewYork.com.
After the break ends, the Red Bulls will return to action on July 22 against the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park with kick-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
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