
Photo credit: Scott Catron
Good afternoon Red Bulls fans! Today, our beloved team is in Utah to take on MLS powerhouse Real Salt Lake (10pm ET, MSG+, game notes here). Let's take a look at how both teams come into this one.
The Red Bulls are coming off a dissapointing 2-1 loss, @FC Dallas. The loss was termed by Thierry Henry as the same crap from last year. Two sloppy goals and one big loss. A couple of bright spots from the Dallas loss were Kenny Cooper and Ryan Meara. Cooper, who scored the lone RBNY goal @Dallas, will be looking to add to his goal scoring account, while Meara will be looking for another solid outing between the pipes. Will it be enough. We shall see tonight.
Real Salt Lake come into this one having defeated the defending MLS Champion Los Angeles Galaxy @The Home Depot Center. Rio Tinto Stadium has become a fortress and RSL will look to feed off the crowd in its home opener. Javier Morales is out through injury, so Beckerman and Espindola will look to pick up the slack.
Alrighty then, let's get to some predictions:
Matt Conroy (aka Who Shot Sam) has this for us:
I can't see anything other than an RSL win in this one. They always seem to have our number and we were mostly awful against Dallas. I'm just hoping for a more respectable performance and some changes in the lineup. 2-0 RSL.I can't see our team getting anything out of this game. RSL gave a the Galaxy a beatdown last weekend, @The Home Depot Center. I can't see Jason Kreiss' Mormon Machine taking anything less than 3 points in their home opener. I'm going to call it, RSL 3, RBNY 0.
The newest member of the TVN staff, Tom Faust, has this for us:
A week ago, if you asked me which of the first two games we had a better chance of winning, I would have chosen FCD hands down. After the opening loss and the 3-1 hurt that RSL put on the defending champs, I have to follow my head and predict a 3-0 loss for RBNY. RSL solid talent, the team cohesion, a game plan and Nick Rimando. Best case scenario: Errant Roy Miller backheels lead to two goals and Conor Lade starts the home opener.Homebrew Tim has this for us:
Sorry Red Bulls fans, but this is going to be ugly today. 3-1 Salt Lake. We haven't been able to beat this team, and nothing I saw last week suggests otherwise. Henry says that the team goes into a game with a game plan that worked well in training, but then they get shut down and don't execute it when it counts. That, well... is not good. Henry, after dropping back to the sweeper role by halftime, will manage to dribble up to the 18 yard box and slide the ball to Kenny Cooper for our only goal of the game.Last, but not least, the great You Suck Corrales has this for us:
Unfortunately I feel a massive hammering coming on. I do believe we will be down 2-0 within 20 minutes. I see more disjointed incoherent play with guys RSL beating us to every ball and winning every challenge. Cooper will get one to make it 1-2 but RSL will put the screws to us. Final score NYRB 1-4 RSL. Can't wait for the 25th and a home opener in total chaos and crisis.
