New York Red Bulls will host Inter Miami on Saturday afternoon, in what is expected to be a rain-soaked Red Bull Arena. Both teams will be missing significant players heading into the match, with injuries and international call-ups taking their toll in almost all positions. The biggest miss will be league superstar Lionel Messi, who will miss the game due to a significant injury.
For New York the losses due to international duty are quite significant. Goalkeeper Carlos Coronel, midfielders Emil Forsberg and Daniel Edelman, defenders Noah Eile and John Tolkin and striker Corey Burke round out the missing players. On top of that the team has listed Elias Manoel, Sean Nealis and Dante Vanzeir as questionable, leaving few options on defense and in the striker position.
Expectations are that the Red Bulls will rely heavily on their bench to get through this game. Miami is no different, having been hit hard by international call-ups and injuries of their own. Aside from Messi, goalkeeper Drake Callender, Benjamin Cremaschi and Facundo Farias are the most notable losses. There is also a question as to whether Leo Campana will be available for head coach Tata Martino as well.
Red Bulls are coming off a 3-0 loss to Columbus Crew SC last week, suffering their first loss of the 2024 season. Conversely, Miami put together a strong performance, rebounding from a loss to Montreal two weeks ago, with a 3-1 win over DC United. Both teams sit towards the top of the Eastern conference. A win for the Red Bulls could move them into a tie with both Columbus and Miami for first place. Given the opportunity and the lack of players on the Miami side, a push for a win is not just possible but plausible as well.
PROJECTED STARTING XI:
New York Red Bulls: Meara; Duncan, S. Nealis, D. Nealis, Harper, Carmona, Stroud, Amaya, Ngoma, Morgan, Mitchell
photo by Matt Kremkau