New York Red Bulls head coach Sandro Schwarz is very familiar with cup competitions as he enters his first ever US Open Cup fixture on Tuesday against Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Last season, Red Bulls did not participate, instead sending the reserve team New York Red Bulls II to participate in the country’s oldest club competition.
“It’s not everything new,” said Schwarz when asked about the unique nature of the competition compared to MLS. “It’s important, from the mental side, to be ready at first to play on turf and and to play against a good team that we’ll have to be ready for. Not to think about whether we can win this game with 60 or 70 percent. That will not be enough.”
Schwarz has struggled of late with the Red Bulls, suffering losses to DC United and Inter Miami in the last three fixtures. Only a win over CF Montreal salvages a four week period that sees the club in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. The combination of lackluster goal-scoring and tough fixtures has put pressure on the club to produce against lower league opposition on Tuesday.
The Switchbacks are not a team to be taken lightly despite their recent form. The team has only won once in their last five fixtures, having drawn 1-1 with Phoenix Rising FC over the weekend. Now they hope to be a giant-killer by eliminating a Red Bulls team that has proven to be a difficult out in cup competitions.
“We will have some rotations,” said Schwarz about his team’s need to cycle players during a stretch of three games in seven days. “We will have a starting line-up that is able to win this game. This is our expectation as well.”
Last season the New York Red Bulls may not have played in the US Open Cup but they proved their worth in the MLS Cup playoffs with wins over NYCFC and Orlando City SC on the road in single-elimination matches. They are hoping that their performances can be duplicated on Tuesday night and spark a rejuvenation for the club’s season campaign.
photo by Matt Kremkau