Schwarz Knows Team Needs Road Improvements

New York Red Bulls had more than a few issues to deal with on Wednesday when they played Toronto FC at BMO Field but were able to pull out a 1-1 result. Injuries to key players both before and during the game made substitution decision difficult. Head coach Sandro Schwarz was unable to be on the sidelines due to yellow card accumulation and the team’s inability to keep their identity on the road nearly cost them the one point they did take. Schwarz and his team know that there are improvements that need to be made heading into Saturday’s home game against Minnesota.

“We have to improve something, of course,” said Schwarz after the game. “We can’t say, today, it was a good game. It was okay. First 30 minutes were good but this is what we have to continue constantly for 95 minutes to play this game. That is what we need.”

Red Bulls were bolstered by the continued effectiveness of attacking midfielder Mohammed Sofo. The young Ghanaian scored his fifth goal of the season, giving New York the lead in the first half. His inclusion has been much welcome considering how often players like Lewis Morgan and Cameron Harper have been away from the club dealing with injuries. He is yet another example of the New York Red Bulls II pipeline creating solid MLS starters. Still, it wasn’t enough to secure the win.

Toronto pressed New York well into the second half with the away side seemingly ready to break under the pressure. While it did show fortitude that Red Bulls hung on in the end, their inability to put complete performances together on the road has left them with just one win in 10 tries away from Sports Illustrated Stadium. The dropped points are a big reason why they sit seventh in the Eastern Conference table and not higher with the likes of Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Nashville.

“We lost a little bit of the intensity,” said Schwarz about his team’s lack of a complete game. “It’s more the part today again that we lost two players. Wiktor (Bogacz) is another situation that can happen in a duel. But how we lost two players? Toronto lost two players. That’s not possible.”

Next is an all important meeting with Minnesota United at Sports Illustrated Stadium. The visitors are formidable away from home, with four wins already. New York will need to not just recover physically but also find the form that has them performing well in front of their home fans.