New York Red Bulls defender Dylan Nealis knew how important his 74th minute goal was to the team’s playoff hopes as they won 1-0 over first place Philadelphia Union on Saturday night. The win not dulled the pain from Wednesday’s comeback loss in the US Open Cup to the same team, but also gave a much needed momentum boost.
“Better late than never,” said Nealis about his 74th minute goal. “Much, much needed win, almost a must-win. Feels good finally beating Philly.”
For years it felt like Philadelphia could do no wrong against their local rivals as New York hadn’t recorded a win against the visitors in 10 plus meetings. Red Bulls even led twice in Subaru Park on Wednesday, only to see their lead evaporate in minutes. The add insult to injury, the Union scored late to advance in the Open Cup but head coach Sandro Schwarz and his men were not going to let that happen again.
A 68th minute penalty opportunity for Bruno Damiani was pivotal to the team’s momentum. Once again, Carlos Coronel stepped up for the club, stopping the chance and giving Red Bulls the chance they needed to grab all three points.
“I know you guys know my situation over the last three weeks,” said Coronel about his recent injury spell. “To make the game today and to save it to help my teammates, for sure, I am very happy.”
The significance of Nealis’ goal goes far beyond the fact that it was his first MLS goal. The win showed that Red Bulls can still perform at a high level against opposition that many thought would hand them a second consecutive loss. Such a loss would have seen them fall even further out of the playoff picture.
Now Red Bulls sit in ninth place with the pressure all on New York City FC who play on Sunday afternoon. The club’s situation is exacerbated by their inability to win on the road but also the pressure of having to perform at home.
“We wanted to change the result from Philly,” said head coach Sandro Schwarz. “The last win was six years ago. This was my main focus, my motivation now. For me, it was clear after Wednesday. Our behavior in the locker room, our mindset was great after this game.”
photo by Matt Kremkau