Red Bull New York head coach Michael Bradley has had a tough two games as the club returns form the World Cup break with two straight losses. The return home to Sports Illustrated Stadium was particularly painful as the club surrendered two early goals before pushing the game the way they trained to do but were still unable to find a goal for the home fans. While that is certainly frustrating, the coach looks at these times as a moment of growth and learning. Especially as the squad hopes to put this rough patch behind them before facing Orlando City next week.
“I thought our ideas and our ways of pushing the game from 2-0 down were pretty good,” said Bradley when assessing his team’s performance. “We missed the last pass, the last cross, the last shot and the last dribble. We got into really good spots but we weren’t quite able to find the decisive bit of quality, speed or execution. That’s certainly something we have to continue working on.”
While Bradley’s assessment is accurate, there is still a frustration from the base as to the progress of the club. Red Bull has been more than transparent with the understanding that these moments will happen. Young players will follow instruction but may not execute at moments. Patience is a virtue with the front office and coaching staff but always lacks in the stands.
Still, considering the youth on the field, what the team has put forward is still more than commendable. Julian Hall is now looked upon as not just a full time MLS starter but a prospect for clubs around the world. Adri Mehmeti, while not showing his best form in getting a red card, has proven to be one of the more affective midfielders in the Eastern Conference.
“Adri is a really, really talented young player,” said Bradley when speaking about Mehmeti’s red card. “He has many good qualities. He’s been so important for us this year and it’s all about growing and maturing. He’ll learn from it in good ways. He’s going in a really good direction.”
Red Bull will hope to change their current direction in the standings as the club fell in the last week from fifth to eighth place in the standings. Next week’s opponent, Orlando City, sit just two points back in 10th place and could push New York out of the playoff picture with a win.
photo by Matt Kremkau