Red Bull New York head coach Michael Bradley spoke after the team’s 2-0 loss to Toronto FC on Saturday about the club’s inability to execute at key moments and what the best way is to address the issue. This comes after two consecutive games where the team looked to be in control of the game but unable to score when necessary to get the reward and push the team higher up the Eastern Conference standings.
“There’s no magic pill or perfect formula,” said Bradley when asked about how he can push the club to execute better. “You have to, every day, keep at it. Be consistent with how you work, how you try to help the players understand moments, situations, individually, collectively. Unfortunately, a few too many days there year were generally not bad but we can’t do enough to make our football and our good moments count in terms of goals.”
Saturday was another example of this frustration as the club put out a solid line-up, including the team’s leading scorer Julian Hall. Defensively, Red Bull were stout but surrendered an own goal in the third minute, instantly putting the pressure on the offense to produce. Toronto, to their credit, remained strong, bending but not breaking on the ball. New York controlled possession and even had the better scoring chances throughout the game. However, the two moments that presented themselves for Toronto, were all they needed to win the game.
The second goal in the 82nd minute felt the most frustrating as the club made second half substitutions to bring on veteran players like Emil Forsberg and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. That didn’t result in the reaction Bradley was hoping for and an error led to Daniel Salloi gaining a one-on-one opportunity to convert and solidify three points for Toronto.
“The goals that we have conceded are crazy goals that come at really inopportune times,” said Bradley about the situation against both Toronto and DC. “We’re going to keep going. Keep playing and keep fighting until the last second of this season. The last second is still far away.”
Thankfully for Red Bull, no team is capitalizing on the opportunity as they remain in the playoff picture. The schedule won’t be kind to the club as they play the best teams the Eastern Conference have to offer in the coming weeks. Miami, New England and Nashville present the gauntlet necessary to navigate if the club intends to make the playoffs. It begins with the team’s second-to-last home game against Inter Miami next Saturday afternoon.
photo from Matt Kremkau