Entering the 2024 MLS season, New York Red Bulls management was hoping that they would have 42 points entering the month-long Leagues Cup break, which begins on July 27.
Saturday night’s 3-1 victory over FC Cincinnati — the final became before that break — put the Red Bulls at 41 for the season, thus ensuring that they held on to the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference following an extended stretch that featured notable absences from key players such as midfielder Emil Forsberg (injury), forward Lewis Morgan, defender John Tolkin, and goalkeeper Carlos Coronel (international duty).
“It’s good that we have this break with our injuries and to have 41 points after 25 games,” Red Bulls head coach Sandro Schwarz said. “It’s a good result. We’re eight games unbeaten, [15] games unbeaten at home. It’s good to have this feeling at the break because we have four weeks until the next [MLS] game in Charlotte. Now we have two days off and we prepare for the Leagues Cup.”
That 15-game unbeaten run at home across all competitions which ranks second-longest in franchise history has carried a hint of frustration as of late, though. Especially during this current eight-game unbeaten run in MLS play. In their previous seven matches, the Red Bulls won only once despite outshooting their opponents 127-43 (one win, six draws) as their finishing capabilities sagged without Forsberg.
The script was generally the same against a strong Cincinnati squad on Saturday night. New York outshot its opponents 19-4 but this time, were far more clinical.
Morgan opened the scoring in the seventh minute. In the second half, rather than let their opponents hang around as they did on Wednesday night against Montreal, the Red Bulls put the game to bed. Kyle Duncan and Morgan scored within seven minutes of each other to give the Red Bulls a 3-0 lead that would not be relinquished.
“A lot of good moments in transition and we scored them, as well,” Schwarz said. “That’s necessary when you have these good moments to punish your opponent. These were the right moments… It was a good performance, good behavior from the whole team… This was our match plan to be directly active from the beginning, to find a good moment from the start.
“This is what we need. Not only to play a period of a game, 15 minutes, 20 minutes. You have to play a whole game… To have the focus on the next situation, the next run, the next pass, that was what we needed. For me, this was a very good example after the Montreal game to show another phase to them.”
Schwarz’s men will take a couple days to rest before ramping up their preparations for the Leagues Cup, which features group-stage matches against Toronto FC on Saturday and Mexican side Pachuca on July 30.
“Leagues Cup, this is the shortest way to win a title,” Schwarz said. “Normally you have to fight one year for a title. Now with this Leagues Cup, you have a chance to win in three-and-a-half weeks.”
