Timely finishing and a bit of luck were enough to separate the Red Bulls from visiting Real Salt Lake Saturday night, as two second half goals propelled the hosts to a 2-1 victory.
Juan Pablo Angel and Dave van den Bergh each tallied contentious goals after the break as New York came back from a halftime deficit for the first time this season. The victory, their fourth straight at Giants Stadium, takes them past DC United into fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
“I’m extremely pleased with the effort,” said New York Head Coach Juan Carlos Osorio. “I think all the guys showed we really are becoming a better team.”
New York showed off their newfound possession game, and it paid off with several early chances. With Angel and his strike partner John Wolyniec drawing most of the attention, van den Bergh continually found space down the left to fire in cross after cross, and his 18th minute cross left Mike Magee to pick a corner, but was headed over.
“I thought we started the game very well,” Osorio. “We didn’t convert the chances we had.”
Despite conceding possession, RSL carved out nearly as many chances as their opponents with their direct counter-attacking style. Robbie Findley and Yura Movsisyan continually found a way behind the Red Bulls backline, and they should have given their side the lead in the 24th minute when Findley sidefooted wide from eight yards away after being set up by his strike parker.
“I will take the blame for (being vulnerable to the counterattack) because I wanted to hold a very high line,” said Osorio. “I didn’t want it to be them stretching the middle. I wanted to take the game to them.”
Sure enough, RSL’s style paid off before the half was over, as Findley flicked on a long ball to Movsisyan in stride, who slotted past a hesitant Jon Conway.
“It was difficult to take,” said Osorio of the halftime deficit. “But we had a little chat at halftime and the adjustments that we made paid off.”
Whatever adjustments that Osorio made at the half, a stroke of good fortune for the Red Bulls quickly changed the game early in the second half. Angel chased down a hopeful ball in the corner on the heels of RSL defender Jamison Olave. As Angel jostled to try and get to the ball, Olave fell to the turf, leaving the ball at Angel’s feet and Nick Rimando stranded off his line with no chance.
Even the crowd seemed stunned as Referee Kevin Stott allowed the goal to the disbelief of the visitors.
“I got a touch on the ball and he (Olave) was pretty much out of the play, so it was an easy finish for me,” Angel recalled.
Not everyone had such a benign opinion of the play however. “Jamison Olave is a big fellow,” said Real Salt Lake manager Jason Kreis, “and I haven’t seen him fall down too easily before.”
“I don’t think it was a foul,” countered Osorio. “I know that player (Olave) very well and I know he takes his chances.”
Differing opinions aside, the goal set RSL firmly on their heels, as a second half that promised a bounty of counterattacking chances now looked to being playing back into the hands of the hosts. Dane Richards began to find space down the right side, and unable to beat his defender one-on-one, he cut inside to set up a blazing drive by Angel to win a corner in the 63rd minute.
Wolyniec ensuing header was saved and cleared to the top of the 18, where Richards drove the ball weakly back into the area. The ball fell to the feet of van den Bergh, and as the entire RSL defense looked in vain at the linesman, he moved the ball on to his left foot and put the Red Bulls in front from close range.
“I thought it was offsides to be honest with you,” said van den Bergh. “But you know what – there’s no whistle, there’s no reason to stop.”
If Real seemed stunned by the first goal, they were completely demoralized by the second turn in their fortunes.
“That play starts with a free kick we had in their half. Then the next thing you know, it’s in our goal,” said RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman. “Instead of being more mature about it, we showed some immaturity sometimes and it cost us tonight.”
The goal might cost RSL a lot more as both Chivas USA and Kansas City are breathing down their neck in the playoff race. The Red Bulls, on the other hand, are now in a favorable position heading to Columbus to test their revamped squad against the league’s top side.
“(Columbus) are red hot you know,” said van den Bergh “But I think it’s very possible that we can get a result out there.”
{democracy:22}
Match Facts
Real Salt Lake (8-9-7) vs. New York Red Bulls (9-7-8)
September 13, 2008 — Giants Stadium
Scoring Summary:
RSL — Yura Movsisyan 3 (Robbie Findley 5, Chris Wingert 3) 38
NY — Juan Pablo Angel 9 (Kevin Goldthwaite 2) 49
NY — Dave van den Bergh 6 (Dane Richards 5) 64
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake — Nick Rimando, Robbie Russell (Ian Joy 84), Chris Wingert, Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Will Johnson, Andy Williams (Clint Mathis 59), Robbie Findley (Kenny Deuchar 78), Yura Movsisyan.
Substitutes Not Used: Kenny Cutler, David Horst, Tino Nunez, Chris Seitz
New York Red Bulls — Jon Conway, Jeff Parke (Chris Leitch 53), Gabriel Cichero, Kevin Goldthwaite, Dane Richards, Mike Magee (Carlos Mendes 67), Juan Pietravallo, Jorge Rojas, Dave van den Bergh, John Wolyniec, Juan Pablo Angel.
Substitutes Not Used: Danleigh Borman, Danny Cepero, Diego Jimenez, Luke Sassano, Sinisa Ubiparipovic
Statistics:
New York Red Bulls /Real Salt Lake
total shots: 15 (Dane Richards 5) / 19 (Yura Movsisyan 10)
shots on goal: 7 (Juan Pablo Angel 3) / 9 (Yura Movsisyan 5)
fouls: 14 (Gabriel Cichero 3, Juan Pietravallo 3) / 10 (4 tied with 2)
offsides: 4 (Angel 2,Richards 2) / 4 (Yura Movsisyan 2)
corner kicks: 5 (Dave van den Bergh 4) / 1 (Javier Morales 1)
saves: 8 (Jon Conway 8) / 5 (Nick Rimando 5)
Misconduct Summary:
RSL — Kyle Beckerman (caution; Reckless Foul) 19
RSL — Chris Wingert (caution; Tactical Foul) 21
referee: Kevin Stott
Referee’s Assistants: Emiliano Monje; Jose Corro
4th official: Andrew Chapin
time of game: 1:50
attendance: 11,692
weather: Showers -and- 78 degrees
Recent Comments