Tag: New York Red Bulls

Messi breaks MLS record with five assists for Inter Miami…all in one half?!

Who does this? Literally no one!

Everyone knew Lionel Messi would be the best player in MLS upon arrival, but we’re now getting a look at just how extreme the situation is.

Messi produced a staggering five (5) assists in one half Saturday night, helping Inter Miami to a 6-2 demolition of the New York Red Bulls.

Luis Suárez and new addition Matías Rojas were the beneficiaries, with the Uruguayan star notching a hat trick. Rojas would strike twice, while Messi would chip in a goal for good measure, because why not?

It didn’t seem like the kind of night where this would happen. The Red Bulls actually walked off at halftime up 1-0 on a Dante Vanzeir goal, and had to be feeling alright about how things were going.

Messi had a different idea in mind.

Rojas would enter at halftime, and the Paraguayan played a major part in flipping this game on its head. Messi’s first assist would come just three minutes after play restarted, but in truth it was mostly about the thunderbolt Rojas unleashed from long range.  This time, all Messi had to do was play a square pass.

Two minutes later, the Red Bulls seemed to begin to collapse. Rojas’ pressure created a bad giveaway, and Suárez helped the ball on for Messi to finish with a first-time strike.

In alarming news for the rest of MLS, Rojas — making just his second appearance since being signed on April 23 — seemed to have an instant rapport with Messi. The duo would link up again, playing increasingly intricate one-twos until Messi defied geometry and our common understanding of space to send Rojas through for a 62nd minute goal.

Things just got worse for RBNY. Benjamin Cremaschi’s chip found Messi in behind the defense in the 69th minute, and two Red Bulls spent an eternity trying to just contain the Argentine icon.

Good news: they did avoid being beaten on the dribble. It’s just that Messi wedged a pass through a miniscule gap, finding Suárez on the doorstep to make it 4-1.

Next up? Another give-and-go sequence, this time with Messi waltzing away from the midfield in possession before combining with Suárez for a point-blank finish.

There was still more time, and with the Red Bulls seemingly unable to track Messi coming out of midfield, more goals were inevitable.

Messi seemed to consider the prospect of dribbling several people for a moment, but ultimately played a slide-rule pass that found Suárez, and the other former Barcelona great on the field evaded goalkeeper Carlos Coronel before shooting home from an acute angle.

On another night, Suárez’s hat trick and the big scoreline would have garnered all the attention. It’s just that Messi did something no one else has ever done, with his five assists and six goal involvements both setting new MLS records.

Entering the night, only 10 players in MLS had five assists on the season. For Messi, five assists in this game required just a 33-minute span, during which he also scored.

That leaves Messi atop the Golden Boot leaderboard with 10, and also way out in front on the assist chart with 12. Carlos Vela once had 49 goal involvements in a single season, setting the MLS record with 34 goals in the process.

Messi’s 22 combined goals and assists, gathered in just in eight appearances, have him on pace to get to around 61 if he plays the rest of Miami’s 22 remaining matches.

So yeah, looks like the guy can play a little.

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Red Bulls withdraw youth teams from GA Cup after racism accusations

The Red Bulls withdrew their U-15 and U-17 after two separate incidents

The New York Red Bulls have withdrawn from the Generation Adidas (GA) Cup after the club’s U-17 team said it was the victim of multiple instances of on-field racism.

U-17 goalkeeper Joshua Grant said he was targeted by a Monterrey player and that his teammate, defender Eric Tai, was targeted in another game by a Hajduk Split player.

In response, the Red Bulls said Friday that they had pulled their U-15 and U-17 teams out of the competition. The U-17 team had already been eliminated, while the U-15s had advanced to the quarterfinal.

“The New York Red Bulls have decided to withdraw from the U-15 and U-17 tournaments,” the club said.

“There is no room for discrimination around competitive play. As an organization, we stand together with our players on and off the pitch.”

In response, MLS Next released a statement of its own on Friday, saying that it had issued suspensions to players who wouldn’t be named due to being minors.

“Following three allegations of discriminatory language used during two recent GA Cup matches, MLS Next immediately investigated and then issued suspensions in accordance with the MLS Next Disciplinary Code to the offending individuals for violating the MLS Next Safety & Wellbeing Policy,” it said. “In addition, MLS Next immediately made resources available onsite to the affected players and clubs.

“Due to the minors’ age, further details regarding the individuals involved will not be disclosed.

“MLS Next acknowledges the New York Red Bulls’ decision to withdraw their U-15 and U-17 teams from the tournament and will continue providing all those impacted with the necessary support and resources.

“MLS Next remains steadfast in its commitment to eradicating discriminatory and racial incidents at every level of the game and will continue to work with all players to properly educate, train and swiftly address any incidents.”

The GA Cup is one of the country’s premier youth tournaments, featuring all 29 MLS academies plus several teams invited from abroad to participate.

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This MLS playoff race is an absolute mess

Put on your boots, because we’re about to wade into a mess

The race for the MLS playoffs is promising that Decision Day will be as bonkers as it ever has been.

The final day of the regular season is less than a month away, with 28 of the league’s 29 teams set for two breathless rounds of simultaneous kickoffs, one for each conference (sorry D.C. United, you’re just going to have to follow along at home).

There’s an old MLS truism that a team just needs to stay in touch until late August or so, and that if said team can start to heat up around Labor Day, you’re looking at a major threat coming from what on paper is a low playoff seed. Plenty of teams with multiple MLS Cups in their trophy case have at least one season where they followed this plan to a tee.

However, in 2023 it’s not so much about getting hot at the right time as simply ending up next to an empty seat during a poorly-played game of musical chairs. Seven teams have clinched their playoff berths already, and two more are simply abysmal.

That leaves 20 teams vying for 11 postseason spots in what is an extraordinarily forgiving set-up. The problem is that almost none of this group seems able to get a solid hold on their invite to the big dance.

Put on your boots, because we’re about to wade into a mess:

Bronx-born Red Bulls star Fernandez steps up on derby days: ‘New York is always going to be red’

The Red Bulls homegrown spoke to Pro Soccer Wire about his unique scoring record against New York City FC

New York Red Bulls midfielder Omir Fernandez has built up a pretty impressive scoring record against his club’s biggest rival, New York City FC.

Fernandez is likely to start on Saturday afternoon when the Red Bulls travel to Yankee Stadium for the regular season’s second installment of the Hudson River Derby. With four career goals against NYCFC — three of which are game-winners — it is easy to see why he should be a lock for the starting XI.

Considering that Fernandez has 13 career goals in MLS, it is a pretty impressive scoring rate.

As a player and as a person, Fernandez is low key and rarely rattled. Much like his playing style, there is a certain glide to Fernandez’s persona that seems much more California than his Bronx upbringing. He is affable and upbeat, so his deep emotion for the rivalry between his Red Bulls and NYCFC is a bit out of character.

He admits that on derby days, he gets amped. That might just explain the 24-year-old’s scoring record against NYCFC.

“It means a lot to me. I have said it many times that I am not a big fan of that team. I always have extra motivation of wanting to prove them wrong and wanting to beat them every single time that we play them,” Fernandez told Pro Soccer Wire.

“I think it brings the best out of the whole team as well and I have just been fortunate enough to get the goals, and hope that it continues on Saturday.”

Growing up in the same borough where he will play on Saturday, there is a different beat to this match for Fernandez. He came up through the Red Bulls Academy system, progressing to playing collegiately at Wake Forest before signing a homegrown deal with the Red Bulls.

There was never a doubt that he wanted to represent the Red Bulls, even if NYCFC was closer to his home. His soccer home, he says, was established in 1996 when MLS was launched.

The banter at the heart of the rivalry is that NYCFC is located in New York City, unlike the Red Bulls who are on the other side of the Hudson River. Not surprisingly, Fernandez isn’t bothered by that talking point even though he grew up close to Yankee Stadium.

“The New York Red Bulls have been here since the very beginning of the league. They are one of the original clubs and for many people growing up, that was the true team in New York,” Fernandez said.

“I don’t agree with people claiming that New York is blue just because of this new team coming in. I have always supported the Red Bulls and will continue to always claim that New York is always going to be red.”

In the micro, the derby match is always a heated one between these two sides, no matter the date or what the league table might say.

But for both clubs, this is an important match on the macro level for the playoff picture.

The Red Bulls are five points shy of the playoff line in the Eastern Conference. NYCFC is four points away.

“It is coming towards the end of the season, where every game counts now. There is at least seven or eight games left that are really important and every single game is important,” Fernandez said.

“It just happened that this next game we are playing is a derby away from home. This can be the start of a good push that we need to be able to make it to the playoffs.”

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Messi scores in first MLS match, because of course he did

Messi only needed half an hour to get yet another goal

Lionel Messi came to New York (or close to it) for a good time, not a long time.

Messi made his MLS debut off the bench, but still managed to score just about the easiest goal he’s going to score for Inter Miami, who got a valuable 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.

Much has been made of Messi’s arrival for Inter Miami, given that he is a) Lionel Messi, and b) has provided a constant supply of highlight-reel plays and moments. However, despite playing a bunch of games against MLS teams in the Leagues Cup, and then escaping an epic U.S. Open Cup semifinal with another victory, he hadn’t actually played an MLS game yet.

Manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino indicated that he would have to give Messi a rest at some point, which while disappointing for a lot of folks is just a recognition of Messi’s age, the travel involved in MLS, and Miami’s preposterously jammed schedule.

However, a Red Bull Arena crowd of 26,276 — a record for the stadium — only had to wait an hour before Martino answered their “we want Messi!” chants, bringing the global legend on alongside Sergio Busquets and DeAndre Yedlin with Miami leading 1-0.

With the Red Bulls pushing for an equalizer, much of the action happened at the north end of Red Bull Arena. Drake Callender had to preserve the win with a stellar late save, before Messi put the game on ice with casual ease.

Even a Messi tap-in is special, though, with the wizard from Rosario playing an unreal pass to Benjamin Cremaschi seconds before tapping home from two yards out.

The Messi phenomenon has become such a big deal that it naturally has also started to get a little weird. Take, for example, a bunch of people standing around Times Square to watch two MLS teams that sit outside the Eastern Conference playoff places play on a billboard.

Miami climbed out of last place in MLS’s Eastern Conference with the win, while Messi is — after just nine games — now alone as the third-highest scorer in Inter Miami history. You know, just a normal situation for late August when a team signs a guy early in the transfer window.

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How to watch Inter Miami vs. New York Red Bulls: Messi set for MLS debut

Messi, along with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, are finally set to make their MLS debuts

Lionel Messi has long since arrived in North America, but he’s only played in cup competitions thus far with Inter Miami. That all changes on Saturday.

Messi, along with former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, are all set to make their MLS debuts with an away game against the New York Red Bulls. The trio already won the Leagues Cup and will have the U.S. Open Cup final next month.

Until then, it’s all about league play which begins with the game at Red Bull Arena.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Messi and Inter Miami vs New York Red Bulls” link=”https://apple.co/3EaURhY”]

MLS play will be a much different challenge for Messi and Co. As impressive as the Argentine has been, it would be a sensational achievement if Inter Miami makes the MLS playoffs. Inter sits in the bottom of the Eastern Conference and are 14 points from a postseason position with 11 games to go.

But as Messi has reminded us: It’s never wise to count him out. Here is everything you need to know to catch all the action:

New York Red Bulls vs. Inter Miami (Major League Soccer)

  • When: Saturday, August 26
  • Where: Red Bull Arena
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: Apple TV

MLS Starting Lineups

New York Red Bulls possible lineup:
Coronel; Harper, Reyes, Nealis, Tolkin; Fernandez, Edelman, Yearwood, Luquinhas; Barlow, Manoel

Inter Miami possible lineup:
Callender; Yedlin, Kryvstov, Miller, Alba; Cremaschi, Busquets, Mota; Messi, Taylor, Martinez

MLS Odds and betting lines

MLS odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Odds were last updated Friday at 1:43 p.m.

New York Red Bulls (+135) vs. Inter Miami (+180)

Draw: (+250)

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With Messi, Inter Miami in town, New York Red Bulls focus on their own style

The Red Bulls are preparing for ‘an outlier of a player’

HANOVER, N.J. – For the New York Red Bulls, facing Inter Miami and Lionel Messi will make up most of the buzz heading into Saturday night’s fixture. But for a team just three points out of the playoffs, the focus is very different.

In fact, despite the global stature of Messi, the Red Bulls say that they aren’t going to change who they are or their philosophy. This, despite the fact that Messi’s arrival to MLS has been a huge jolt for the league.

With tickets potentially going for as much as $20,000 for this match, it will no doubt be a scene at Red Bull Arena for Messi’s MLS debut. Against the backdrop of the world’s largest media market, Messi mania has certainly gripped the area. Over 500 media credentials were requested for this match.

Only a fraction will be provided on Saturday evening.

It is a setting that Red Bulls coach Troy Lesesne embraces while cautioning that this match is bigger than Messi for the Red Bulls, with a win being paramount for their playoff hopes. Even while facing Messi, who has 10 goals in eight games with Miami so far, Lesesne says his side’s DNA can’t change.

“It doesn’t matter necessarily the opponent that we’re playing,” Lesesne said on Thursday afternoon. “But this is an outlier of a player, you know, this is someone that can show up.

“I don’t think he had a shot on goal [in Miami’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal] but he virtually wins the game with two big moments in terms of his assists. So, there is a component of that that we have to focus on, in terms of him being an individual this talented. But the main focus though, is on how we want to go about trying to be in our way without putting all the attention on one particular player.”

Lesesne pointed out that there’s also a danger in spending all of his side’s preparation time on Messi, as it is at least possible that the 36-year-old doesn’t play a full 90 minutes so soon after going 120 against FC Cincinnati.

“Maybe he doesn’t feature on the night, maybe only comes on for limited minutes,” explained Lesesne. “What a waste of preparation, potentially, if he doesn’t start on the night and we’ve only focused on one player for the week.”

The Red Bulls are a counter-pressing side, one that frustrated Inter Miami head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino during his tenure with Atlanta United. The idea will be to frustrate Inter Miami’s build-up and cut off service to Messi. If the Red Bulls can force Miami to play direct, they could theoretically limit Messi’s touches on the ball.

It is a dangerous game to play, as Cincinnati (another counter-pressing side) found out. The tactic places tremendous responsibility on the center backs to stay connected, and Messi has clearly already proven that he doesn’t need much to exploit an MLS backline.

Red Bulls know it’s not just the Messi show

Messi has made eight appearances for Inter Miami since his arrival in July, none of which have come in league play. He was a part of all seven of his team’s games en route to winning the Leagues Cup, winning the tournament’s Golden Boot with 10 goals. His other Miami appearance came on Wednesday night in what turned out to be a wild Open Cup match that ended with the Floridian side progressing to the tournament’s final.

Given that Miami hasn’t lost with Messi in the fold, the task in front of the Red Bulls seems daunting. If a team commits too many resources to stop the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, that just gives the rest of Miami’s players time and space to do the job themselves.

“I think a bunch of teams we’ve seen so far, they’ve tried to strategize how to deal with that and not just focusing on Messi,” midfielder Daniel Edelman said on Thursday.

“Robert Taylor is excellent these past few games, and also Josef Martínez up top. We’ve got to just be aware of everyone,” continued Edelman. “I think we’ve gotten so much better with controlling the ball and showing teams that we don’t just press and we’re not just going to run you through the ground and play balls in the air and in behind, and be direct.

“We have players that can do more than that, and we’re going to try to show that against what looks like the best side in the league right now in Miami.”

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Breaking: Former New York Red Bulls standout Erick Ruiz joins Rutgers men’s soccer

Rutgers men’s soccer signs Erick Ruiz, a former New York Red Bulls midfielder.

Rutgers men’s soccer got a huge addition on Wednesday, adding Erick Ruiz to the roster. Ruiz is a midfielder who came up through the vaunted New York Red Bulls Academy.

He has also progressed to play for the New York Red Bulls II which played in the USL up through last year and is now in MLS Next Pro. The team has a track record of producing professional players, including United States international Tyler Adams.

Coming up through the Red Bulls system, Ruiz was a central midfielder. He has a strong work ethic and work rate, which the Red Bulls require of their holding midfielders.

Rutgers announced the signing of Ruiz on Wednesday, a bit of a coup for the Big Ten program considering that Ruiz was looked at as a player who could make the jump to the MLS level:

 

Ruiz is the first Pre-Academy player from the Red Bulls system to represent the New York Red Bulls II.

 

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Seattle Sounders vs. New York Red Bulls: How to watch, channel, time, lineups, live stream MLS

How to watch the MLS weekend match between the #Sounders and #RedBulls:

A battle of two Major League Soccer teams heading in opposite directions will take place at Lumen Field on Saturday.

The New York Red Bulls head out to face the Seattle Sounders on Saturday in MLS action.

New York was bounced from the U.S. Open Cup recently, but the Red Bulls are on the up after replacing manager Gerhard Struber with Troy Lesesne. New York has claimed seven out of a possible nine points in league play since Lesesne’s appointment, including a derby win over NYCFC.

Speaking of, the Red Bulls are tied with their rivals in 10th place in the Eastern Conference following their resurgence.

Meanwhile, Seattle sits on the opposite end of things, both relating to form and the table.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Sounders vs Red Bulls” link=”https://apple.co/42p7EaB”]

A hot start to the season in the Pacific Northwest has cooled off. After taking five wins in their opening seven matches, the Sounders have now lost four of their last five across all competitions.

But a win could erase all that. Seattle would reclaim the top spot in the Western Conference table with a win.

Ahead of the pivotal matchup, here is everything you need to know to stream the action:

Seattle Sounders vs. New York Red Bulls:

  • When: Saturday, May 26
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: Lumen Field
  • Watch: Apple TV

MLS starting lineups

Sounders possible starting lineup:
Frei; A. Roldan, Arreaga, Gomez, Tolo; Rusnak, Paulo; Chu, Lodeiro, Morris; Heber

Red Bulls possible starting lineup:
Coronel; D Nealis, S Nealis, Reyes, Tolkin; Carmona, Casseres, Yearwood; Fernandez; Vanzeir, Morgan

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Sounders vs Red Bulls” link=”https://apple.co/42p7EaB”]

Major League Soccer odds and betting lines

Premier League odds courtesy of Fanduel. Odds were last updated Friday at 6:30 p.m. 

Seattle Sounders (-105) vs. New York Red Bulls (+280)

Draw: (+220)

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Vanzeir rejoins New York Red Bulls after suspension for racial epithet

Red Bulls players voted to allow Vanzeir to rejoin the group

Dante Vanzeir is back training with the New York Red Bulls after the conclusion of a six-game suspension for using a racial epithet.

Following accusations from San Jose Earthquakes players, Vanzeir eventually admitted that he had called a Black player a “monkey” during a 1-1 draw at Red Bull Arena on April 8.

Per a statement from the Red Bulls, the full squad voted on whether Vanzeir could return to training after the Belgian forward stepped away from the team in the immediate aftermath of the incident.

“Dante Vanzeir began a comprehensive program, including emotional accountability, restorative practice and cultural sensitivity sessions in mid-April with the outside firm. He continues to have sessions now and moving forward,” said the Red Bulls’ statement.

“We have held restorative process sessions with our players, sporting and front office staff, academy players and their parents or guardians. Vanzeir met with the team as he re-entered training and was unanimously approved to be able to return to the team in an anonymous player vote.”

Significant fallout for Red Bulls

Vanzeir returns to a club that has significantly changed since he used racist language. Former head coach Gerhard Struber’s disastrous handling of the situation — he refused calls to substitute Vanzeir from the San Jose Earthquakes, and possibly from some Red Bulls players, a choice he eventually admitted was a mistake — sparked fury among fans, who staged a walkout of their home match against the Houston Dynamo on April 15.

Between the fan outrage and a poor start to the season, Struber was dismissed on May 8.

Interim head coach Troy Lesesne addressed Vanzeir’s return to training on Friday, confirming the team statement’s assertion that the player vote for Vanzeir’s return to training was unanimous.

Vanzeir’s suspension drew intense criticism from former MLS/USMNT forward Charlie Davies. The ban ended following Wednesday night’s scoreless draw at Toronto FC, meaning Vanzeir is eligible to play in Saturday’s home game against CF Montréal. It is unclear whether he will take part, especially after not training with the club for over a month.

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