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Red Bulls Shuts Out New England 1-0, But Henry Gets Injured
By
Dan Dickinson
Published Apr 29, 2012
Modified Apr 29, 2012
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New York Red Bulls
By
Dan Dickinson
Published Apr 29, 2012
Modified Apr 29, 2012
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For weeks, senior New York Red Bulls players have sounded the same warning: the team needed to find a way to grind out 1-0 or 2-0 victories, as they would not always be able to score 4 goals a game. That warning became reality Saturday against the New England Revolution. After losing leading scorer Thierry Henry early to a strained hamstring, the Red Bulls managed to hang on for an unlikely 1-0 victory, their first shutout of the year.
Why unlikely? New York's roster had been decimated between injury and suspension prior to the DC game, and things got worse this week, with Stephen Keel and Jan Gunnar Solli also hitting the injured list. With four defenders unavailable, Coach Hans Backe was forced to put together a patchwork defense that had only fielded a combined 798 minutes in 2012. Dax McCarty was pulled back to a defensive role to help protect the centerbacks (fully justified after the "performance" in DC), and Joel Lindpere returned to the starting midfield after a few weeks on the bench.
From the first whistle, RBNY pressed hard and fast, holding almost all early possession and managing four attempts in the first three minutes. As has happened so many times this season, a goal came early at the feet of - who else? - Thierry Henry. On a high long ball from Connor Lade, the French striker muscled past and outran midfielder Stephen McCarthy, and struck a perfect one-time volley from just outside the box. Goalkeeper Matt Reis, who had come forward to cover the play, could only watch the ball fly over his head into the net, and NY's captain celebrated his league-leading ninth goal of the season by delivering a kung-fu kick to the corner flag.
The Red Bulls continued to control the game until the 23rd minute. A long upfield clearance gave Henry and Cooper an attempt to break on a counter, but Henry collapsed mid-run without contact, clutching his left thigh. The sense of dread around the stadium was palpable as the physical therapy team helped him hobble off the field. With over an hour left to play, coach Backe opted to replace Henry not with another striker but with midfielder Victor Palsson. The Red Bulls would have to grind out a defensive victory, without a high-scoring attack to cover up any defensive lapses.
The game shifted to New England's attack testing the youthful New York defense. Reminiscent of Chelsea trying to hold off Barcelona in the Champions League, the makeshift defense threw everything they could to hold of an hour-long dominant Revolution attack. Ryan Meara made five saves over the course of the afternoon, denying strong attackers Saer Sene and Benny Felheiber on multiple occasions. Dax McCarty, despite being played out of position, gave his all and provided the much needed outlet for the defense to distribute to.
Despite the relentless attacking pressure and an inexplicable four minutes of stoppage time in the end, New York held on to secure the 1-0 win. Red Bull Arena roared with approval at the final whistle, as the team finally delivered Meara his first career clean sheet. The win improves RBNY's record to 4-3-1, retaining 3rd place in the East. The Red Bulls also continue their unbeaten run at home (3-0-1) in 2012.
Henry's injury was described after the game as a right hamstring strain. While he will be evaluated by doctors on Monday for a full prognosis, coach Hans Backe indicated it may take upwards of 4 weeks for recovery. Such a timeline would sideline Henry for five matches in May, including away to defending champions LA Galaxy next weekend, and away to I-95 rivals Philadelphia Union on the 13th. Despite the injury, Henry was in good spirits after the game, although he declined to speak to the media.
POST-MATCH REACTIONS
Coach Hans Backe, on the new players' performance: "I think probably Brandon Barklage is outstanding as a right fullback, not used to playing that position. Normally wide right in midfield - phenomenal defending, attacking, composed. Tyler Ruthven, also coming in from Atlanta, playing almost 100%, no mistakes. Connor Lade started very well as a left fullback, you could see in the second half when he got fatigued, some of his decision making was a little bit hectic, we lost possession very quickly on the left-hand side."
Defender Markus Holgersson, on getting the first shutout of the season: "It's always good. It's a new style you see today - we help each other, we haven't helped each other the other games, now we are much tighter to each other between me, Tyler, Brandon, and Connor."
Defender Brandon Barklage, on planning for the game: "Do what you know, and work together no matter what. That was the message all week, amongst us privately and then towards the end of the week, Hans said the same thing. Just stay together, stay together, and work for each other. I keep saying it over and over again, but those guys, we were dying for each other, to make sure we held on."
Goalkeeper Ryan Meara, on his first career shutout: "It definitely feels good. Long time coming. We really battled - every single guy on the field, and even the guys that came in, really did a great job today. Great full team performance, and I think we deserved the win."
Midfielder Dax McCarty, on the result in context of the season so far: "Well, it wouldn't be the Red Bulls if it wasn't strange, right? I think this was a game we had to win. This is a game we needed to prove to ourselves that we're going to be able to win games 1-0, 2-0. At the end of the day, we're not going to be able to win games 5-4, 6-4, 5-3, whatever. We're not going to be able to win shootouts all the time...for us, it's a confidence booster, not just because of the three points, which are huge, but because we got our first shutout of the year, kept their chances to a relative minimum - it's definitely a confidence booster."
Next Match: Saturday May 5th, 8PM ET, At LA Galaxy (TV: ESPN)
Tagged
mls
new england revolution
new york red bulls
rbny
red bulls
ryan meara
soccer
thierry henry
Dan Dickinson
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