We don't get to think about the Red Bulls all that often, except when we do.
Even though the New York Red Bulls are in the Eastern Conference, Saturday night's match at Q2 Stadium marks the third time the teams have played one another in five years.
In 2022, Verde lost a seven-goal thriller in Q2 Stadium, going down 4-1 before mounting a late comeback that just fell short. In 2023, Verde traveled to Jersey and drew 1-1 thanks to a Emi Rigoni own goal early in the match followed by a Sebastian Driussi goal just before halftime.
To mark the occasion, we checked in with Mark Fishkin, who goes back to the MetroStars days with the Big Apple-adjacent team. If you need a Red Bulls podcast in your life, he offers The Seeing Red Podcast; in the meantime, here are some insights as to what the reigning Eastern Conference champions (still in the U.S. Open Cup mix just like Austin, by the way) are up to.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has reached double-digit goals; what were the expectations for him going into the season, and is this surpassing them? (And can he keep this rate of scoring up?)
Choupo-Moting has been a difference maker for New York. While fans were expecting to see him play often (he appeared in every league match in the first half), they didn't expect him to play an average of 83 minutes per appearance. He could be the first 20-goal scorer the Red Bulls have had since Bradley Wright-Phillips was here. Now, with four of his ten goals coming from the spot, there's some concern, but by and large, Choupo-Moting has absolutely surpassed expectations.
People without much knowledge of the Red Bulls default to the "energy drink soccer" concept? To what degree are the Red Bulls playing that style this season (low possession, lots of pressing, lots of countering is how I read that), how are they deviating from that, and why?
New York has moved away from their traditional "energy drink soccer" style considerably under Sandro Schwarz. While, yes, the Red Bulls continue to press ferociously at times, the team is much more comfortable holding possession than any team since Jesse Marsch brought the concept to New York in 2015. Part of the reason is having a player like Emil Forsberg in the middle of the formation, who is so comfortable with the ball at his feet. The other is the maturation of so many other attacking players over time.
Last year, the Red Bulls got to MLS Cup and ran into a bit of bad luck that day. How realistic is it that they'll return, and if they do, what do you see as the keys to how they'd get through the East playoffs (and can they do it as a lower seed like they did last year)?
If New York's run from the seventh playoff spot to coming up one goal short in MLS Cup teaches anything, it's that truly anything can happen in the playoffs. The Red Bulls' defensive unit came up massive against Columbus in the first round, and goals from unexpected sources (centerbacks, central defensive midfielders) carried them to the final. Hopefully New York will be able to ride the club's best-in-MLS home form (7-1-1 in the league) to a higher seed and leverage home field, but stout goalkeeping, team defense, and veterans showing up will determine their playoff fate.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. You can comment here if you’re a subscriber, or reach out via Bluesky.
We don't get to think about the Red Bulls all that often, except when we do.
Even though the New York Red Bulls are in the Eastern Conference, Saturday night's match at Q2 Stadium marks the third time the teams have played one another in five years.
In 2022, Verde lost a seven-goal thriller in Q2 Stadium, going down 4-1 before mounting a late comeback that just fell short. In 2023, Verde traveled to Jersey and drew 1-1 thanks to a Emi Rigoni own goal early in the match followed by a Sebastian Driussi goal just before halftime.
To mark the occasion, we checked in with Mark Fishkin, who goes back to the MetroStars days with the Big Apple-adjacent team. If you need a Red Bulls podcast in your life, he offers The Seeing Red Podcast; in the meantime, here are some insights as to what the reigning Eastern Conference champions (still in the U.S. Open Cup mix just like Austin, by the way) are up to.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has reached double-digit goals; what were the expectations for him going into the season, and is this surpassing them? (And can he keep this rate of scoring up?)
Choupo-Moting has been a difference maker for New York. While fans were expecting to see him play often (he appeared in every league match in the first half), they didn't expect him to play an average of 83 minutes per appearance. He could be the first 20-goal scorer the Red Bulls have had since Bradley Wright-Phillips was here. Now, with four of his ten goals coming from the spot, there's some concern, but by and large, Choupo-Moting has absolutely surpassed expectations.
People without much knowledge of the Red Bulls default to the "energy drink soccer" concept? To what degree are the Red Bulls playing that style this season (low possession, lots of pressing, lots of countering is how I read that), how are they deviating from that, and why?
New York has moved away from their traditional "energy drink soccer" style considerably under Sandro Schwarz. While, yes, the Red Bulls continue to press ferociously at times, the team is much more comfortable holding possession than any team since Jesse Marsch brought the concept to New York in 2015. Part of the reason is having a player like Emil Forsberg in the middle of the formation, who is so comfortable with the ball at his feet. The other is the maturation of so many other attacking players over time.
Last year, the Red Bulls got to MLS Cup and ran into a bit of bad luck that day. How realistic is it that they'll return, and if they do, what do you see as the keys to how they'd get through the East playoffs (and can they do it as a lower seed like they did last year)?
If New York's run from the seventh playoff spot to coming up one goal short in MLS Cup teaches anything, it's that truly anything can happen in the playoffs. The Red Bulls' defensive unit came up massive against Columbus in the first round, and goals from unexpected sources (centerbacks, central defensive midfielders) carried them to the final. Hopefully New York will be able to ride the club's best-in-MLS home form (7-1-1 in the league) to a higher seed and leverage home field, but stout goalkeeping, team defense, and veterans showing up will determine their playoff fate.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. You can comment here if you’re a subscriber, or reach out via Bluesky.
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