10 things on New York Red Bulls

The Impact travels for a rare time this summer, as a trip to New Jersey awaits Mauro Biello’s men, this Saturday, July 29, at 7:30pm (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690). The last visit to Red Bull Arena was unforgettable for the Bleu-blanc-noir: a Nacho Piatti brace helped the visitors taste a first win on this pitch, while eliminating New York from the MLS Cup playoffs. Here are 10 things on the Red Bulls.
Context
A loss in the New York derby, on the afternoon of June 24, certainly hurt the red part of the Big Apple. The Red Bulls have bounced back since then, winning five games in a row, including two in the U.S. Open Cup, in which they will face in the semifinals a team from a lower division, either Miami FC or FC Cincinnati. The attack also woke up, scoring 12 goals in four games, lifting Jesse Marsch’s team in fifth place, three points above the red line.
Current form (across all competitions)
W-W-W-W-W-L
Head coach
Jesse Marsch (44-26-17 as Red Bulls head coach, 56-42-23 all-time) has been New York Red Bulls head coach since Jan. 7, 2015. He won the 2015 MLS Coach of the Year award after leading the club to its second-ever Supporters’ Shield and to the Eastern Conference Final. Marsch became a coach after a 14-season playing career that started with D.C. United picking him up in the third round of the 1996 MLS College Draft and ended with a trophy haul of three MLS Cups, two Supporters’ Shield and four U.S. Open Cups.
Current top scorer
Bradley Wright-Phillips (10)
Players to watch
1. Sacha Kljestan (#16) – With nine assists this term, Kljestan is in the middle of many successful attacking actions for the Red Bulls.
2. Daniel Royer (#77) – Four goals in three games for the Austrian winger. The Bulls’ new system suits him well, as he can now exploit the inside channels.
3. Felipe (#8) – Montreal supporters know what Felipe can do. With the ball, he takes risks that bear fruit. Without the ball, he is a constant, disrupting presence.
Team profile
The Red Bulls want to play in the opposition’s half. They love having the ball, even on the road. Their midfield mainstays, Kljestan, Felipe and sometimes Davis, sometimes Adams, who take McCarty’s role, enjoy moving the ball quickly with short passes, but will play a more direct ball into space. The aim is to play forward as much as possible, which can translate into costly lost balls or clear chances down the middle. This is the gamble that the Red Bulls are prepared to take. These situations can release the wingers, who enjoy cutting inside, or centre forward Wright-Philips. BWP is also useful in the air, in transition and on set plays, one of New York’s favourite weapons; they have scored more than a third of their goals on set pieces. They may be efficient down the middle, but the Red Bulls also manage to exploit the flanks. Defensively, with a new system with five defenders, they have freedom to press higher and in numbers to recover the ball as quickly as possible, while knowing they will not be too unbalanced.
In 2017 :

*Source for all data is Opta
Tactical formation
The Red Bulls have recently stored their 4-2-3-1 formation to go with five at the back and a diamond midfield. Lineup v Minnesota United FC (July 22): Robles; Muyl, Long, Perrinelle, Zizzo, Adams; Royer, Felipe, Kljestan, Davis; BWP.
Most recent games against the Impact
Blerim Dzemaili’s third game in bleu-blanc-noir was prolific for Montreal. Taking a momentarily sleeping New York defense by surprise with a quick free kick, the Impact’s attack, Dzemaili and Nacho Piatti as spearheads, accelerated to offer a scoring chance to the Swiss international, one he could not miss.
Injuries, absences and call-ups (as of July 27)
D Aurélien Collin (thigh) – questionable
D Gideon Baah (leg injury)
D Kemar Lawrence (Jamaica)
M Mike Grella (knee)
Upcoming games
New York City FC v New York Red Bulls (MLS, August 6)
New York Red Bulls v Orlando City SC (MLS, August 12)
Portland Timbers v New York Red Bulls (MLS, August 18)