Harrison, NJ – Red Bull continues to struggle at Red Bull Arena, having to battle back in the second half just to earn a point. It was a tale of two halves, with Red Bull playing arguably their worst half of the season in the first 45′. While after the halftime interval, it looked like a completely new XI on the field for Troy Lesesne’s team.
Together with missing Andres Reyes (yellow card accumulation), JMi & Cory Burke (International Duty), Lesesne had some major decisions to make for his squad. Troy decided to go with Elias Manoel as the lone striker and Kyle Duncan as the left-back, hoping those changes would pay off.
Match Information
- Venue: Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey
- Competition: MLS Match Day 18
- Box Score: Red Bull 2 (4-8-6, 20 Pts) vs. Charlotte FC 2 (6-5-8, 23 Pts)
- Attendance: 12,000
Starting XI’s
Red Bull (4-2-3-1): Coronel; Duncan, Ndam, S. Nealis, Harper; Luquinhas, Amaya, Casseres Jr., Stroud, Carmona; Manoel (Head Coach – Troy Lesene)
Charlotte FC (4-3-3): Kahlina; Lindsey, Corujo, Malanda, Byrne; Bronico, Bender, Westwood; Vargas, Meram, Copetti (Head Coach – Christian Lattanzio)
Game Summary
Goals
- 13′ Ben Bender (RBNY 0 – CLT 1)
- 19′ Ben Bender (RBNY 0 – CLT 2)
- 53′ Dante Vanzeir (RBNY 1 – CLT 2)
- 58′ Cameron Harper (RBNY 2 – CLT 2)
Stats
- Possession: RBNY 58%, CLT 42%
- Shots (On Goal): RBNY 15 (6), CLT 6 (3)
- Fouls: RBNY 8, CLT 19
- Corners: RBNY 6, CLT 3
- Saves: RBNY 1, CLT 4
Discipline
- 11′ Sean Nealis (RBNY)
- 26′ Cameron Harper (RBNY)
- 43′ Guzman Corujo (CLT)
- 45+3′ Carlos Coronel (RBNY)
- 55′ Jaylin Lindsey (CLT)
- 78′ Troy Lessene (RBNY)
- 84′ Brent Bronico (CLT)
- 88′ Dante Vanzeir (RBNY)
- 89′ Nathan Byrne (CLT)
First Half
Red Bull would find themselves in a very similar position at home, down 1-0. Ben Bender would get just his second goal of the season in the 13′.
Playing from the back, Charlotte’s goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina sent a beautiful over the top of the whole Red Bull defense, straight onto the foot of Ben Bender. With his first touching, Bender made Red Bull captain Sean Nealis look foolish, touching the ball around the big center-back and slotting home a finish a couple of touches later for the 1-0 lead.
Not even six minutes later, Charlotte would double their lead, once again from the foot of Bender. Justin Meram cutting into midfield played a ball into space for Enzo Copetti, who was sneaking in behind the defense.
In a challenge with Sean Nealis inside the Red Bull box, it seemed Copetti went through Nealis to win the ball. No foul was called and the ball fell right to the foot of Bender who was able to curl his effort past a diving Carlos Cornel. VAR would deem there was no foul play on the Red Bull defender.
In his post-game press conference, Red Bull coach Troy Lesesne called the play on Nealis a “very clear foul” and said it was a very “frustrating” night but did say he needs to “not let his emotions get the better of him.”
As the clock struck 45′, controversy would strike Red Bull once again. There was a scramble for the ball in the Charlotte box, Elias Manoel would strike a shot toward goal but it hit the arm of Charlotte defender Guzman Corujo. VAR and the onfield official deemed Corujo’s arm to be in a “natural position” and only moved away from the body “after” the ball struck the arm.
You be the judge, but Red Bull entered halftime down 2-0.
Second Half
To start the half, Red Bull made dramatic changes to their setup. Troy Lessene threw on Dante Vanzeir and Daniel Edelman, switching Red Bull to its typical 4-2-2-2 formation; Frankie Amaya & Peter Stroud were replaced.
Those changes made an instant impact with Dante Vanzeir scratching a goal back for Red Bull in the 53′. Speedster Elias Manoel received the ball and with the defender on his back, turned and burst down the left wing. Head up, Manoel’s cross picked out Vanzeir who made a darting run across the box and was able to finish.
“I know he has this, like acceleration that he can use to dribble past defenders, and the moment he puts his foot on the gas I know it was my time to run in that first post,” said Vanzeir talking to the media in the locker room.
Dante continued by saying, “Of course, it’s always his decision where he was going to put the ball but I think that was the biggest percentage of where the ball should come and I think it was a perfect pass and a good finish. So yeah, back in the game”
In his media availability after the game, Maonel also talked about the goal (via translation). “This kind of play we train a lot during the training and 1v1 right. And he knew it that when he sees Dante (Vanezir) run on the first post, see if he puts that ball on that place he would score.”
Just moments later Carlos Coronel almost had a disaster as he came rushing out of his goal. Instead of booting the ball long, Carlos attempted to play the ball to an unsuspecting Daniel Edelman, and the defensive midfielder was dispossessed. Charlotte striker Enzo Copetti would go for the spectacular, trying to chip the ball from almost 40 yards. Thankfully the ball bounced just wide of the right post.
Red Bull would almost tie the game in the 56′. A direct freekick from Cristian Casseres curled off his right foot and hit just underneath the crossbar. Unfortunately for Red Bull, it didn’t go bar and in, instead Charlotte was able to clear the danger.
But Red Bull’s pressure would end up breaking the Charlotte defense in the 58′, with an equalizer from Cameron Harper. The right-back emphatically blasted a left-footed effort just inside the near post assisted by Sean Nealis to send Red Bull into bedlam.
The game settled down the next 15 minutes, but once again Red Bull was inches away from the lead. Elias Manoel went for a diving header but it was saved by Charlotte goalkeeper Kahlina; a sublime ball into the box by Omir Fernandez. If it wasn’t for a remarkable save, Red Bull undoubtedly would have three points.
Kristijan Kahlina would come up massive once again for Charlotte in the 86′, this time making a save on Fernandez. The Bronx native picked the ball out of a scramble but was denied at the near post by Kahlina.
Red Bull did have one last scare before the full-time whistle was blown. Springing onto the counterattack straightaway, Patrick Agyemang was free on goal with a majority of Red Bull players in the Charlotte box. The only defender back was Edelman, who used every bit of energy he had to try and catch the striker.
However, Agyemang cut his own angle for a shot by going too wide. The Red Bull keeper was able to get a foot on the near post shot to secure a point.
After the game, Hassan Ndam, who earned his third start of the season, talked about the character of the group.
“Our character was top class. The whole group was pushing ourselves in the field to make sure that we are coming back to the game to make sure that we are looking forward. Unfortunately, we couldn’t win the game, but everybody was on top in the second half to make sure that we had a good performance, a good mindset, and a good mentality to get something out of this game.”
BY THE NUMBERS
4: With his yellow card, head coach Troy Lesesne is one yellow card away from subsequently being suspended for yellow card accumulation.
6: Out of the 10 credited assists Red Bull has in league play this season, six of them have come from the left-back position (Tolkin 4, Duncan 2).
9: Like in the reverse fixture down in Charlotte, this game was a chippy affair, with referee Sergii Boiko producing nine yellow cards.
47: With their comeback from 2-0 down to earn at least a point ended a run of 47 straight losses when trailing by multiple goals in MLS dating back to a 3-2 win over the Fire in 2015, ending the longest active streak in MLS (stat via @OptaJack)
UP NEXT
Red Bull is right back to work this Saturday when Thiago Almada and Atlanta United come to town. In the reverse fixture, Red Bull suffered a 1-0 defeat to the “Five Stripes” via a Georgios Giakoumakis goal. Red Bull will hope things are different this time around up in Harrison NJ.
*Photo courtesy of Brandon Koodish (@bkoodsphotos)*
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