Red Bull has hit their first wall of the 2022 season, getting its first taste of adversity of the early season. Other than their victory against DC United in the US Open Cup, Red Bull is winless in the month of May in MLS play.
Since the comeback on the road in Chicago, when Patryk Klimala came off the bench to score a brace in the pouring rain, Red Bull has looked a little tired and mentally exhausted after playing five games in the last three weeks.
Coming off a disappointing 3-3 draw at home to last-place Chicago with a late 90’+ equalizer from Klimala the Red Bulls traveled down to a struggling Miami team who were also winless in their last four MLS games.
Here’s how Gerhard Struber’s men lined up against David Beckham’s Inter Miami.
Lewis Morgan & Dylan Nealis were both back in Miami for the first time as both started their MLS careers down in Miami. But this would not be a grand time for any player wearing red Sunday night.
Red Bull actually started the game very nicely in the first 20’ and was on the front foot from the get-go as it looked like NY was going to run Miami out of their own building.
Morgan had a chance to score on his former employer and rub some salt in the wound after being traded to NY in the offseason but just could not bend the ball inside the near post.
But the biggest miss of the night that would come back to bite Red Bull was when Omir Fernandez sent Klimala through on goal 1v1 in the 22’.
On the TV broadcast, Shep Messing suggested that the Pole should have squared it over to Cristian Casseres Jr for a top in. But Casseres is way too wide and the defender running back could potentially intercept the ball and clear the danger. So a shot on goal was the right action for Klimala.
Unfortunately for Klimala, he shot it right at the Miami GK and the danger was averted. Patryk tried to curl it round the keeper but did not get the height or power right on the shot as it hit Drake Callender in the arm.
From there on, Miami would take over the game as it seems like the wind left the sails of all the Red Bull players.
Just seven minutes later in the 29’, Ariel Lassiter, son of Tampa Bay Mutiny legend Roy Lassiter, would put Miami ahead off a deflected shot off Sean Nealis knee that beat Ryan Meara, who was starting in place of Carlos Coronel as the Brazilian was sick.
For the rest of the first half and much of the second half, Red Bull struggled to create anything offensive apart from a Cameron Harper sharp angle shot (58’) & a Frankie Amaya laser from just outside the box (70’).
Miami on the other hand looked dangerous on the counterattack coming awfully close to scoring multiple times before Robert Taylor scored the dagger in the 88’ to hand Red Bull their first loss on the road this season. It was just not going to be NY’s night any way you looked at it.
Gerhard Struber post-game was not too happy with his team’s performance, saying in simple terms they were not ready for the fight against Miami.
“The preparation of this game day was very good, but I think after 15 to 20 minutes we lose our aggression & our intensity. I think, yeah, we had a long time, a big fight but we were not always ready for first duels, for second balls, we were sometimes too slow in the brain and also from the physical side, I cannot see freshness in some moments to come in a better situation, but in the end, I think we do not deserve today a point.”
Speaking about their midweek game in the US Open Cup against Charlotte, Struber was adamite that they will be going for the win with a very strong lineup. “Yeah, I think we are looking forward and of course, the game the chance to come in the next round in the Open Cup is sexy, and we will invest everything.”
Sean Nealis seemed to not take the loss very well, but who would? “Honestly, we are just pissed off with this result. I mean what we did in the past was great, but we want to look forward and obviously, very disappointed in ourselves tonight. We kind of let ourselves down tonight, let the fans down, and we are very pissed off with the result we kind of put out there and I think we will change that on Wednesday.”
Looking forward to Wednesday’s match like his manager, Nealis and the boys aim to regroup as they look to make a run in the Open Cup.
“I think everyone is going to look in the mirror and kind of check themselves and see what they can do better then, as you say, going into Wednesday, we are going to prepare very diligently for Charlotte. I’ve watched a lot of video, I think we will have some guys that were resting, who will be available on Wednesday, who will be at their best, at their fullest. I think we will just regroup, restabilize, and kind of gather ourselves and mentally kind of get all there for Wednesday. That is, like you said, it is something that we want to hold that trophy at the end, and it will be an important result for us, and I think it starts Wednesday.”
As mentioned before, Red Bull will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on Charlotte FC in the US Open Cup round of 16 at 8:00 pm on ESPN+, as they look to advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament for just the 10th time in club history.
In MLS play, Red Bull is back home Saturday night against archrival DC United in their last game before the international break. DC is off to a cold start to begin 2022 sitting in 11th place in the Eastern Conference but have picked up 5 points in their last four games.
Maybe the NY-DC Derby is just what Red Bull needs to wake them up at home and they can get their first win at RBA and send the fans home happy with bragging rights.
Match Stats
Final Score: NY 0, MIA 2
Possession: NY 54%, MIA 46%
Shots (On Goal): NY 15 (4), MIA 11 (5)
Fouls: NY 13, MIA 10
Corners: NY 10, MIA 8
Saves: NY 2, MIA 4
Next Game: May 28th, vs DC United 7:00 PM EST