July 13, 2013: Red Bulls 4, Montreal Impact 0
The Red Bulls were floundering a bit -- 1-3-1 in their last five -- and really needed a win to get back on track. And they did just that Saturday night.
The Red Bulls didn't just beat the Impact, they annihilated them. They pressured the Montreal midfield, they were creative in the final third, they finished their chances. It was their best performance of the year and one that could get them back on track in a jam-packed East and league.
It's important not to downplay that last bit, either. No one seems to want to hold onto the Supporters' Shield lead or the conference lead. If the Red Bulls build on this performance -- and that's a big if, they tend not to do that -- they could climb the standings, with games left against nearly every team ahead of them.
Positives
- That was easily Eric Alexander's best performance of the year. To me, he was the man of the match.
- One thing I noticed right off the bat: Instead of getting frustrated late and dropping back to create chances, Thierry Henry did that right from the start.
- The defense didn't have a lot to do last night, but when they needed to, Jamison Olave, Brandon Barklage, Kosuke Kimura and Markus Holgersson stepped up and shut the Impact down.
- Congratulations Michael Bustamante, for making your MLS debut.
- Peguy Luyindula must feel good, getting that monkey off his back, converting a late game penalty.
- I don't think there was one player who had a bad game last night.
Negatives
- None...
Notable Quotes
Mike Petke, via Empire of Soccer...
"It was a great result for us ... I thought they, especially the first half, they executed almost everything we wanted in the video, pregame. Second half, as usual with most teams, (Montreal) comes out energized as they are down. I am sure the coach really gave it to them at half-time. They came at us a bit but we weathered the storm and got back to the way we were in the first half as the second half went on, finished the game strong."
Henry, via the New York Post...
"It is a team effort, and you need everyone involved: That was the message when I got the ball ... It's always better when you have a guy (Luyindula) who can be free in his mind, not thinking about goals. That was it. I was happy he scored. I think the whole squad and whole stadium a happy that he scored. That was it. If we can win games and get everyone involved, it is a team effort, that was just that."
Relevant Statistics
| Red Bulls | Statistic | Impact |
| 11 | Attempts on Goal | 8 |
| 5 | Corners | 4 |
| 16 | Fouls | 9 |
| 14 | Crosses | 7 |
| 80% | Passing Accuracy | 82% |
| 48.7% | Possession | 51.3% |