2015 New York Red Bulls Report Card: Anatole Abang

Anatole Abang isn't a household name for the New York Red Bulls, but he's a promising prospect for the future of the forward position on this team. 2015 was a fairly quiet year as he mostly sat in support of Bradley Wright-Phillips. He is a spark plug though. His six goals aren't a lot, but some of them were big, including his last which gave the Red Bulls hope against Columbus Crew SC in the playoffs.

Player Stats:

21 Appearances

5 Games Started

569 Minutes Played

6 Goals

1 Assists

Player Grade: B

Things done well:

Abang is a target striker, something that was missing for the most part this year. Wright-Phillips could be that, but with how he was used, Abang was a better option when he was on the field. He also brought a lot of energy to the side, and that was the easiest to observe in the playoffs when him and Gonzalo Veron breathed some life into the Red Bulls' attack. He should get more playing time this year as his youth and stamina would be better suited for the high press style the team has adopted.

Things done poorly:

Honestly, it's hard to think of things Abang has done poorly this year, mostly because he was used sparingly. He did have a problem with being in an offside position too much, which kills a lot of attacks. However, that's how a target striker should play, riding that line as much as possible. The offside issue will get better as he gets more playing time. The B grade reflects his early appearances where he didn't have much of an impact.