Last week, this column was preoccupied with whether or not Jesse Marsch would take a chance starting one of his recently acquired attacking players. As it turned out, the New York Red Bulls head coach stuck with the front four that has largely carried the team through its more successful runs of the season to date. Gonzalo Veron and Shaun Wright-Phillips saw minutes off the bench, but were unable to turnaround a lackluster RBNY team that spent most of the game being outplayed by Chicago Fire.
Will the combination of a bad outing, short rest, and the comforts of home persuade Marsch to roll the dice on tinkering with the top end of the lineup? Unlikely, say the training ground insiders.
"Not out of the realm of possibility," says Marsch, but I'd put my money on Grella/Sam on the wings once again #RBNY https://t.co/F5VIsqSzA4
— Eric Giacometti (@Eric_Giacometti) August 28, 2025
Indeed, the story from Red Bulls' training appears to be one of defiance: Jesse is going to stick by the guys who got the team into the Eastern Conference title race and he doesn't care who knows it.
Lawrence and Perrinelle will return to the starting lineup against #DCU after missing out against #cf97 on Wedesday. #RBNY
— Eric Giacometti (@Eric_Giacometti) August 28, 2025
So the prediction this week is no surprises. Jesse said he was resting Kemar Lawrence to make sure he was ready to go against D.C. United - and so it will be. Damien Perrinelle is back from suspension and will be back in the first team. Beyond those two predictable and prudent adjustments to the team that started in Chicago, expect no changes.
