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Well, it wasn't a blown lead this time - it was something far worse. The Red Bulls dropped their fifth straight road game in a 3-0 loss to Philadelphia.
Against a team that hadn't won in their last 16 competitive games, the Red Bulls were shut out - failing to score in their third straight road game.
In the first half the first-teamers looked very similar to the secondary team that played against Sporting Kansas City: the team lost the possession battle, allowed more opposing chances early and often, and generally played down to the level of what was a struggling, 22nd-placed team.
After 75 minutes of solid defense and close calls, C.J. Sapong got one into the top left corner past Aaron Long and Luis Robles and simply went on a tear for the next few minutes, grabbing another goal moments later and then taking a penalty kick to get his hat-trick.
As was common last year, there were too many close shots that were just centimeters wide, but give a ton of credit to Andre Blake - he was the Union's MVP for the first 75 minutes making plenty of huge saves against BWP and company.
So the Red Bulls will return to Red Bull Arena on Mother's Day riding yet another losing streak.
Here are the RBNY player ratings vs Philadelphia:
Luis Robles - 5
Robles produced a Save of the Week nominee to deny C.J. Sapong, but the Union striker got his revenge.
Kemar Lawrence - 6
Aaron Long - 6
He almost redeemed himself for the mistake that opened the door for the Union's first goal, but he missed a shot an equalizer in the 78th minute, and the Union took over the game after that.
Damien Perrinelle - 5
His unintentional hand ball sealed the victory for Philadelphia.
Michael Murillo - 6
Pretty good game for Murillo all things considered. On another day, he'd have had at least one assist. Should be given a home game to show what he can do when RBNY players are able to finish their chances.
Tyler Adams - 6
Can somebody PLEASE help this man with his long ball skills?
Felipe - 5
This man needs to give the rest of the team foul-calling lessons.
Daniel Royer - 4
Sacha Kljestan - 6
When is someone going to address Kljestan's refusal to fight for a ball after he's lost it?
Alex Muyl - 4
After a 60-minute disappearing act, Muyl made the highlight reel with a bicycle kick that was easily caught by Andre Blake.
Bradley Wright-Phillips - 5
Maybe the reason BWP doesn't get more respect in the league is because he struggles to score outside the box.
Subs:
Fredrik Gulbrandsen (for Muyl) - 4
Did he even touch the ball after getting subbed in?
Mike Grella (for Royer) - 4
It's good to see Grella healthy for the first time in months, because the way the team has played on the road, they need all the attacking help they can get.
Derrick Etienne Jr (for Felipe) - n/a
With just a ten-minute cameo, Etienne barely had time to find the ball before the final whistle blew.
Heach Coach: Jesse Marsch - 4
Does Marsch's contract have a clause that prevents him from winning against Philadelphia before the Fall?
**
Ultimately, when you struggle like that against the 22nd-ranked team in the MLS table, it makes you wonder if RBNY is capable of achieving the kind of consistency needed to win silverware.