New York Red Bulls praise Gonzalo Veron after victory over New England Revolution

The New York Red Bulls escaped with all three points thanks to the late heroics of Gonzalo Veron. The Argentine scored a 90^th minute goal past Cody Cropper, handing the New England Revolution a rare home loss. After the match, captain Sacha Kljestan spoke about the moment.

Veron’s goal meant more than three points for New York. It meant a weight off his - and his teammates’ - shoulders. They not only won, but did so by scoring more than two goals for the first time this season. It does not matter that it took the entire 90 minutes to happen. The team was able to overcome a difficult first half and fight until the very end, with a player in Veron who has been fighting all season to make an impact in the team finally doing so.

Head coach Jesse Marsch also made a comment about Veron, saying,

Despite not getting much playing time, it is hard to argue that Veron is not one of the hardest working players when he is on the field. Getting his first goal of the season could not come at a better time for the Red Bulls team. The month of July is a testing one and will require all 18 players in each match to be willing and able to change the outcome. Veron just showed Marsch what he can do, so an increase in playing time could be coming his way.

Carrying this momentum into the rest of the season is just what the Red Bulls hope to do. There is still a long way to go, and Kljestan knows it is a tough road ahead.

A win is a win no matter the opponent, but getting three points away to an Eastern conference rival makes it all the sweeter. The Red Bulls still have a lot of ground to make up with just 16 matches to go, however. Eleven of those 16 come against Eastern opponents, so Kljestan and the team will need to scrape together every point they can on their way into the top six.

The match against New England could have a huge impact on the Red Bull’s season. Up until now, they have been lackluster and at times uninspired. This late victory could be just what Marsch and company ordered as they fight to finish in a playoff spot. Looking back at this match and being able to leave it all on the field for the full 90 minutes could be the difference between a regenerated, playoff bound team and a dejected, heartbroken one come October.