Red Bulls looking to make an Impact against Montreal

At the RBNY Training Facility on Thursday, July 27, attention was diverted from the New York Red Bulls’ preparations for their next game by the announcement of a new signing. Panamanian defender Fidel Escobar Just as I was typing this preview article on the upcoming match against the Montreal Impact, the Red Bulls informed the Media that Fidel Escobar signed to an 18 month loan deal and also received his P1 Visa.

“We are excited and we’ve been tracking him for a while and then during the Gold Cup we were able to spend a little more time to know him and then I think it became clear it was going to be a good fit.” said Jesse Marsch, “He has to acclimate himself to our environment, learn English and being in the USA, but we think he is a very talented center back that plays the way we like to play and has a potential to fit within our system here.”

This turnaround for the Red Bulls has been going very well since they played three sides in two different competitions in both league play and the US Open Cup has started to spur them into being the club of old.

Going four wins a loss and a draw which lead to a penalty kick shootout win over the Philadelphia Union, the Red Bulls have scored sixteen goals and allowed six in the last eight matches. So while the Red Bulls are getting results the goal scoring machine started to pour in on the road at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, July 5th.

“We are in a good way right now and this is why it’s so important that we don’t look past anyone right now.” said Luis Robles, “Yes when you look at some of the games we have played, we are more familiar with the opponent that you have played back to back there’s an added level of intensity and emotion involved where as playing against Montreal it’s been forever since the last time we played them,.”

That is a tremendous turn around after a few starts and slumps in this season where you though things might be going wrong and then they turn it up at the right time. But now they have an opponent that is coming to Red Bull Arena who haven’t won there in the regular season since coming to MLS.

The Montreal Impact who are currently ninth in the east and well below the playoff red line is having a tough time trying to get things going, but are celebrating the play of goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, Defender Patrice Bernier & attacking midfielder Anthony Jackson-Hamel who did well for Canada in this past Gold Cup.

“We got to come out with the right mentality and the mentality has been great the past six to eight weeks and we’ve gotten to pile on to some of these results.” said Sacha Kljestan, “It has been important to move us forward on this season, coming up against a team that is not in a playoff position but on the hunt is experienced and savy, we can’t come out with complacency.”

Kemar Lawrence who will serve his one match suspension this Saturday on yellow card accumulation after returning from Gold Cup duty against Jamaica and with his free kick winner against Mexico in the semi-finals, it looks like Marsch has a third option on who takes set pieces outside of Kljestan and Felipe.

“I joked with some of the guys that their jobs on set pieces are in jeopardy, but I spoke to him last night and he was disappointed but proud of his team and his performance.” said Marsch, “We’re proud of him of course, but he will be suspended for our game and then after that he will be back at training ready to go.”

This is a very important match in league play as the Red Bulls need to get three points and climb the Eastern Conference Table, Of course the match earlier in the day between Orlando City & Atlanta United will see if the Red Bulls can put a big or remain at a short distance before facing NYCFC and Orlando City next week.