The Red Bulls head to Texas to take on FC Dallas

All streaks have to come to an end at some point. Unfortunately for the Red Bulls, their win streak stopped after just two matches. A disappointing 2-1 loss to the Montreal Impact had its early positives, but ended up being a poor result overall.

Aaron Long scored the lone goal for the Red Bulls in the 36th minute. A beautiful set piece delivery by Marc Rzatkowski found Long wide open just a few yards from goal. Just minutes later, debutant Tom Barlow had his shot saved by Evan Bush on what looked like a sure goal.

Unfortunately for Barlow, that was not the end to his forgettable night. A set piece in the 64th minute was deflected in off Zakaria Diallo, who Barlow was poorly marking. Maximiliano Urruti notched the assist, and about 15 minutes later found himself taking a penalty kick.

The penalty call was seen as quite the controversial call, with MSG announcer Shep Messing disagreeing quite adamantly with the referee. Aaron Long went shoulder to shoulder with forward Anthony Jackson-Hamel, but referee Alex Chilowicz was quick to point to the spot.

Ex-FC Dallas forward Urruti slotted home the penalty, giving his team the lead and ultimately winning them the match. It was a tough one for the Red Bulls, who now have to travel to face Urruti’s old team for an afternoon matchup.

FC Dallas has started the year well, winning half of their matches so far. They sit in 5th place and are just one win away from jumping up to 3rd. Their recent form has been a bit troubling, as they are winless in their last two.

A 0-0 home draw against the San Jose Earthquakes was followed by a 2-1 loss in the Texas derby against the Houston Dynamo, who are in fantastic form. Forward Michel Barrios has been one of the outstanding performers for FC Dallas, though, as he looks to continue to add to his assist tally.

The Colombian has tallied five assists already this season, one of which came against the Dynamo last week. His two early season goals put him at the top of the list in terms of contributions for his team, while defender Reto Ziegler and fellow Colombian Jesus Ferreira lead the team with three goals each.

Dallas has favored a 433 formation this year, sometimes lining up in a 4231 at the start that morphs into a 433 in attack. The team is filled with pacey wingers and a trio of dangerous Colombian attackers, with Dominique Badji adding an aerial threat if needed.

FC Dallas rarely drops points at home, so the match against the Earthquakes needs to be looked at as a fluke. The Red Bulls know the advantage of playing at home, but FC Dallas have absolutely locked down Toyota Stadium as a fortress for their side.

The Red Bulls have not lost to FC Dallas since 2012, winning four of the last six matches. Last season saw a first half Daniel Royer red card followed up with two more goals by the Red Bulls on their way to a resounding 3-0 victory. All three goals came before the 50th minute, which is a trend the team needs to return to.

During the last few seasons, the Red Bulls were feared for their energetic, hot out of the gate starts. They were seen scored multiple first half goals, sometimes even three before half time. This allowed the team to see out the second half and play more counter attacking football.

The last three weeks have seen a return to the first half goals which eluded the team at the start of the season. Armas needs to continue his recent success with the team despite the loss midweek.

A five at the back system seems to be Armas’ new go to, but it only works if all five defenders work as a unit. The holes in defense lead to avoidable goals that simply should not happen in the system the Red Bulls are set up in.

This is the Red Bulls third match in a week, so expect a bit of rotation from Armas. Kaku should see a return to the starting XI despite his shambolic performance against the Impact. Youngster Mathias Jorgensen could also see another start as BWP continues to regain fitness.

FC Dallas is always a tough match in Frisco, Texas. The Red Bulls should be more than happy with a point, especially with the way their season has gone thus far. There are still plenty of weeks left in the season, but the team is slipping quite far down the table, which not supporter wants to see.