Red Bulls get olimpico-ed by Medunjanin

Just when you thought the Red Bulls were going to try and add on to their big victory on the road at D.C. United, they dropped a 1-0 to FC Cincinnati to another second half sucker punch.

In the 85th minute, Cincinnati earned a corner and the Red Bulls defended their area, with goalkeeper David Jensen a step or two from his goal line. FCC midfielder Haris Medunjanin whipped a high ball towards the back post that banged the inside of the post and went in. Jensen and his defensive unit were left dumbfounded and disappointed to see another possible result slip through their fingers.

The last time an olimpico was scored at Red Bull Arena, you have to go back to 2012 when Thierry Henry famously caught the Columbus Crew napping. The 2020 Red Bulls were attacking all game long Saturday night, but their long-term issues once again popped up as they failed to get consistent shots on frame or force the goalkeeper into tough saves

“Obviously disappointed with the result but took away a lot of positives tonight. Saw a lot of belief in the players, saw a lot of energy with the players, the first 15, 20 minutes, took us a while to find out the kind of game that they were going to put us in, and we expected that when we saw Vasquez up top with Locadia, so we knew it was going to be more direct, second balls, Kubo picking up the ball underneath. It took us a while to get used to that, we got a grip on the game towards the end of the first half and things started to look the way we wanted to” said interim manager Bradley Carnell.

“We turned over a bunch of balls, on our pressing moments and realizing the pressing triggers, dictated the play that way. And again, the message was at halftime, ‘keep doing pretty much the same as the last 10 minutes of the first half.’

“As the game goes on, we said it was going to be tight, we said it was going to be a game divided on margins and no cause to panic, no cause to pull the panic button just yet and then they score a worldie of a goal of which they have no influence in.”

“It wasn’t Kendall Waston crashing in on the box, we dictated that, we put it on our terms for all the set pieces we faced on the night, and unfortunately, as per the picture, it’s probably fitting for the last couple of weeks, that one goes in. Leaves me thinking ‘what do we have to do to score?’ but we keep going.“

There were some positives on the night as David Jensen took over for the injured Ryan Meara and had himself a good match. In the 20th minute he was hung out to dry as Jurgen Locadia raced in on goal but made a huge deflection. Again in the 72nd minute, Jensen came up big with a left-footed save as he stopped the attack by Cincy.

But unfortunately, the corner kick lightning bolt by Medunjanin that blazed over Jensen and his defenders was decisive and the full three points went to FC Cincinnati as they earned their first ever win at Red Bull Arena. In two matches against RBNY, Jaap Stam has earned two victories. Though the Red Bulls remain in a lame duck period under an interim coach, they will hope to attain more consistent form with quick turnaround as the team meets Inter Miami for the first time Wednesday night in South Florida.