Recap Radio: getting one over your brother

The New York Red Bulls traveled to Subaru Park in a top-of-the-conference showdown. The home of the Philadelphia Union has been a tough destination for RBNY in the past. Can they do it on a rainy night in Chester?

What if I’m far from home?

Markedly better on the road than at home, RBNY were ready to break that away win record. The Union, often the only team to decode New York in games past, came at them with everything they had. Both sides created chances and quashed attacks. New York goalkeeper Carlos Coronel and Philly ‘keeper Andre Blake met their respective challenges, keeping clean sheets throughout the first half.

Do you still believe in one another?

The New York midfield was clicking throughout the first half. Frankie Amaya, Omir Fernandez, and John Tolkin pushed the ball up the pitch. But when they tried to thread the ball through the Philadelphia defense, there was no connection up top. Patryk Klimala made way for Cameron Harper for the second half. Tom Barlow was replaced by Zach Ryan late in the match. With his debut goal in the Open Cup days prior, manager Gerhard Struber was looking for some more magic.

If the sky comes falling down

It’s almost like there’s a script: New York and Philly start out in a stalemate; both sides get chippy; players get hurt; cards start flying and overall chaos reigns. Early in the 2nd half, Dániel Gazdag opened the scoring for the Union (47’). A stomped ankle resulted in a 2nd yellow for RBNY defender Dylan Nealis and a sending off (55’). But Lucas ‘Luquinhas’ Linares, with a chip over Blake, leveled the match in the 66th minute. Although Philly thought they edged out their guests, the new centralized VAR facility in Atlanta pointed out scorer Julián Carranza was, in fact, offside. While both sides battled it out to the end of seven minutes of stoppage time, the game ended with shared points.

Oh brother, I will hear you call

There was however, a significant change in the Eastern Conference standings: Club de Foot Montreal ended the day in the top spot, thanks to a +3 goal differential. The Red Bulls return home for a midweek rematch against the Chicago Fire. Can they finally turn things around in Harrison? There’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do to see a positive result.