Another disappointing outing for the Red Bulls tonight, especially on the attacking end, as New York created very few chances going forward. In all fairness, this game should have been a 0-0 draw, as the Galaxy also offered very little going forward.
There’s no truth to the rumor that Abbey Okaluja will be receiving Landon Donovan’s jersey after the match. At least I don’t think so.
For a more complete match report, read the piece from ASN’s Galaxy beat reporter.
New York Player Ratings (scale of 1-10 with 10 being best):
Conway 6 – Handled crosses well, but looked very slow coming off his line at times. Really should have at least gotten close to Donovan’s penalty…he looked like he was standing in quicksand.
Goldthwaite – 7 – Another solid outing in the center of defense. Seems to have this spot locked down.
Mendes – 6 – Solid outing. A nice physical presence on the backline.
Johnson – 6 – Probably relieved he actually made it 90 minutes without seeing red. More willing to come forward than Dane Richards was willing to use him.
Pacheco – 5 – Chris Klein had his way with him tonight, and the narrow field really limited his effectiveness in distribution.
Ubiparipovich – 5 – Quiet in midfield. Combined well with Rojas.
Stammler – 6 – Always around the ball, but often a bit slow changing the point of attack. Shouldn’t be asked to do anything but break up plays, really.
Rojas – 6 – Looked very lively running with the ball, both centrally and when he moved out left. Began to play the ball quickly in midfield, and looked much more effective for it. He seems to be adjusting, and that’s an encouraging sign for New York.
Kandji – 6 -Dangerous on the ball, but spent the better part of his night helping Pacheco deal with Klein and Sean Franklin.
Richards – 4 – Was not the right fit on this narrow field with only one forward. He’s virtually invisible when not given space to work with.
Angel – 6 – At his best when he dropped in the midfield to get the ball. Looked frustrated and lacking sharpness at times. He desperately needs a 10-12 goal scorer alongside of him to help free him up in the penalty area.
Subs
Celades – 6 – Very calming presence in the midfield, but seems quite disinterested in defending or ball-winning. His class is evident, but it’s yet to be determined whether he’s a good fit for this league.Borman – 6 – Looked very lively coming off the bench. Would like to see him start as a left-sided midfielder.
Wolyniec – N/A