After a two game home stand, New York heads back on the road Saturday looking for their first points on the road in the 2012 MLS season. A team who hasn’t lost at home and a team who hasn’t lost to New York since Hans Backe took over will test the mettle of New York. The Columbus Crew, having a game in hand, is level with New York in the standings. The Crews offense, however, hasn’t been firing on all cylinders a la New York’s.
The Red Bulls go back on the road after two impressive home wins, in where they scored nine goals and only conceded three. The Crew’s only home game was a 2-0 win over Montreal. NY has lost both of its home games, 2-1 and 2-0 to FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake.
New York will have to scrap out a result with two of their more influential players. Defender Wilman Conde (groin) and midfielder Teemu Tainio (knee) did not make the trip to face the Crew. Tainio is missing his second game of the season after sitting out the game against Colorado. Against the Impact, Tainio came on for an injured Rafa Marquez and was an anchor in front of the center backs. Ouside of a few plays, NY has been a completely different team on the backline with Wilam Conde. Before the season, fans and reporters a like wondered if Conde would find his old form on his return to MLS. It’s safe to say that he has. With a rookie keeper, Conde has rallied the backline and has provided presence for Holgersson. Stephen Keel will most likely fill in for Conde and Rafa Marquez seems to have recovered from his injury to take the holding midfield role.
New York’s attack may look a bit different as well. Henry and Cooper, the top two scorer’s in the league, will likely start up top again. Dax McCarty will step into central midfield and play his box-to-box role while Richards will likely start on the right hand side. The question comes in at left midfield, where Estonian Joel Lindpere has had a slow start to his season. Hans Backe midweek had talked about needing more production from his wingers in Lindpere and Richards. To me, Richards has been a part of the attack in most games andNY has been dangerous from the right. Henry and even Roy Miller have been dangerous from the left but not Lindpere. He seems to be a step slower since the start of the season and has been subbed in all but one game. Mehdi Ballouchy has been playing with the first tea in practice and looked sharp on the wing all week.
The key matchup will be Thierry Henry against the Crew backline. The Crew has only allowed two goals in three games, both goals coming at Colorado. Columbus has limited its opponent’s chances on net. Chad Marhsall anchors the backline and backup keeper Andy Gruenebaum has done well to fill the void left by an injured Will Hesmer. Marshall will have his hands full with the likes of Kenny Cooper and Thierry Henry, though.
No doubts about it that the Red Bulls faced a weaker Colorado side and an expansion team at home, but their offense exploded in those two games. The Crew faced both of those teams and only scored two goals while conceding two goals. NY had to travel away to Salt Lake and Dallas while the Crew had to face a Toronto side that cannot find its feet on the weekend. The match today is not only a big test for the Red Bulls but for the Crew as well. Riding two consecutive player of the week awards and the first player of the month award, Thierry Henry is currently firing on all cylinders and then some. Look for the Red Bulls to pick up their first road points in Columbus against their Eastern conference foes.
(image courtesy of newyorkredbulls.com)
