E. RUTHERFORD, N.J -- The pain in his hamstring is still there. That was evident in the final minutes of the match, when Juan Pablo Angel limped up and down the field. But the former Colombian international still scored the game-winning goal for the New York Red Bulls in a 1-0 victory against Chivas USA Thursday night at Giants Stadium.
Angel scored with a quarter-hour left in the match, heading Dane Richards' cross past Brad Guzan from 11 yards out for his second goal of the year. Richards, whose pace down the right flank was one of the Red Bulls' lone effective threats going forward, found space on the right side of the box and sent an effective cross just inside the penalty spot.
That's where an unmarked Angel headed the ball into the net, ending the Red Bulls' three-game winless streak.
Chivas USA came into the Meadowlands having won three games in a row, but lost its first game since dropping a 2-1 decision against New England on May 11.
Jozy Altidore, whose pending transfer to Villarreal in Spain's La Liga was the topic of conversation around MLS, did not play against Chivas. The 18-year-old phenom, who addressed the media before the match, suffered a left ankle contusion in training Monday and didn't practice the rest of the week.
Also missing the match for the Red Bulls was Claudio Reyna, who was diagnosed with a herniated disc in his back in a Monday MRI.
Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio went with a 4-5-1 formation, using Angel as a lone striker.
The best scoring chances for the Red Bulls in a rather lackluster first half came from the speed of Danleigh Borman and Richards on the flanks. In the 21st minute, Borman found Richards down the right and the second-year midfielder ran at Francisco Mendoza. Richards danced around the converted Chivas fullback, but his low shot rolled wide of the far post.
In the final minute of the first half, Richards' cross from the right was pushed away by Guzan, whose flight didn't land at Newark International Airport until 2 p.m., got a hand on the ball and was able to tap it away from an onrushing Borman before finally corralling it just inside the penalty area.
Guzan didn't need to make his first save until the 63rd minute, on a long distance bouncing attempt by Borman.
Preki went with the same starting lineup for a third consecutive game after switching the starting XI up in each of the first nine games, but the Red-and-White struggled going forward.
Chivas, which had more cautions (two) than scoring chances in the first half, did nearly strike in first-half stoppage time. Off a deep throw-in, Jesse Marsch touched the ball to a striding Sacha Kljestan, who ran in on goal, but Jon Conway came off his line to make the save and the ball bounced off of Kljestan out of touch for a goal kick.
Preki made the first change of the game in the 59th minute, bringing on the second all-time leading scorer in MLS in Ante Razov, for Jorge Flores. Seven minutes later Anthony Hamilton came on, replacing Justin Braun.
In the 70th minute, Razov found a bit of space, but blasted his shot from distance well over the crossbar. In the 83rd minute, Atiba Harris cut inside of Kevin Goldthwaite, but his shot from 16 yards out was saved by Jon Conway, who made four saves to earn his third clean sheet of the year.
Osorio brought on John Wolyniec for Mike Magee in the 65th minute for his first change of the game. Less than two minutes after entering the match, the veteran forward had a scoring chance, sent into the box on a Dave van den Bergh header. But the ball was well wide of the net.
Osorio brought on Luke Sassano for Borman in the 77th minute for defensive cover and then Carlos Mendes came in for Richards in the second minute of second-half stoppage time for the Red Bulls' final substitution.
The win was big for the Red Bulls, considering they're next two matches -- at D.C. United and at New England -- are in stadiums where they've struggled mightily over the years.
No comments:
Post a Comment