By Rudhan Mckeone
Red Bulls Secure 2-1 Victory Over Revolution at Red Bull Arena - July 8, 2023
In a thrilling Saturday night encounter at Red Bull Arena, the New York Red Bulls emerged victorious with a hard-fought 2-1 win against the New England Revolution.
The opening goal came in the 58th minute courtesy of Frankie Amaya after a masterfully delivered cross from Dante Vanzeir found Amaya's head, and he made no mistake in converting the opportunity. Reflecting on the goal, Amaya humbly remarked, "I was just in the right spot. Dante played in an amazing ball, and I just gave it my all to try to jump as high as I can and place it in a good spot, and luckily I ended up scoring." This marked Amaya's third goal in three consecutive games, a feat that hasn’t been achieved by a Red Bulls player since Bradley Wright-Phillips back in October 2014.
The game took a dramatic turn after New England's Latif Blessing was shown a red card, reducing the Revolution to ten men. The disadvantage did not deter them however, as they managed to find an answer to the visitors’ goal with an equalizer in the 76th minute. Brandon Bye's expertly placed header made its way into the back of the net, bringing the score to 1-1.
Despite the setback, the Red Bulls pressed on, and Wiki Carmona, who came on as a sub for Vanzeir, unleashed a powerful strike that took a deflection off a defender, kissed the underside of the crossbar, and found its way to the back of the net. Carmona's enthusiasm was clear in remarking: "It's such a unique feeling to do this, scoring my first goal. I hope to repeat it again." This game-winning strike was Carmona's first goal of the season, and second in his MLS career, both against New England. Omir Fernandez played a key role in Carmona's goal, providing a clinical assist, his third consecutive match with an assist, in his 100th career MLS appearance, making the moment even more special.
The Revolution thought they had secured an equalizer in stoppage time with a strike from distance from Andrew Farrell, only for the goal to be ruled offside.
Reflecting on the match, Head Coach Troy Lesesne commended his team's efforts but acknowledged that there were areas for improvement. "What I told them was, three points, a big three points tonight," Lesesne said. "But it wasn't a complete performance tonight, and that's what we were asking for in the pre-match. And I think a lot of the game, we have to say, was very good from us."
With this victory, the Red Bulls have accumulated 26 points for the season and are inching closer to securing a coveted playoff position. The team's performance at home has been exemplary, as they've amassed an impressive 443 points at home since 2010, a record that stands as the highest in MLS during that time span. Their record now stands at 107 wins, 21 draws, and 27 losses, after ending a 7-win streak for New England.
Looking ahead, the Red Bulls will face FC Cincinnati on July 12 at home. With the momentum from this victory and their strong home record, the Red Bulls hope to continue in similar fashion.
Contributed by Rudhan McKeone