Home Opener March 15th vs. Colorado

Discussion in 'New York Red Bulls' started by Empire Supporters Club, Feb 25, 2014.

  1. Empire Supporters Club

    Feb 7, 2000
    NYC
    The following Saturday is the first home game of 2014, and we'll be celebrating that we won the Shield before the game against Colorado. Once again, our pre-game home is El Pastor Bar & Restaurant (570 Market St. Newark). Kickoff is at 4pm, but you'll want to be at the stadium early for all the pre-game festivities.

    ESC members will be receiving a separate email soon regarding the procedure to purchase single game tickets for this game. Keep an eye out for that.
     
  2. Empire Supporters Club

    Feb 7, 2000
    NYC
    Something new for 2014: our friends at The Football Factory at Legends are now running TWO buses to the game from Manhattan. The first will leave Legends 3 hours before kickoff and drop you right at El Pastor! The second will leave 90 minutes before kickoff and take you directly to the stadium. Both cost $20 and include beer on board. It's a great way to skip the usual mass transit experience and ride in comfort. Full details are
    available here:

    http://www.footballfactoryny.com/trips

    The team is also running a blanket drive to help those less fortunate. If you'd like to help out, we'll be accepting donations at El Pastor before the match. For full details, please check out the information here:

    http://ht.ly/u6uF2

    FYI, you can also purchase your tickets for the Montreal game at the ESC table.
     
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  3. johndbenjamin

    johndbenjamin Member

    Feb 25, 2012
    New Jersey
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    So, lineup thoughts, assuming nothing changes throughout the week.

    Henry-Cahill
    Convey-Luyindula-McCarty-Sam
    Miller-Olave-Armando-Eckersley
    Robles

    2 alternatives, 1) Miller out, Convey at left back and Steele in. 2) Cahill back, Luyindula out, BWP in. I say Sekagya out and would prefer Eckersley to Kimura in general, let's see what he can do.
     
  4. G Enriquez

    G Enriquez Member+

    Apr 1, 2002
    Tampa
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Any guesses on saturday's attendance?
     
  5. jtrex

    jtrex Member

    Jun 22, 2006
    Providence
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'll take it with option 1 please!
     
  6. kokoplus10

    kokoplus10 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 5, 2008
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I wouldn't change the lineup from last year any more than necessary. If anything to send the new guys a hard message that they weren't brought here as a starting 11 replacement.

    Either:

    Henry-Cahill
    Steele-Peggy-Dax-Alex/Sam
    Miller-Olave-Sekagya-Kimura
    Robles

    or

    Henry-BWP
    Steele-Cahill-Dax-Alex/Sam
    Miller-Olave-Sekagya-Kimura
    Robles

    I prefer this one with Sam and Peggy on the bench.

    I'll be there!

    When I called for tickets in the upper deck a few of the areas I wanted were already sold. So I'd guess a healthy 20k is probably in order.
     
  7. johndbenjamin

    johndbenjamin Member

    Feb 25, 2012
    New Jersey
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Interesting. I don't see it that way. I think they were absolutely brought here as quality for the starting 11, especially Eckersley and likely Armando. Convey is a little harder as he might function really well as a versatile substitute. But regardless, I feel like even with your opinion, they need playing time before we can write them off. All three are at least potentially starting 11 material, and if they are a potential upgrade, how will we know without them on the field? Maybe a compromise is in order. Put in Eckersley on the right and substitute Armando and Convey in throughout the game. See if they can fit in slowly. Thoughts?
     
  8. iced1776

    iced1776 Member+

    Dec 4, 2009
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Agree almost entirely with this one, but what's your thought behind starting Sam on the bench? I thought he was our best player not only against Vancouver, but throughout the preseason as well. For me he's earned that starting spot whether we're home or away, its his to lose. And as all of our beat writers have picked up on this week, he's got great chemistry with BWP.

    I think at this point its a toss-up whether you have Peguy in the middle and Cahill up top, or Cahill in the middle with BWP up top. But considering how atrocious Alexander was defensively against Vancouver, it'd be great to have Cahill add some grit to that area of the field.

    Use Peguy as a second half sub if we need a goal, or if we're winning then bring in some of the new guys like Convey or Eckersley to slowly integrate them into the team.
     
  9. jeremydneezy

    jeremydneezy Member

    Dec 12, 2011
    Greenville, SC
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My starting 11 would be this...
    Henry-Cahill
    Convey-Luyindula-Dax-Sam
    Miller-Olave-Sekagya-Kimura
    Robles

    I'm fine with Eckersley at RB but think that Kimura played pretty well in the preseason. That one is basically a toss up. I prefer Convey to Steele at LM for a home game. Steele is probably better defensively, but I think we need to go into every home game looking to relentlessly attack the opponent.
    I would save BWP as a potential second-half impact sub if we need a goal.
     
  10. kokoplus10

    kokoplus10 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 5, 2008
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That is probably 100% correct, but I would still send them a message. Not bench them permanently mind you, but just let them know that giving up 4 goals in unacceptable and if they are going to allow that to happen we have other guys on the team that will take their spot.

    Harsh to single guys out, but what can I say? ;)

    I think bleeding new players in slowly is a great idea when you can do it. And I think we have the depth.
     
  11. kokoplus10

    kokoplus10 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 5, 2008
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    To each his own. I also really like Sam, but I think Petke did Alexander a disservice in the last game. He spent all last year playing as a winger and now you throw him at CM for the season opener? Whaaaaa????

    I also really like having Sam on the bench in games where we should be able to control the first half no matter who we throw out there...which I think this game qualifies as. He's a DEVESTATING change of pace as a 2nd half sub. Just need to get him in early enough.

    Dax, Cahill, Peggy are the CM options. No one else.

    Sam or Alex I won't be upset with either at RM.

    Henry, BWP, or Cahill up top. No one else.

    Miller back in at LB and possibly Kimura at RB. Sekagya at CB with Olave (Convey, Armando, and Eckersley should be fine, but these guys all know each other and got us a lot of points last year).
     
  12. Rooney20

    Rooney20 Member+

    Jan 8, 2007
    New York
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There is no one else ;)
     
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  13. Metrosuccess

    Metrosuccess Member

    Jan 6, 2000
    NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I say 15K
     
  14. G Enriquez

    G Enriquez Member+

    Apr 1, 2002
    Tampa
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Really?
     
  15. metz

    metz Member

    Jan 17, 2003

    I say 20K.....The team give us a hardware and deserve to start his season at least with a 20K.....
     
  16. kokoplus10

    kokoplus10 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 5, 2008
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    [​IMG]
     
  17. Dtrip77

    Dtrip77 Member+

    Jun 10, 2009
    N NJ!!!
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Th
    I think that's a very realistic number although if the temps are good it maybe a little more.
     
  18. RevsLiverpool

    RevsLiverpool Member+

    Nov 12, 2005
    Boston
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
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  19. kokoplus10

    kokoplus10 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 5, 2008
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Low to mid 50's and 0% chance of rain. That's pretty much the best we could hope for!
     
  20. -17-

    -17- New Member

    Mar 13, 2014
    Rochester, NY
    Club:
    KS Górnik Zabrze
    That is perfect. Music to my ears!
     
  21. iced1776

    iced1776 Member+

    Dec 4, 2009
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    I gotta say, I kind of loved the weather in the home opener last year. There was something very picturesque, almost surreal about being covered by the roof but seeing the snow fall in a perfect rectangle on the field.

    But even so, I think we're all plenty sick of snow this year....
     
  22. metz

    metz Member

    Jan 17, 2003
  23. tigersoccer2005

    tigersoccer2005 Member+

    Dec 1, 2003
    North Bergen, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Do you think the result last week would have been different if Statue was still with the team?
    Over the years, I've gotten used to the idea of having an impotent offense (unfortunately), but seeing the defense leak so many goals and be so disorganized was an unpleasant surprise. Hopefully the defense will step up for the home opener.
     
  24. iced1776

    iced1776 Member+

    Dec 4, 2009
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    #25 iced1776, Mar 14, 2014
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2014
    I honestly don't think the back line, especially the center backs, were the problem last week so I'm not sure how much more Holgersson would have helped. Maybe Olave could have prevented one of the counter attacking goals with a signature miracle tackle, but it'd be nice not to have to rely on those... The problem for me was almost entirely in the midfield, where both the game plan and execution were awful.

    Vancouver already had a numbers advantage in the middle of the field with their 4-3-3 formation, and on top of that they regularly had their wingers (Teibert especially) pinch in. This left Dax and Alexander with too many guys to cover, and they weren't getting enough help from Peguy or Steele who should have been dropping into the middle. Sam was the only one who actually pinched in to help defensively, kudos to him.

    This is the chalkboard map for all of Vancouver's key passes (passes that lead to a shot), assists, and shots:

    [​IMG]

    Not a single scoring chance came from out wide, they ran right down the middle all game and we had no answer for it. It looked like we were playing with 9 men out there. Check out how many of these plays came from ~10 yards outside our own box, the area that our midfielders should have been applying pressure.

    Colorado plays a similar formation so hopefully Petke and Frasier spent a lot of time at the drawing board this week, although to be fair Vancouver's midfield is much more talented than Colorado's.
     
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