As the New York Red Bulls head into a pivotal stretch of their season, one area needs to be a focal point for them. Since their August 16 matchup against the Philadelphia Union, their work in the attacking-third has been lackluster at the best. Outside of a Dylan Nealis goal vs the Union, the Red Bulls were unable to find the back of the net in their past two matches.
Now, the issue isn’t necessarily their ability to create chances as fans saw New York blast 14 shots vs Charlotte FC on August 24. Rather, it’s been their trouble scoring on those opportunities, which has resulted in them not earning the results they have hoped for. Looking at that same week vs the Union, they scored two goals twice in their two other matches, one being their U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals match.
For some reason, their attack has stifled these past two contests and that’s not what fans want to see late in the season. For the Red Bulls especially, they don’t want to see that occur as they make a playoff push.
It’s rather strange to see the offense be in neutral mode right now because they have the pieces to score. Look no further than forward Eric Choupo-Moting, who is top 10 in Major League Soccer (MLS) in goals scored with 15. However, Choupo-Moting has not scored any goals in the past three matches for New York, which is not a great sign.
So for the next month of competition, how do the Red Bulls get back on track in the scoring department?
Let’s start with being optimistic for a second and discuss the potential return of midfielder Lewis Morgan. Amidst an injury-riddled season, Morgan was supposed to be another option for this Red Bulls attack this season. But with a potential return in sight, New York is hoping they can make the most out of him to end the season.
In 2024, Morgan scored 13 goals, rewarding him with the MLS Comeback Player of the Year award. While he certainly won’t reach those numbers this season, a healthy Morgan will still help a Red Bulls squad that is pushing for postseason soccer.
In the same position group, how does the captain Emil Forsberg get it going again? Forsberg has been great all season with his goal scoring and playmaking ability. Without him, where would New York be this season?
But since his heroic game-winning free kick vs Chivas de Guadalajara and his penalty goal in the penalty shootout vs FC Juárez, he hasn’t scored a goal. That drought should end sometime in the next five matches because when Forsberg is clicking, he’s hard to defend. Knowing his great IQ for the game, he should be able to figure his situation out.
It should be noted though that he generated two assists in August so he’s still able to create chances for others.
With the international break taking place this week, it will allow players to regroup and readjust to what manager Sandro Schwarz wants to implement. For a new player like midfielder Gustav Berggren, the more training he receives, the more he’ll feel confident to aid New York’s offense.
What about the younger players on the roster? Think of a Julian Hall, a Daniel Edelman, a Wiki Carmona, or a Mohammed Sofo. Who in particular will step up vs clubs like the Portland Timbers or FC Cincinnati in these final five matches?
Sofo is interesting to note because he had a strong month of May as he scored six goals in all competitions. But since New York’s visit to Toronto FC on June 25, Sofo has had no goals or assists. Will he find that spark again or will he miss his mark to conclude the season?
For a team that’s in the top-half of the league in goals scored, September and October will be prime opportunities for New York to finish strong. If they get it going, their percentage to make the postseason will be good.
