TORONTO, ON – Red Bull New York (2-1-1, 7 pts) survive to earn a point vs Toronto FC (1-2-1, 4 pts) on Saturday, finishing the match 1-1. Forward Eric Choupo-Moting’s late goal in stoppage time saved Red Bull from dropping two straight matches in a row.
It wasn’t pretty by all means for the visitors from Harrison. With Red Bull down 1-0 for a majority of the match, it appeared that the Toronto faithful would see a successful home opener from “The Reds.” But, on the last kick of the contest, an equalizer from one of Red Bull’s top players was the difference.
To get to a classic finish, however, let’s navigate through what was expected to be one of the best contests this weekend in Major League Soccer (MLS).
Playing in Canada’s most lively city, Red Bull were hoping to bounce back following a disappointing defeat to CF Montréal.
There were massive storylines entering the match that intrigued both fanbases and MLS fans alike. For New York head coach Michael Bradley, it was a return to the city that he called home for many years. Bradley was a star for Toronto FC during his playing days and a victory would make his return even more special.
For Toronto, Saturday was an opportunity for their star signing, United States international Josh Sargent, to make his MLS debut. To the joy of the Toronto supporters, the attacker subbed on in the 70th minute and the crowd absolutely loved it.
Early on, New York looked solid with multiple opportunities to score in the first half. Notably, midfielder Adri Mehmeti, defender Justin Che and goalkeeper Ethan Horvath played well.
Unfortunately for the visitors, Toronto were the first team to put a goal on the scoreboard. Toronto’s Dániel Sallói dashed down the pitch and off a nice pass from Djordje Mihailovic, Sallói scored in the 43rd minute to make it 1-0.
While fans once again voiced their criticism on social media, New York were on the doorsteps and close to scoring. The second half showcased that perfectly.
In the first 15 minutes of the second half, Red Bull’s designated player (DP) and captain Emil Forsberg had his moments to convert. Forsberg looked like a man on a mission throughout the second half, trying to will his club back into the contest.
All seemed lost as New York was on their way to losing their second straight match. Thankfully, one of New York’s other DPs came up big after subbing on in the 77th minute.
With one last opportunity in the final minute of the contest, Choupo-Moting scored and got Red Bull a point. After no goals from him in the opening three matches of the season, Choupo-Moting’s first of the season was a massive one.
While it wasn’t a win, it was a good result from Bradley and his club all things considered. It was another match that the squad will build on as they return to the States. For Red Bull, they’re back on the road next Saturday when they face Charlotte FC.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV.
