CHICAGO – The New York Red Bulls (9-10-6) failed to pick up three vital points vs Chicago Fire FC (10-9-5) Saturday, getting shutout 1-0. It was New York’s second meeting with the opposing side this season following a 2-1 victory over Chicago on April 5.
Saturday’s match was particularly important for both sides given where they sat in the Eastern Conference standings coming in. The Red Bulls entered the match in ninth place with 33 points, while the Fire were one point behind in 10th place. Even with many matches still to come this season for New York, one could argue this was a must-win for them.
It was also no secret that New York had to start off strong, especially against a Chicago squad that has struggled at home this season. Between New York’s road record (1-7-4) and Chicago’s home record (2-4-4), something had to give.
Possession favored the Red Bulls, especially in the first 20 minutes at 55 percent. But make no mistake, this was Chicago’s game throughout the first frame of the contest.
Entering the match top five in Major League Soccer in goals with 44, Chicago tested New York’s backline constantly. With eight shots and four on target in the first half, the Fire wreaked havoc in the attacking-third. Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel managed to stay cool and deny numerous Chicago goal opportunities, saving three shots in the first half.
Nearing halftime, the scoreline read 1-0 Chicago after the 44th minute when they were awarded a penalty. The reason, VAR was used to see if there was a possible handball against New York defender Alexander Hack. With the penalty awarded, forward Hugo Cuypers netted his 14th goal of the season and it looked bleak for New York.
After a first half where New York struggled to create scoring opportunities against a poor Chicago defense, New York wasted no time to open the second half. With four shots from New York in the first 15 minutes of the second half, it appeared they gained some energy. Still, a strong attacking mindset from the Red Bulls showed nothing on the scoreboard.
As the second half progressed, Red Bulls manager Sandro Schwarz appeared visibly frustrated with his squad. From missed opportunities to bad giveaways, New York failed to play all together which has been emphasized aggressively from Schwarz recently.
One moment did spark hope for New York late in the match. Near the 85th minute of the match, a great tackle from Serge Ngoma in the Red Bulls’ box allowed New York to counter. Unfortunately, nothing amounted from it and the Red Bulls now find themselves 10th in the Eastern Conference standings and out of a playoff spot.
One positive thing to note from this match was the MLS debut of Rafael Mosquera. The New York Red Bulls II midfielder was added to the roster as a short-term agreement. He entered the match in the 81st minute.
New York will now pause their regular season campaign once again as Leagues Cup action gets underway for them on Thursday vs Chivas Guadalajara. Kickoff for Thursday’s match is set for 7:30 p.m. on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.
