Red Bull New York earned a hard-fought point on the road Saturday night, battling Seattle Sounders FC to a 0-0 draw at Lumen Field.
The result was built on a strong defensive performance from the Red Bulls, who were under pressure for much of the night but managed to keep Seattle off the scoreboard. The Sounders finished with a 20-8 advantage in total shots and put six attempts on target, but New York goalkeeper Ethan Horvath came up with several key saves to preserve the clean sheet.
Horvath finished the night with six saves, his second-most in a single match this season, while recording his second clean sheet of the campaign.
For Red Bulls head coach Michael Bradley, the performance represented an important response from his team following its previous match against Philadelphia.
“Yeah, I would say that it was a really strong response in terms of intensity, in terms of competitiveness, and in terms of commitment,” Bradley said. “We spent a lot of time this week talking about some of those things, the basic things, but ultimately the foundation for any good team.”
Playing in Seattle presents its own set of challenges, from the atmosphere at Lumen Field to the artificial turf and the quality of the Sounders. New York managed to withstand that environment and leave with a point.
“This was a real team effort and a really big step for us in the growth and maturity of this team,” Bradley said.
Seattle’s pressure made Horvath a central figure in the result. The goalkeeper was forced into six saves and helped New York remain composed when the Sounders generated opportunities around the box.
“Ethan had a really good game and so we are really happy for him,” Bradley said. “When you come here and you play against a team like Seattle in this environment, you know you are going to need some big plays from your goalkeeper and so Ethan was there for us when we needed him.”
Horvath, who was making his first club-level appearance in Seattle, credited the entire group for limiting the Sounders despite their advantage in possession and chances.
“We defended well today. We were strong on set pieces,” Horvath said. “So from a personal level, team level, yes, of course we want to win the games. But I think on a collective level, we can be very happy with tonight’s performance.”
The clean sheet was particularly meaningful for the Red Bulls after conceding several late goals throughout the season. Horvath said the team recognized the importance of finishing the match without allowing Seattle to find a breakthrough.
“I think it was really important,” Horvath said. “There’s been a handful of games where we conceded late goals this year, so I think it was really important as a team that we got the clean sheet.”
While New York was unable to find a goal of its own, the team did have opportunities to take all three points. Horvath acknowledged that converting those chances will be the next step for the Red Bulls.
“Of course, we had opportunities to win the game, and that’s the next level — that when we get those chances that we can finish them,” Horvath said.
The match also featured several significant milestones for New York. Cameron Harper made his 100th career MLS appearance after entering in the 67th minute, while newcomers David Ruiz and Devin Padelford made their Red Bulls debuts.
Ruiz entered in the 74th minute after completing just three training sessions with his new teammates, while Padelford made his debut after only one training session.
“It is a credit to their mentalities,” Bradley said. “It is a credit to coming into a new team and a new club and being ready and open to throw yourself into it.”
The Red Bulls also made MLS history with their starting lineup, which had an average age of 22 years and 24 days — the youngest starting XI in league history.
New York now sits at 7-10-6 with 27 points and will remain on the road for a matchup with LAFC at BMO Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Kickoff is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET.
After earning a clean sheet in Seattle, the Red Bulls will look to carry that defensive momentum into another difficult road test.
