New York Red Bulls Set for Debut at Home

After almost three months of waiting, New York Red Bulls fans will have the opportunity to reunite with their team for the first time since the loss to LA Galaxy in the 2024 MLS Cup.

This Saturday (1), the Red Bulls host Nashville SC at Sports Illustrated Stadium (formerly Red Bull Arena) at 7:30 PM for week 2 of Major League Soccer.

Coach Sandro Schwarz’s team will make its home debut after losing 1-0 to FC Cincinnati in the season opener. Meanwhile, Nashville played to a goalless draw against New England Revolution.

Schwarz has a long list of absentees for the match, as seven players are unavailable: Wiktor Bogacz, Kyle Duncan, Ronald Donkor, Adri Mehmeti, Roald Mitchell, Marcelo Morales, and Serge Ngoma are all in the club’s medical department.

This will be the seventh meeting between the two clubs. New York has the upper hand in the matchup, with two wins and four draws. The player who has scored the most goals for the Red Bulls against the Tennessee-based opponent is Brazilian forward Fábio, who netted two goals in 2021 before leaving the club at the end of that year. From the current squad, only right-back Kyle Duncan has scored against Nashville, once.

Festivities

Before the match begins, the club’s management wants to create a warm reunion between fans and players.

A limited number of LED lights will be distributed, a red carpet will bring players and fans closer together, and the 2024 Eastern Conference champions trophy will be on display as part of the Red Bulls’ plans.

“It’s great now to have this feeling with our supporters in our stadium to start now on Saturday, and we are very, very excited now to come together after a long time,” said Schwarz.

Keeping an Eye on the Danger

Sandro Schwarz knows that to secure a positive result against Nashville, his team must stop the opponent’s attacking duo, MLS veteran Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge.

Mukhtar won the league MVP award in 2022, but had a poor season two years later, scoring just nine goals. Meanwhile, Surridge found the net fifteen times.

“Hany Mukhtar also able to play between the lines. Then they have (Sam) Surridge. It’s a very good striker, and we must be ready in our defense, in our box, defending against him after crosses, especially when they attack on their right side,” said the coach.

Trust in Lewis Morgan

With a new two-year contract, forward Lewis Morgan remains a key piece in the New York Red Bulls’ attack.

The Scottish player received high praise from coach Sandro Schwarz during the pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Nashville.

Sandro highlighted Morgan’s versatility in attack, whether playing out wide on the right or in a more central role, as well as his strong relationship with the rest of the squad.

“He’s very important as well, and he can also play different positions, and as a nine, as second nine, maybe around (Eric Maxim) Choupo-Moting or Julian Hall or Wiktor Bogacz. He’s so important for us with deep runs, because he has the pace and the speed to find the right moment for these deep runs. And in this case, he’s a very important player on the field, but also how he leads the team in every training session, each training session, to communicate, to push the guys. And it’s a great guy. It’s a great guy in the locker room,” he emphasized.

Same Lineup

The New York Red Bulls lineup is not expected to change much from the one used in the 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati last week.

However, Sandro Schwarz might make two adjustments: he could start left-back Raheem Edwards instead of Omar Valencia, and he may choose Felipe Carballo in midfield instead of either Daniel Edelman or Peter Stroud.

Edelman is known for his strong defensive marking, while Stroud offers better ball progression and transitions, though he lacks notable speed.

Probable XI

Carlos Coronel; Sean Nealis, Noah Eile, Alexander Hack; Cameron Harper, Daniel Edelman, Peter Stroud, Omar Valencia; Emil Forsberg; Lewis Morgan and Eric Choupo-Moting.