New York Red Bulls Defeat Dallas And Now Face LA Galaxy in Semi-Finals
This was a tough test for the New York Red Bulls as it would be a single game that would determine them to advance into the Conference Semi-Finals of a goal aggregate playoff, or heading back home wondering if their season was a failure with so many chances missed.
The New York Red Bulls found a way to steal a victory to the MLS Conference Semi-Finals against FC Dallas Wednesday night after securing a 2-0 victory at Pizza Hut Park.
It started in the second half as Dax McCarty picked up a leg injury from a bad foul by Daniel Hernandez. The vilified Medhi Ballouchy would sub into the match in the 59th minute and created some magic. Rafa Marquez sent Joel Lindpere on a run and with a long shot at the top of the FC Dallas area, forced Kevin Hartman to make a save. But Dane Richards got the rebound to Ballouchy who quickly crossed it to Lindpere and finally got it underneath Hartman in the 61st minute and the Red Bulls got their one goal lead. So many times the supporters have expressed their frustrations against Ballouchy for his mediocre play, but this time he was rewarded for his hard work.
The Red Bulls were playing well and looked to be in control until a terrible tackle sent them down to ten men. In the 79th minute Jan Gunnar Solli was attacking with the ball and lost it to four defenders. He tried to regain it but sadly made a needless tackle on Daniel Hernandez from behind and was shown a straight red card.
With ten minutes left in the match it was bunker-down time for the Red Bulls and they looked confident on the ball. Just before second half stoppage time there was a head-to-head collision as Rafa Marquez and Zach Loyd accidentally met inside the Red Bulls area.
FC Dallas went down to ten men with the injury to Loyd but six minutes of stoppage time was awarded with a few extra since it took the medical staff to remove him off the field. When it got to the eighth minute Thierry Henry finally got into the mix and converted the goal.
The Red Bulls were under siege by FC Dallas during the entire first half but withheld the pressure with some strong defense. Frank Rost in goal played spectacularly for the Red Bulls as he used his height advantage on some of the rising shots that could have spelled trouble.
But the big questions for the Red Bulls in the next round are these: Who will fill in for Solli for his one game suspension, and will Luke Rodgers be available from his swollen right knee injury? All answers will come before Halloween weekend when the Red Bulls face LA Galaxy on Sunday at 3pm ET in Harrison, New Jersey (ESPN2).
17 Responses to New York Red Bulls Defeat Dallas And Now Face LA Galaxy in Semi-Finals
I’m looking forward to this series. On the play-off format debate,
maybe this wildcard round is not good. Colorado will have a small
crowd tonight, I won’t be there due to prior a commitment; the lack
of advance notice is an issue.
More soccer is better than less soccer…..always. Who cares how
many show up ? Enjoy the soccer……seriously, look at the morons
on this site. Do you really want them coming to the games anyway ?
I personally would rather have the empty seat next to me. I am not
trying to be mean or funny. I really mean it, I would rather have
the empty seat. Seattle only drew 15k for Monterrey, it was a great
game against two VERY good teams at an incredible price. If people
aren’t smart enough to know that, their loss.
“Who cares how many show up ?” yea and water down the regular
season even more? you wanna turn the regular season into a big huge
preseason? come on more soccer does not equal better soccer if it
means teams clobber each other for a 1-0 or 1-1 for no reason
because their invitation is bascially written in stone. your
arguement basically says that we should enjoy soccer merely for the
entertainment aspect BUT at the same time you rather have no body
around you watching sounders for cheap tickets than a full crowd.
is all you care about is attendance figures instead of the quality
of the league? i guess not. wildcard was a joke now i laugh at
garbage garbers face cuz his little 10 playoff format backfired and
now we have a 50% chance of the same thing happening; geographic
confused clubs. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and
expecting different results; a closed shop, nfl styled, nonsense
playoff format can only point to one thing, mediocrity. whats next,
a unbalanced schedule just so the MLS cartel can exploit “local
rivalries” (if any even exist apart from the NW, even then i think
NW rivalriy in MLS is too young to be a rivalry, noticed how i said
IN MLS not overall in its 30 + years) so that the cartel can make
more $$$. In my view, LA Galaxy are the champions, and the MLS cup
crowns the king of fools. enjoy your mediocrity.
Once again the conference system makes zero sense because now an
Eastern team will play a western conference opponent. Garber stated
last year that this new format will fix this problem and now Galaxy
and Redbulls will be flying across the country. Did Dallas not know
that MLS Cup was going on? The stands were empty!
I found myself rooting for Colorado, just so I could hear the
whiners whine……………..A 7 or 8 on the Unintentional Comedy
scale…………….They aren’t structuring it the way I
want………..boohooo……………..Obviously I would root for
Seattle over LA anyway, but lets hope it happens, so they can whine
about the 2nd best team winning the playoffs…….I am waiting for
“random”. I would have thought it would have come out 10th best
beating 3rd best……come on someone say “random” ! SAY IT !
Charles, Don Garber stated last November that these new changes to
the playoff format will fix the issue of teams playing in different
conference playoffs. Well, all the tinkering around and it produced
the same bad results. MLS FAIL. Last night’s game wasn’t even on
TV! It’s a possibility for RBNY to represent the West and Rapids to
Represent the East in MLS Cup Final. HAHAHAH. Why do you stick up
for this league and Commissioner?
I heard they were offering $6 tickets if the World Series game was
rained out which it was.
Rapids won. western conference team in eastern conference
playoffs.This league is a joke. we need a new commissioner
What is going on this post season is crazy. It would be like if the
Seahawks last year played Steelers in the playoffs.
Go Red Bulls *cringe* The MLS is dying for LA to win because they
love Donovan and they love Beckham. Squash that sucker now, New
York. They’re the worst thing about MLS and the fact that their
plastic fans aren’t bothered to fill that place up to 100%.
Thanks for stepping it up everyone, I couldn’t do it without you.
It is like you really care about the league. Funnier than
heck……………….. I couldn’t get all the way through the SFC
rant, but it was so funny at the start, you really don’t need
to…….like I said Orig Tom, the empty seat is far superior, even
intellectually to sitting next to the morons.
Charles, you’re turning into a real dick. You used to have class
agruments for the league but now you are sounding like a dick.
Whats going on man? It’s just soccer
Well I don’t want to be that, so sorry. But I am miffed that the
site was hijacked by guys that want the league to fail. Maybe a
truce. Not sure how it would look, but it has to revolve around
that facts: US Soccer will be different………..It will be fed by
college talent………….it will be broke compared to the quality
of the league………….and it will be single entity, owned by
the only rich dudes care about soccer………The playoffs will
grow in size and importance, because they want it that
way……..the parity will stay, because they want it that
way…………And lastly, you are not going to change it, nor do I
and many other want it
changed………………………………………………………I
would much rather argue about soccer, but that is not going to
happen on this site. Too many casual fans, ones that don’t follow
college, develp leagues and MLS…..on an MLS Talk site.
Bottom Line its the Playoffs, That Means best against the Best!, if
you dont like well there is that playoffless league called the
Premier League. For LA to solidify thier worth they need to win MLS
Cup, same thing for the Seattle Sounders, with their Cup win
Colorado is the defending League Champion. and New York is supposed
to have star power. So whats the problem. Not Eurosnobby enough for
ya??? well this is America you Know, where we play soccer.
God dammit! Just let everyone in! If New England beat everyone else
and strike it hot at the right time they are indeed the best of the
best! No, I’m fine with playoffs. I cannot stand this mangled mess
the MLS made for 2011. It needs to change. LA is the best team in
the league and they’re freaking playing New York in a WESTERN
semifinal? They fixed NOTHING with the wild card thing.
Yup, that’s what Garber said last year that these changes would fix
the cross over conference. I don’t mind the playoffs but just make
it a single table 1-8. two legged format and winner take all final.
It’s simple and easy to explain.
I agree with Robert. Although my next choice would be 12 teams, all
one game series. First round 12 – 9 go away to 8 – 5. 2nd round the
winner of 1st round go away to 1-4. Then semi finals, then finals.
This gives teams a distinct advantage, the higher the seed. I would
still do more to emphasize the shield winner. Ahh, I’ve started
again. This is why I was staying out of this one, Charles.