Red Bull Just A Bit Off In Home Opener at RBA; Drop Their First Game Off The Season 1-0 to Minnesota

Unfortunately for Metro fans, the Red Bulls hot start to the season came to a pittering end, as NY drops their home opener at Red Bull Arena to Minnesota United 1-0 in devastating fashion.

Minnesota was coming into Sunday night’s clash down three starters with LB Bakaye Dibassy, RB Oniel Fisher & starting GK Tyler Miller out with injuries.

That meant Dayne St. Clair would step in between the pipes for the Loons and boy did he step up in a big way. It was the first start for the Canadian goalkeeper since, checks notes, May 9th, 2021.

We start in the 6’, where Lewis Morgan whipped in a ball from the right side that Patryk Klimala almost volleyed home by Klimala at the near post, just missing, as it was on the outside of the post.

Not two minutes later, Morgan let off an absolute rocket from around 25 yards out, which St. Clair was able to just tip just wide for a corner.

Big save by Dayne St. Clair off a wicked shot from Lewis Morgan

But then the Red Bulls got a lifeline after VAR awarded a penalty in the 11’ for a handball in the box.

The Polish ST is once again the spot-kick taker for Red Bull, and he looked for his second goal of the campaign. Except St. Clair had other ideas and as Klimala went right, St. Clair also went right, making the save, keeping the game all square.

This would come back to haunt Red Bull for the rest of the game.

When asked by the media if that missed penalty negatively affected the game for Red Bull manager Gerhard Struber gave a firm “NO”, and went on to say, “we had enough chances to win this game”.

Dayne St. Clair after saving Patryk Klimala's penalty in the 15'

And he was right because when you look at the final stats, they had eight shots on target out of their 19 total shots. They just so happened to face a goalkeeper that stood on his head to earn himself MOTM.

They would have one more chance in the first 45’ as Morgan beat his defender and blasted one from the right of the box aimed for the far corner but St. Clair made another stop.

After both teams came out of the locker rooms, Red Bull had a MASSIVE chance for the opening goal as Klimala crossed the ball into the path of Omir Fernandez.

Fernandez, from about five yards out, tried to redirect the ball into the far corner but St. Clair just about got his toe on it as it rolled just outside the post.

Red Bulls captain Aaron Long was frustrated with how Red Bull could not find the net but gave the Minnesota keeper his props. “Have to tip your cap to him, but one of us needs to find the back off the net”.

And for all the chances Red Bull had in the game, Minnesota would open the scoring off a hopeless second ball that was just crossed in after a corner and Minnesota ST Luis Amarilla volleyed it home in the 51’ to make it 1-0 just like that.

For the next 40 minutes, Red Bull had all the possession and was creating chances, but they were not creating anything too dangerous.

In the 81’, the home fans got to witness the debut of big offseason signing Luquinhas. The Brazilian, even in only 10’ of game time, showed why Red Bull bought him from Legia Warsaw for $3.50M. He is very quick on the ball and will be a great weapon in the final third for NY, but just not in this game.

The last significant play to happen in the game was ANOTHER handball in the box for Minnesota around the 83’. This time it was missed by both the official (who missed the first one as well) & the VAR official.

Do you think this handball warranted a penalty?

https://twitter.com/NewYorkRedBulls/status/1503175682024742914

YES is obviously the right answer

Struber was angry and visibly frustrated with the officials in the game on the sideline, along with the other members of the coaching staff.

“It’s crazy to accept that” “What’s going on?” Struber said about the questionable non-calls that did not go Red Bulls way, including the handball that could have led to a late equalizer.

All in all, it was a very poor game from the officials, but that does not take away from the fact that Red Bull blew away their chances in the final third.

Long after the game was asked what “the message after the game” was in the locker room as Red Bull looks to rebound at home against Columbus.

“More than anything it’s a test of our mentality. How are we going to respond to this? We could be down on ourselves and say we did not deserve the loss, we could have done better, we could have gotten a penalty at the end, whatever it is.”

Long continued by saying “We can play the victim, or we can say we need to be better, finish our chances & get a shutout at home. We have to make it up in the next game. So yeah, it is just a test of our mentality and how we’re going to come out next week”

https://twitter.com/pvtmcbain/status/1503264789996486657

For Gerhard Struber's full post-game presser, click here

Struber was also full of praise for St. Clair after the game but ultimately said it was Red Bulls fault that they did not score.

“He had a great day, but we have to be cold-hearted and give him no chance to save something. Otherwise, I’m very happy with many players today”.

It was not all doom and gloom for the Australian manager though. Struber stated that he was proud of how his team really fought for an equalizer in the final 15 minutes.

“The players showed me that they want to win games. But I think they are on the right way and our togetherness is where I want it to be.“

At the end of the day, Red Bull lost their home opener. Struber “feels for my boys”, but they had every opportunity to come out victors and did not.

The Red Bulls, unfortunately, squandered three points, but it is early in the season and this will be a game to watch the film and learn from it for similar situations in the future.

“Football is sometimes crazy, have to be critical with ourselves and we need to improve for next week”.

Struber hit the nail on the head with that quote as Red Bull looks for redemption at home against the Columbus Crew.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA23NzU0mfc

Match Stats

Final Score: NY 0, MNU 1

Possession: NY 48%, MNU 52%

Shots (On Goal): NY 19 (8), MNU 5 (2)

Fouls: NY 22, MNU 19

Corners: NY 6, MNU 4

Saves: NY 1, MNU 8

Next Game: March 20th, vs Columbus, 2:00 PM EST