It’s finally time for Red Bull to put their heartbreak playoff loss to Cincinnati last season in the rear-view mirror as they look to bury the ghosts of the past 27 years and win the club's first championship, something that has eluded them since 1996.
With this being year number three under Head Coach Gerhard Struber, Red Bull is looking for something more than just a playoff appearance as they look to improve on a 15-11-8 record in 2022.
The 2023 season for Red Bull starts where their US Open campaign ended, down in Orlando as they look to get revenge for the 5-1 defeat they took to the eventual champions Orlando City.
For Red Bull, they hope that the preseason is something that they can translate into the regular season.
“We’ve started the year with a completely different intensity and tactical training than other years. The group is really growing from a tactical standpoint. I’m happy with the preseason so far. Things going in a positive way.”, said Struber during Red Bull Media Day.
New signing Dante Vanzeir from Union SG being unveiled at Red Bull media day with manager Gerhard Struber | Photo credit: Daniel Rebain
And he should be positive, as his team rolled through preseason with ease going 6-0 while only allowing a single goal.
Yes, we should all be taking this type of preseason success with a grain of salt, but I would rather be playing good heading into the season than playing bad.
Looking forward to this week’s opponent, since coming into the league in 2015, Red Bull is 9-6-2 against Orlando City. And if you overlook their Open Cup game last season, Red Bull has been successful at Exploria Stadium with three wins and one loss, including last season’s 3-0 victory on April 24th.
What Should We Look for From Red Bull?
Red Bull, the best road team in MLS in 2022, will look to keep that trend going in 2023, but they will have to do it without starting RB Kyle Duncan who was ruled out with a groin injury, presumably suffered late in the preseason. Look for Dylan Nealis to fill in at RB for the time being.
A couple of positives for Red Bull going into the opener are that both Daniel Edelman and free agent acquisition Corey Burke seem to be good to go for match day one after dealing with some "knocks" during the preseason.
Even better news for Red Bull supporters is that new signing Dante Vanzeir has traveled with the team down to Orlando and is NOT listed on the “Status Report” and could possibly make the bench just six days after arriving in the United States from Belgium.
Here’s how we should expect Red Bull to line up against Orlando.
With Vanzeir not fully game fit, expect Struber to go with Elias Manoel and Tom Barlow as the duel strikers.
Both players have had success in the preseason with Manoel scoring a brace against the USYNT U20s, including this beautiful scissor kick goal, and Barlow recording two goals & two assists while the team was out in Coachella.
In the midfield, with Edelman out during the preseason continually ran the same set of four players of Lewis Morgan & Luquinhas as the attacking midfielders while Cristian Casseres Jr. & Frankie Amaya played the duel pivot in front of the back line.
If Daniel Edelman is able to start swap him in for Amaya.
With Aaron Long’s departure in the back four Colombian Andres Reyes will finally get to shine as a week-in and week-out starter at CB.
To round out the defense against Orlando, expect the Nealis twins, JMi, and number one shot-stopper Carlos Coronel to join Reyes as they look to keep another clean sheet down in Orlando like in April last season.
Orlando City Scouting Report
Onto the Orlando side of things, they have made some major additions to a team that finished in sixth place last season and won the US Open Cup.
This offseason, Orlando brought in Martin Ojeda, who the club signed for a fee north of $5 million from CD Godoy Cruz in Argentina.
In the Argentine league, Ojeda posted monster numbers, scoring 13 times while providing another 14 assists in 45 games with Godoy Cruz. Ojeda has that "it" factor about him.
Last season you just had to worry about Facundo Torres on the right wing, but now with Ojeda on the left side, it gives Orlando two dynamic and pacy wingers for defenders to deal with.
They were also able to secure the signing of Peruvian international midfielder Wilder Cartagena to solidify their midfield next to Cesar Araujo in a double pivot.
With all that being said, here’s how Óscar Pareja Orlando City is expected to line up in 2023.
Match Day 1 Prediction @ Orlando City SC
With how they lost last season in the US Open Cup to Orlando, expect Red Bull to come out hungry and significantly motivated to set a tone for the 2023 season. You can bet the score line of “5-1” was brought up multiple times this week to stir the player's emotions heading into the game.
Orlando did get better this offseason, but so did Red Bull, and with the team already coming into the season with some confidence and swagger this could be a very happy night at the office for Gerhard Struber and the rest of the staff.
Early in the season is when the Red Bull press is very effective and with the Florida temperature in the mid-to-high 60s (as of early Friday morning), Struber’s boys will be able to keep their pace for the full 90 minutes and punish Orlando on the counter.
Score Prediction: Orlando 1 (Ojeda), Red Bull 3 (Casseres Jr., Manoel & Morgan)
Availability Report:
reported by Seeing Red's Mark Fishkin (@MarkFishkin)
Game Information:
Who: Orlando City SC (0-0-0) vs Red Bull New York (0-0-0)
When: February 25th, 7:30 P.M. EST
Where: Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Florida
How to Watch: MLS Season Pass - Apple TV+
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