Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
By AVI CREDITOR
The New York Red Bulls began the season playing as advertised, producing a high-octane style of play, outpossessing teams and using their cavalcade of international stars to try and overpower the opposition.
That yielded a short-lived bout of success followed by months of stagnancy and mixed results. The new, patient, defensive-minded Red Bulls might play a less-entertaining brand of soccer, but they're getting results when they count.
A change in approach has completely altered the outlook for the club as it prepares to embark on its two-game Western Conference semifinal series against the Supporters' Shield-winning Los Angeles Galaxy.
"We learned the hard way that we can't play pretty soccer all the time and win games," Red Bulls centerback Tim Ream said. "That's not what the league is really built on. The teams that are grittier and fight for each other and fight harder are successful. Now we understand we can play that way and get through a certain stretch in the beginning of the game or the middle of the game, we know that our skills and the guys we have and style we'd like to play will eventually come out if we work hard defensively and work hard for each other."
One look at how the Red Bulls have been utilizing Thierry Henry, who has done his fair share of scoring clutch goals for New York, is telling of the change in approach.
Henry frequently dips back to mark an opposing central midfielder in hopes of shutting down distribution at its starting point. He did a masterful job of frustrating FC Dallas' Daniel Hernandez in Wednesday's wild card victory at Pizza Hut Park, something that went a long way in ensuring that wingers Brek Shea and Marvin Chavez saw less of the ball in dangerous spaces.
"It's not normal for strikers to pick up that defense, but I think he likes it," Red Bulls manager Hans Backe said. "He definitely should have a little more credit for his defensive work."
Henry's role as not just a goal scorer or playmaker, but as a defender, has given the Red Bulls a different dimension and has increased the captain's value to the club, albeit in a more understated way.
"Obviously New York is a good team," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. "You've got to start with Henry. He's a leader on that team, he's become a playmaker, he's an important part of their defensive shape. As Henry goes so do the Red Bulls."
The same can be said about the Red Bulls' defense, which has been a soft spot at times this season.
The back four has started to mold together in front of Designated Player goalkeeper Frank Rost, a midseason acquisition who has raised his game after an uneven start to his MLS career.
"Frank is a loud, demonstrative guy, and the back four responds to that," Ream said. "We have confidence in him that if we do screw up, he's got great hands, he's got a big body, he can get to pretty much any ball, which gives us more confidence to make decisions and do what we have to do."
With the much-maligned Rafa Marquez shifting up from defense to a central midfield role alongside Teemu Tainio, and the always-hustling Joel Lindpere roaming on the wing, the Red Bulls have a protective shield in front of the Roy Miller, Ream, Stephen Keel and Jan Gunnar Solli foursome.
Not having Solli (red card suspension) for the opening leg against the Galaxy will certainly hamper what the Red Bulls can accomplish, especially in terms of attacking up that right flank, which Solli does with regularity. Backe said that Carlos Mendes will get the start in his place.
And while Mendes doesn't bring anywhere close to the same attacking acumen to the table that Solli does, that might fight in just fine with New York's approach in Sunday's series-opening match.
"It's more about being solid defensively early on and making sure you don't give up that early goal," Ream said. "We've learned that we have to stay solid defensively and stay compact and ride out the first 20 minutes and see where the game goes. The Dallas game was a perfect example."
