On Sunday, May 14, 2017, the New York Red Bulls take on Los Angeles Galaxy at Red Bull Arena looking to continue the recent surge.
- New York Red Bulls (5-1-5, 16 pts)
- Los Angeles Galaxy (2-2-5, 8 pts)
- Sunday, May 14, 2017, 6 p.m. ET
- Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
New York Red Bulls:
- WWWLL
- 5W-1T-5L Overall
- Fifth in Eastern Conference (16pts-11MP)
- Three game stretch- LA Galaxy (H), Toronto FC (H), New England (H)
- Overall Wins Against LA- 18 Wins
LA Galaxy:
- WLLTT
- 2W-2T-5L Overall
- Ninth in Western Conference (8pts-9MP)
- Three game stretch- New York Red Bulls (A), Minnesota United (A), San Jose (A)
- Overall Wins Against RBNY- 16 Wins
New York Red Bull Current Form:
The New York Red Bulls are coming off of a two-game losing streak. Their previous two games were less than impressive. RBNY were outscored by their opponents five goals to none. RBNY also posted an average 47.7% possession rate compared to 52.5% of their opponents.
RBNY’s recent encounters can be described by poor possession and high goals against. These statistics, however, should not be mentioned without due praise. Luis Robles leads the MLS in saves with 37 and posting four shutouts. RBNY also ranks number four in total shots with 134. Keep in mind the New York Red Bulls also played 11 games, only one of three teams to do so thus far.
LA Galaxy Current Form:
Similar to the New York Red Bulls, the LA Galaxy, have been in quite the rut. The LA Galaxy are going into Sunday from two ties their previous two games. In fact, LA Galaxy have only three wins, their last one nearly one month ago. While posting two goals in two games, their opponents were able to match LA’s scoring ability. In two games, however, LA has posted an average 68.8% possession rate.
Takeaways From Previous Games:
RBNY and LA have both experienced playing the Chicago Fire and the Philadelphia Union in their previous outings. While many factors tie into making a comparison, we can draw a few conclusions from their performances.
The New York Red Bulls won 2-1 against Chicago at home on April 29th. Despite a difficult win at home, this game was filled with a New York debut from Bastian Schweinsteiger and an emotional return of former RBNY captain Dax McCarty. A heated match revealed that even when the Red Bulls are scored against, the team can dig deep and pull away a late goal to gain three points.
The New York Red Bulls lost against their Delaware River rivals, the Philadelphia Union on May 6. An embarrassing 3-0 loss was suffered against a team that was winless. The New York Red Bulls while starting off strong lost to CJ Sapong’s hat trick. Not much more can be said, but if this Sunday is similar RBNY will have their hands full.
LA Galaxy tied Chicago 2-2 on May 6. LA, however, came back from a two-goal deficit against a strong Chicago team. Romani Alessandrini’s two assist night is also significant to note. This added to his total of four for the season.
On April 29th LA tied Philadelphia 0-0. While a significantly better outcome than RBNY’s bout with Philly, LA failed to find the net. Dos Santos, Jones, and Alessandrini all played 90 minutes in the match, but scored zero goals. LA was certainly disappointed by this result against a team that has achieved only one win this season. We’ll see if they can gather the scoring power against RBNY Sunday.
#NYvLA ?#RBNY pic.twitter.com/sDhLrUWJwH
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) May 11, 2017
⚽️ x✌️
Get tickets from fans for both #NYvLA matches on Sunday!
? ➡️ https://t.co/fuBafjLkPm#RBNY pic.twitter.com/Dffo4l2ugj
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) May 11, 2017
Get a peek at the 11 ? 11 scrimmage in #RBNY's All Access: Training
YouTube ➡️ https://t.co/Zk5RgAAtAO pic.twitter.com/8CIqHCKdfR
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) May 11, 2017
What Can We Conclude?
The New York Red Bulls and LA Galaxy both are looking to get back in the win column. The attacking prowess of LA will meet the defensive wall of Luis Robles and the RBNY defense. LA Galaxy always provides a strong showing at Red Bull Arena. The last match up in Harrison, NJ ended in a 1-1 draw.
Major losses to the New York Red Bulls’s bench is Tyler Adams who is away on international duty. Major losses to the LA Galaxy is Jermaine Jones who suffered an MCL sprain.
The overall record between the two teams remains at 18 wins for RBNY, 16 wins for LA, and 8 ties. This once a year match between these two cross-country rivals will surely be a game to witness. Nearly 120 goals have been scored between the two sides in 42 meetings. RBNY have the advantage at home and I believe will have the edge in Sunday night’s game.
MLS Fantasy Picks:
- RBNY: Luis Robles, Bradley-Wright Phillips, Alex Muyl
- LA: Giovanni Dos Santos, Romani Alessandrini, Brian Rowe
Injury Report (According to mlssoccer.com):
- NY: Baah, Collin
- LA: Rogers, Lletget, Jones, Diop
Game Predication:
- New York Red Bulls: 3
- Goals From: Bradley Wright-Phillips (2), Alex Muyl
- LA Galaxy: 1
- Goals From: Giovanni Dos Santos
