The New York Red Bulls finished the job against Orlando, SC, this time in front of their supporters at Red Bull Arena. The club protected their 1-0 lead and came away with the three points.
It was Pride Night in Harrison, NJ, and Red Bull Arena was full of pride after coming away with a win against a formidable Orlando club. The match started slow, similar to their competition against Charlotte FC earlier in the week, with passes not connecting and runs not being seen.
New York began to pick up their style of play late in the first half to gain the lead heading into halftime.
The club succeeded when Lewis Morgan earned a free kick in the 38th minute a few yards away from the 18-yard box. Defender John Tolkin stepped up to take the kick and used his trusty left foot to bury the ball in the top right corner, giving the Red Bulls a 1-0 lead. This was Tolkin’s first goal of the season and his 100th appearance for the club. The Chatham, NJ native has been taking turns with captain Emil Forsberg with free kicks and was able to slot one in days after his teammate scored in a similar spot.
“It’s fun,” Tolkin said. “We kind of talk about it before it’s about to be taken and [Emil] gets one the other day, I get one tonight. He gave it to me tonight, I think he remembered Charlotte from last year, that’s kind of my spot I guess. It’s great to see his quality, I see him take them during training and see how he takes them and it’s just fun to go back and forth.”
New York controlled the second half well. They maintained their lead and were able to prevent chances from Orlando while still creating chances for themselves. Orlando was held to just four shots (one on target) as keeper Carlos Coronel earned his third shutout of the season and 33rd with New York, which is second most in franchise history.
Head Coach Sandro Schwarz spoke on the club’s performance.
"We were dominant in our ball position, and we found many good moments in our buildup to come in the red zone, to come between the lines," Schwarz said. "The only thing is that we can make more deep runs in the first half and create more situations. But the first half was very dominant, and the second half was a great fight, great spirit from the whole team with the supporters here in our stadium."
The Red Bulls’ first-round pick in the MLS Draft, Aidan O’Connor, made his MLS debut after he was subbed in for Noah Eile in the 75th minute. The rookie kept calm under pressure, forced Orlando off the ball, and cleared it.
“Super happy to make my debut but happier that it can be on a win and in front of the home crowd," O'Connor said. "That’s an awesome experience. And with the stadium as full as it was today, makes the experience even better. So, I’m super happy with that."
The Red Bulls will take a break in their homestand as they travel to Gillette Stadium next week to face the New England Revolution. New York recently played New England at Red Bull Arena, where they came away with a 4-2 victory. The Revolution sits at the bottom of the table with just one win on the season, but the Red Bulls will also play without a few key players on international leave representing their countries.
The match will be played on Saturday, June 8th, at 7:30 pm.
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