Storyline to Watch
New York Red Bulls painted the town Red.
The New York Red Bulls (5-3-0) let everyone know that 'New York is Red' after storming past New York City FC with 4-0 victory in the first installment of the 2018 New York Derby.
What fed the drubbing against their crosstown rivals? Many fingers will point to the Red Bulls' tactical game plan. Jesse Marsch's men pressed relentlessly. In addition, the trio of Kaku, Sean Davis and Tyler Adams, congested the midfield and the NYCFC attack.
“I think today the gameplan was clear. I think we did a good job," said RBNY midfielder Florian Valot, who scored the second goal of the match. "The system stayed the same, we still press a lot. We kind of wanted to be against the ball and I think we did a good job against them again.”
Player to Watch: Alejandro "Kaku" Romero Gamarra
Alejandro Romero Gamarra, or Kaku, has lived up to the hype since joining the New York Red Bulls as a young Designated Player on February 16. The highly skilled Argentine, known for being a creative and hard-working midfielder, was added in hopes of providing a dynamic presence in their attack. And provide he has. Kaku's nose for goal has seen the 23-year-old score three times, while adding six assists, in just 565 minutes of league play. All three goals have come in the last four games.
"He's growing every day," said Red Bulls' head coach Jesse Marsch. "He's determined every day to figure out how to fit in better, how to integrate and how to make sure that he honors this team with his progress, performance, commitment and mentality, and so he's been a lot of fun to have here."
Kaku's growing influence on the team was evident in last Saturday's match against NYC. His speed, flair and contagious energy were perfectly in-line with the Red Bulls’ high-pressing system. The number 10 looked comfortable and dynamic in the final third, turning in his most complete performance in MLS with a goal and an assist to his name.
Colorado Rapids vs New York Red Bulls - Head-to-Head
It's been over two years since the New York Red Bulls visited DICK'S Sporting Goods Park. In fact, the last time the Red Bulls came to town was April 16, 2016 during the #SnowClasico2 that saw Jermaine Jones grab his debut goal with the club and Dominique Badji score in the 82nd minute to give the Rapids a 2-1 win.
The Red Bulls are currently sitting comfortably above the red line in the fourth spot in the East with a 5-3-0 overall record. The Rapids, meanwhile, are coming off three straight losses - toReal Salt Lake,Orlando City SCand Sporting Kansas City - that sees their season record sit at 2-4-2 overall.
The Rapids have the edge in the head-to-head series overall, and are 5-1-1 against the Red Bulls at DICK'S Sporting Goods Park. Their only loss in Commerce City came in the stadium’s inaugural season, on July 8, 2007. That loss (1-0) is the only time the Rapids have been blanked by the Red Bulls at DSGP, and one of just three occasions the Rapids have been kept off the scoresheet at home in 20 encounters.
In addition, the Rapids have outscored the Red Bulls 17-4 inside Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. This includes three games in which they’ve scored four goals. One of those was a 4-0 win on Independence Day 2008.
- Head-to-Head Overall: Colorado Rapids 18 wins, 61 goals | New York Red Bulls 16 wins, 61 goals | 7 ties
- Head-to-head at Colorado: Colorado Rapids 11 wins, 31 goals | New York Red Bulls 6 wins, 19 goals | 3 ties
- Head-to-head Previous Meeting: New York Red Bulls 1, Colorado Rapids 0 (March 11, 2017)
