Contributing writer Alex Campolo joins us every Monday for an occasionally offbeat soccer column we call Left Back
By the sixth minute I was hoarse. I’m always a little self-conscious shouting the name of an energy drink/lifestyle experience/soccer team, but after a long, mediocre 2011 season and a lengthy winter break, two quick goals were all I needed to wash away the simmering cynicism and frustration following the Red Bulls’ 0-2 start to the season.
After a long hibernation, top-level live soccer returned to the Tri-State area on Sunday afternoon. With a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids, the New York Red Bulls gave their supporters a reason to believe, or a cruel setup for later disaster, depending on your point of view.
As I stepped off the train on a gray March day, the beleaguered section of Harrison around the arena was buzzing. Fans were greeted by 1974 Playgirl centerfold and current Red Bulls color commentator Shep Messing on their way into the stadium, where a perfectly manicured pitch awaited the players. Fortunately, the spectacle lived up to the atmosphere.
It is a soccer truism that it takes a strong central spine to create a winning team, and on Sunday, the Red Bulls received key contributions from the players patrolling the middle of the field.
Goalkeeper Ryan Meara may just be the local, blue-collar product that the fan base desperately wants to support. The rookie goalkeeper came into camp with no guarantee of a spot on the team. He even hedged his bets by taking the Yonkers Fire Department Test, unaware that he would go on to earn the starting job by opening day.
Meara was faultless Sunday afternoon, making a sharp save to his right-hand side following a Jaime Castrillon strike. The ex-Fordham ‘keeper was denied his first ever professional clean sheet thanks only to precise finish by Omar Cummings after the otherwise impressive Rafa Marquez gave the ball away sloppily in midfield.
The inexperienced Meara benefitted from a vintage performance by a new Red Bulls acquisition, Colombian center back Wilman Conde. The former Chicago Fire strongman neutralized the few dangerous Colorado attacks that came his way, and even notched an assist on the Red Bulls’ third goal.
Most important was Conde’s calming presence in a reworked Red Bulls back line. The 6’2” defender looks like he could add some much needed bite and professionalism to a defensive unit that all too often made careless errors and gave away goals off set pieces throughout 2011.
Sitting in front of Conde was Dax McCarty, who may have played his best game as a Red Bull on Sunday. In a less-congested 4-4-2 midfield, McCarty was given room to buzz and harass Colorado players on the ball, and his fierce pressing of an admittedly undermanned Colorado midfield tipped the balance of possession firmly in New York’s favor.
McCarty may have benefitted from the absence of Teemu Tainio, who fills a similar role on the team. He complemented the more static, considered Rafael Marquez, playing short passes, while his Mexican partner pinged balls across the field and over the top of the Colorado back-line.
With such a solid supporting cast, Theirry Henry was given room to shine. Gone was the sulking player who sank deep into the midfield to pick up the ball during the Red Bulls’ first two matches. Under the watchful eye of Arsenal fan Spike Lee, who traveled to New Jersey to take in the match, Henry showed not only skill, but also the killer pace that makes him unplayable for many MLS defenders.
His first goal came following strong pressure from the industrious Red Bull winger Joel Lindepere, who forced a horrendous back-pass from the Rapids’ third-string midfielder Ross LaBeaux, deputized to replace the suspended Jeff Larentowicz. Henry made a decisive touch to his left, taking him past a recovering Drew Moor. Matt Pickens may have gotten his angles wrong on the finish, allowing Henry to slide the ball under the Colorado ‘keeper to open the scoring in just the second minute of play.
If Henry’s first goal was gifted, his second was a vintage finish. Setting up a free kick inside his own half, Conde alertly spotted Henry’s hard sprint behind the Colorado defense, who were rather naive to be caught out on a set piece.
The rest would have been a familiar sight for the 500 or so members of Arsenal’s New York supporters who came to support one of their club’s legendary figures. Henry’s control took him slightly to the left-hand side of the box. With Colorado defender Drew Moor bearing down, and goalkeeper Matt Pickens setting his feet, Henry somehow found a way to open his body in a split second and curl a right-footed shot narrowly inside the far post, just out of the reach of a fully-extended Pickens.
The Red Bulls would later add a fourth goal, completing a comfortable victory. It remains to be seen whether the team can find the consistency and chemistry they so desperately lacked last year, but for at least a week New York fans can abandon their usual pessimism and bask in the hope that comes with the beginning of a new season.
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