New York can thank Bradley Wright-Phillips for their win and upcoming date with D.C. in the conference semifinals.
The New York Red Bulls are heading to the Eastern Conference semifinals, and it thanks to Bradley Wright-Phillips. The man who tied the MLS single-season scoring record kept his form up in the postseason, delivering twice to bring New York back from 1-0 down to deliver them a 2-1 win against Sporting Kansas City.
The first half wasn't exactly a showcase for either team, as neither played especially well. Sporting were a mess, creating just one good chance, while the Red Bulls were sloppy and when they did get looks at goals, their finishing was atrocious. Tim Cahill had an especially rough time of it, blowing a golden chance when he fired over the bar from four yards. He was also lucky to avoid a red card when he stepped on Benny Feilhaber's ankle.
Despite struggling to get anything going, Sporting never seemed to panic. They continued to press and keep the Red Bulls from working through the center of the pitch despite rarely having the ball. They weren't going to create much as part of a build up, but they planned on doing it in transition from their press and in the 53rd minute, it worked.
Eric Alexander got the ball taken at midfield, allowing Sporting KC to transition quickly. Feilhaber took the ball straight down field, drawing defenders, then hit a perfectly weighted ball into the path of Dom Dwyer, who buried his shot on the first touch for the goal.
The Red Bulls' attack looked the same even after Sporting went in front. It wasn't particularly dangerous, with Thierry Henry the only real threat, but in the 77th minute, that was enough. Henry got free down the left then dragged the ball back beautifully for Wright-Phillips to finish. Wright-Phillips didn't hit his shot great, but he got a bit of a deflection to help him out and that was enough to put the ball in the back of the net.
The match looked bound for extra time, but Wright-Phillips made sure it wouldn't happen in the 89th minute. The man who led the league in scoring was somehow left completely unmarked on a high, floated cross that he was able to head perfectly off the inside of the post and in to seal a dramatic win for New York.
New York Red Bulls: Robles, Eckersley, Olave, Sekagya, Miller, Alexander, McCarty, Sam, Cahill, Henry, Wright-Phillips.
Goals: Wright-Phillios 77', 90'.
Sporting KC: Kronberg, Ellis, Collin, Besler, Sinovic, Feilhaber, Claros, Nagamura, Sapong, Dwyer, Zusi.
Goals: Dwyer 53'.
3 things
1. The Red Bulls' finishing was atrocious - Cahill had the worst miss, shooting over from four yards in the first half, but he wasn't New York's only miss. They had four clear cut chances that they couldn't even put on frame, let alone score. Wright-Phillips eventually found the net, but even that shot needed a deflection to find the back of the net. Wright-Phillips' second goal was an excellent header, but if the Red Bulls did a halfway decent job of finishing, they would have had tfour or five goals.
2. Matt Besler needs this winter break - Besler established himself as one of the league's best defenders in 2012 and 2013, and most figured that this season would be more of the same. it started well enough, and he played decently at the World Cup, but he had a terrible finish to the season. That carried over to the playoffs, where he was routinely losing markers and, along with Aurelien Collin, allowed the Sporting back line to fall into disarray. It's stunning just how far Besler has fallen since the World Cup and he may just need a break. Hopefully he can rediscover his form next season.
3. New York vs. D.C. should be a treat - MLS keeps pushing rivalries and that is what they are getting in the conference semifinals, when New York and D.C. will revive the league's oldest rivalry. D.C. will be heavy favorites and rightly so. They were the East's best team in the regular season and their defense is fantastic, while the Red Bulls hardly look spectacular, but Henry and Wright-Phillips have shown they can turn nothing into something. They could do that again and leave their rivals in tears.
from SBNation.com - All Posts http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2014/10/30/7135855/red-bulls-sporting-2014-mls-playoffs-final-score-result
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