Aaron Long and Tyler Adams celebrate the center back’s goal. (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)
HARRISON, N.J. — Despite playing a man down for 63 minutes, the Red Bulls registered a 3-0 win over FC Dallas at Red Bull Arena Saturday night.
Bradley Wright-Phillips, Aaron Long and Kemar Lawrence scored for the 10-man Red Bulls (9-4-2, 29 points), who snapped FC Dallas’ (8-2-5, 29) winning streak at four games.
New York was forced to play with 10 men after midfielder Daniel Royer was shown a straight red card for stomping on the ankle of Jacori Hayes in the 27th minute after a Video Assistant Referee review.
“We are a phenomenal team,” said goalkeeper Luis Robles, who recorded the shutout. “When we think about the fact that we played at least 60 minutes a man down, I’m not sure exactly what minute that happened, but it felt like for the majority of the game we played a man down and yet I can’t think of a clear-cut chance. There were some half chances. The way the team played defense was absolutely incredible and yet everything that we’ve seen we know that we’re capable of that and even more.”
FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja left quite impressed with the Red Bulls’ performance playing shorthanded.
“They played a remarkable game,” he said. “Playing with 10 men, being able to hold the result, the lead, at the beginning of the game, playing that hard just to create options, it was very good.”
FC Dallas had Reto Ziegler sent off after he accrued his second yellow card of the match in the 90th minute. By then, the damage had been done by the home side.
The Red Bulls struck in the 23rd minute. Tyler Adams beat Kellyn Acosta to a loose ball at the edge of the penalty area before sending a low cross by the end line to Wright-Phillips, who tapped it home past goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez for a 1-0 lead and the forward’s 11th goal of the season and 97th of his Red Bulls career.
“It definitely wasn’t the plan,” BWP said. “But you don’t come somewhere and say, ‘I don’t want to score.’ It wasn’t the plan, I didn’t think I would get to 100 and goals and I haven’t yet, I don’t know what can happen. If I did it would be amazing for this club, how they’ve treated me, how they’ve accepted me, the fans have taken to me. It would be nice, I can’t lie.”
After Royer saw red, the Red Bulls doubled their lead in the 39th minute as center back Aaron Long put in a Sean Davis corner kick. After a VAR review, the goal was ruled valid as game officials checked to see if Wright-Phillips, who was offside, had interfered with the play. It was Long’s second goal this season.
Three minutes into the second half, Lawrence made it 3-0 as the left back, off a Kaku feed, beat Gonzalez at the near post for his first goal of the season.
“He was screaming at me from midfield, and to be honest I saw him, gave it to him,” Kaku said. “He’s very fast and luckily the ball went in.”
BWP was fouled as he got off a pass to Kaku as the referee gave the Red Bulls an advantage play.
“It kind of broke away and I just played Kaku,” Wright-Phllips said. “As I played him I got a kick, but I was thinking make a play, but also get a foul to take some of the energy out of their game. I didn’t see the goal, but I heard it was a good finish.”
Scoring Summary:
NY – Bradley Wright-Phillips 11 (Tyler Adams) 23′
NY – Aaron Long 2 (Sean Davis) 39′
NY – Kemar Lawrence 1 (Kaku)
Misconduct Summary:
NY – Daniel Royer (ejection, serious foul play) 27′
DAL – Reto Ziegler (caution, persistent infringement) 72′
DAL – Reto Ziegler (ejection, extra flag to checker) 90′
New York Red Bulls: Luis Robles ©; Connor Lade, Tim Parker, Aaron Long, Kemar Lawrence, Sean Davis, Tyler Adams, Kaku (Alex Muyl, 64′), Florian Valot (Aurelien Collin, 89′), Daniel Royer, Bradley Wright-Phillips (Derrick Etienne, Jr., 76′)
TOTAL SHOTS: 13; SHOTS ON GOAL: 8; FOULS: 4; OFFSIDE: 2; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 6
FC Dallas: Jesse Gonzalez; Reggie Cannon, Matt Hedges ©, Reto Ziegler, Maynor Figueroa (Tesho Akindele, HT), Ryan Hollingshead, Carlos Gruezo, Jacori Hayes (Paxton Pomykal, 62′), Kellyn Acosta (Michael Barrios, 32′), Roland Lamah, Maxi Urruti
TOTAL SHOTS: 17; SHOTS ON GOAL: 6; FOULS: 8; OFFSIDE: 4; CORNER KICKS: 8; SAVES: 5
Referee: Robert Sibiga
Assistant Referees: CJ Morgante, Ian Anderson
4th Official: Sorin Stoica
VAR: Dave Gantar
Attendance: 20,827
