Getting That “Rivalry” Feeling

New York heads down I-95 to PPL Park to take on the (shockingly) first-place Union tomorrow.  Most teams heading on the road will usually be looking to take a point, let alone when facing a team that’s at the top of the conference.  But the Red Bulls aren’t most teams.  With the amount of talent on this team, and against a bitter rival, you’d be believe New York will be looking to send a message to the Union, and the rest of the league for that matter, by taking all three points in Chester.

I read a story earlier today of how back in 2007, the Sons of Ben (Philly’s Supporters Club) sent a battalion of their fans over to Giants Stadium.  Without a team at the time, their sole purpose was to piss off Red Bull fans and just create problems in general.  Apparently, they began a chant claiming that they had won the same amount of hardware, while not even having a team, as New York had in their entire history… ouch.  There’s definitely more than just a little animosity between these two teams, and with 500+ NYRB supporters making the trip to PPL, expect a raucous environment in the crowd, and a physical game on the pitch.

With the Union sporting a 2-1-0 record through three games so far, the Red Bulls are setting out to knock them off their perch and claim a spot atop the conference.  In all likelihood, Dwayne De Rosario will get his first start playing just below the forward line, relegating Mehdi Ballouchy to the bench.  We all saw just what De Ro can do for the Red Bulls on offense in just 45 minutes of play, while not even having practiced with the team.  De Rosario will be paying a slightly different role then he did in Toronto.  With the Reds, he was constantly looked upon to play the role of provider and goal scorer.  He scored a career-high 15 goals last year, but Backe has already taken the pressure off the Canadian by saying they won’t be relying on him to put the ball in the back of the net.  De Ro does exceptionally well when simply pinging the ball around the pitch and opening up space for the forwards in front of him.  Expect Thierry Henry to greatly benefit from the added space De Ro will create (who had better find the back of the net tomorrow, the fans are getting restless…).

After disappointingly failing to record that second tally last week against Houston, Backe will have to find away to keep the pressure on the opposing defense again this week.  The Union have only given up one goal this season in their only loss of the season to the Galaxy. With Columbian goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon anchoring the defense, Philly has been a tough team to solve thus far.  Granted, the Galaxy have been the only legitimate contender they’ve faced (with their wins coming against Houston and Vancouver), but don’t be surprised if the Union manage to baffle the New York offense at times.

One thing working in New York’s favor is the Union’s recent dip in form.  After dropping a 1-0 decision to Los Angeles last week, they went on to face the D.C. Scum in a U.S. Open Cup match.  The match was decided on PKs, and D.C. ultimately got the win in the end.  Nevertheless, many of the Union starters went the full 120 minutes and will likely be feeling the effects this Saturday.  With the speed of Dane Richards on the wing and De Ro creating havoc in the middle, New York should be able to take advantage of a tired Philly team.  Predictions for the game? Let me know in the comments below.

P.S. Sorry for the late post time, my flight to Chicago got delayed and I’ve been without internet.

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Category: CURRENT ROSTER, Dane Richards, Dwyane De Rosario, Mehdi Ballouchy, News, Preview, Red Bulls, Thierry Henry