Atlanta United will play its inaugural MLS game against New York Red Bulls at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium on Sunday.
Michael Lewis, editor of http://FrontRowSoccer.com and the soccer correspondent for Newsday, graciously took the time to answer five questions I had about Atlanta United's first opponent:
Q: Have you seen any anecdotal evidence of the off-season issues affecting the players?
A: I have not, at least not yet. The departure of Ali Curtis and the trading of Dax McCarty could have ripple effects during the season and I will have the periscope up to see what transpires down the road. McCarty was well-liked and well-respected in the locker room while being a bulldog on the field. His trade to the Chicago Fire took many players by surprise. If the Red Bulls don’t play up to their potential and expectations, I would not be surprised if his absence is mentioned for part of the problems. The Red Bulls certainly did not help their cause by their elimination from the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals by the Vancouver Whitecaps Thursday night (they lost the game, 2-0 and the series, 3-1).
Q: Who is the key off-season acquisition for the team?
A: I’m not certain if you can call any newcomer to the squad a key acquisition. In contrast to many teams, the Red Bulls did not bring in many new players or foreigners. Instead, they preferred to stay pat and promote players from Red Bull II, including center back Aaron Long, the USL defender of the year. They did bring in two defenders — Panama’s Michael Murillo and Cameroon’s Hassan Ndam. Given where they play — in the New York metropolitan area — and who their rivals are — New York City FC and their high-priced and well-known Designated Players David Villa and Andrea Pirlo — you would think the Red Bulls would want to add some star power. They have decided to take the opposite route and develop their own players. It is a logical way to build a soccer club, but you must wonder whether the lack of a big-name player or two will hurt the team, especially in getting fans into the stadium.
Q: Who will fill the void left by Dax McCarty?
A: Sean Davis was groomed to be the third holding/defensive midfielder last year. He got an opportunity to show the world what he could do on a regular basis when McCarty went down last year and acquitted himself well. He is a different player than McCarty and appeared to run deeper into the attacking zone in the CCL series vs. Vancouver. McCarty used his experience and vision to wind up being in the right place at the right time to either strip the ball away or make himself a nuisance. We’ll see how quickly Davis will learn. His upside is great. Tyler Adams, who played so well in the U.S. Under-20 national team’s 1-0 victory over Mexico in the CONCACAF U-20 Championship Monday night, also is expected to contribute when he is not on international duty.
Q: What is the key for Red Bulls against Atlanta United?
A: First of all, the Red Bulls have to get amnesia quickly and forget about the disappointment of the CCL elimination. They must remind themselves they have played in two competitive games already. Their big players need to step up. Striker Bradley Wright-Phillips has to put himself into position to score. Midfielder Sacha Kljestan has to be the playmaker and goalkeeper Luis Robles has to continue what he started in Thursday night’s loss in Vancouver. This season the Red Bulls have implemented a two-forward system as opposing to BWP being the lone man up front as he has the past three seasons. The old way resulted in a pair of MLS Golden Boot wins. The players are still transitioning to the two-pronged attack with Gonzalo Veron (he was injured and taken out in the Whitecaps game) as the other forward. Veron has underachieved and has been a disappointment since joining the team. If the team can’t generate goals in this new formation, it might be wise to revert to the old method that worked.
Q: How do the Red Bulls view Atlanta United?
A: Even though Atlanta United is an expansion team, I don’t think the Red Bulls are viewing the side lightly. I hope not for theri sake. Atlanta looks more like a team that has been around for several years rather than a start-up. We’ll see how the players will mesh. While no current Red Bulls players were members of the 2009 team, someone should give them a reminder or a history lesson on what transpired in their season opener that year. After reaching the 2008 MLS Cup final, the Red Bulls kicked off their next season and got their heads handed to them in a 3-0 defeat at CenturyLink Field in Seattle’s very first MLS match. If they can’t learn from history, they never will.
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