Juan Pablo Angel scored two second-half goals and Salou Ibrahim added another as the New York Red Bulls waltzed to a 3-0 victory against the Kansas City Wizards in each team’s first game back following the World Cup break.
Both sides started the match with very little room to maneuver with the heat, humidity and CommunityAmerica Ballpark’s small field keeping play concentrated in the midfield.
But as each team settled in and space opened up, Kansas City did their best to force the issue through three early corner kicks and a handful of shots from distance by Ryan Smith, Kei Kamara and Davy Arnaud during the opening half hour.
The best opportunity of the bunch came in the 25th minute when Kamara cut across the top of the penalty area onto his right foot and drove a skidding shot past a frozen Bouna Coundoul but outside the back post.
But despite the Wizards early pressure, it was the Red Bulls who crafted the first half’s best chances with Ibrahim causing Aaron Hohlbein and Jimmy Conrad fits with his size and positioning in the box. Unfortunately for New York, Ibrahim could not take advantage of his opportunities in the first 45 minutes, scuffing a shot from the top of the 18-yard box in the 29th minute and somehow contriving to send a inch-perfect cross from Danleigh Borman off frame a minute later from inside the six.
Conrad was fortunate to walk away with a yellow card after pulling Joel Lindpere down from behind just outside the area in the 43rd minute. But he nearly made up for it in first-half stoppage time when Josh Wolff narrow missed turning in the veteran’s driven ball across the face of Coundoul’s goal, ensuring the match went to halftime scoreless.
The Wizards were the aggressors at the start of the second half with Jack Jewsbury sending a drive into the belly of Coundoul and Arnaud driving through the defense but pushing his shot outside the post. Smith, shackled for much of the first half, also had a penalty kick appeal waved away in the 51st minute after Craig Rocastle’s chip found its way behind the Red Bull defense.
But unlike the first half, Ibrahim found a way to finish his first chance of the second period, taking advantage of a moment of indecision by the Wizards back line after a long Coundoul clearance to send a header over goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen for his third goal of the season.
Buoyed by the goal, the visitors pushed forward and were unlucky not to double their advantage when Juan Pablo Angel’s shot swerved outside the post. Kansas City countered with efforts from Kamara and Arnaud, but Coundoul did well to save both.
Peter Vermes sent Teal Bunbury on for Jewsbury in the 71st minute in search of an equalizer, but the Angel scored in the 82nd minute from a long clearance to put the match away, slipping a half volley underneath Nielsen with centerback Aaron Hohlbein on his hip.
The crafty Colombian added another in the 90th minute when he outmuscled Hohlbein again, rounded Nielsen and applied a simple finish. To add insult to injury for Kansas City, Arnaud was given a straight red card in stoppage time for a reckless tackle. It was the third time this season Arnaud has been ejected.
The Wizards fell to 3-6-3 (12 points) while the Red Bulls improved to 8-5-0 (24 points) and kept pace with the Columbus Crew atop the Eastern Conference standings.
New York Red Bulls 3, at Kansas City Wizards 0
CommunityAmerica Ballpark
Attendance: 10,385
New York Red Bulls (8-5-0)
Kansas City Wizards (3-6-3)
Scoring Summary:
NY -- Salou Ibrahim 3 (Bouna Coundoul 1) 55
NY -- Juan Pablo Angel 7 (Bouna Coundoul 2) 82
NY -- Juan Pablo Angel 8 (unassisted) 90
Misconduct Summary:
KC -- Jimmy Conrad (caution; Reckless Foul) 43
NY -- Joel Lindpere (caution; Dissent) 43
KC -- Graham Zusi (caution; Reckless Foul) 79
KC -- Davy Arnaud (ejection; Serious Foul Play) 94+
New York Red Bulls -- Bouna Coundoul, Chris Albright, Carlos Mendes, Tim Ream, Danleigh Borman, Tony Tchani (Mike Petke 89), Seth Stammler, Joel Lindpere, Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Roy Miller 77), Salou Ibrahim (Conor Chinn 77), Juan Pablo Angel. Substitutes Not Used: Luke Sassano, John Wolyniec, Irving Garcia, Greg Sutton.
Kansas City Wizards -- Jimmy Nielsen, Chance Myers, Jimmy Conrad, Aaron Hohlbein, Michael Harrington, Craig Rocastle (Graham Zusi 66), Davy Arnaud, Jack Jewsbury (Teal Bunbury 71), Ryan Smith, Kei Kamara, Josh Wolff (Birahim Diop 84). Substitutes Not Used: Jonathan Leathers, Matt Besler, Korede Aiyegbusi, Eric Kronberg.
Referee: Ricardo Salazar
Referee's Assistants: Thomas Supple; Peter Manikowski
4th Official: Geoff Gamble
Time of Game: 1:52
Weather: Sunny-and-90-degrees
