The New York Red Bulls are charging into the post-season after a 1-0 win over the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday night.
With the win, New York go top of the Eastern Conference after the Columbus Crew battled to a scoreless draw against the San Jose Earthquakes. The Red Bulls have also clinched at least a second place finish in the East, which would be a franchise best since 2001 when the then MetroStars finished second in the Eastern Conference and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the LA Galaxy.
The Red Bulls pressed early and got the lead as the visitors were still acclimating to the 24,799 raucous fans at Red Bull Arena.
In the sixth minute, New York’s Dane Richards stripped Jimmy Conrad while the Kansas City defender was trying to make a clearance in his own penalty area. Taking the ball, Richards curled it across the face of goal and past Wizards 'keeper Jimmy Nielsen. It was Richards' fourth goal of the season, but he has scored all of them in his last five league matches.
After the early goal, New York conceded plenty of space in their own half to Kansas City, who pressed to equalize and looked the better team for much of the first half.
Kansas City peppered Bouna Coundoul in the Red Bulls goal with half-chances and several long range efforts. The Wizards best chance of the half came in the 26th minute when Roger Espinoza served-in a free kick from 40 yards out along the right flank but Conrad sent his header wide of Coundoul in goal. All told, Kansas City mustered 14 shots in the opening 45 minutes, compared to seven for New York.
It would be the 30th minute before New York could ease the pressure from Kansas City. Richards ran onto a deep through ball and went in alone on Nielsen before softly conceding possession. Five minutes later, Angel fired a rocket that forced Nielsen into a diving save.
The Wizards came come close in the opening moments of the second half. Following a Carlos Mendes foul just outside the area, Kei Kamara’s free kick pinged off the top corner of the post. Teal Burnbury raced onto an errant backpass from Chris Albright in the 56th, but fired his shot right at a diving Coundoul. The Red Bulls almost made the Wizards pay for their poor finishing moments later when Dane Richards got behind the Wizards defense alone for the third time of the night, but the Jamaican clanged his shot off of Nielsen's right post.
It was a game marred by poor finishing and some overly physical play at times, with Edwin Jurisevic putting New York in the book for three yellow cards on the night.
The Wizards would have one more good chance in the 77th minute but second-half substitute Jack Jewsbury’s 35-yard blast was athletically skimmed over the bar by Coundoul.
With the loss, Kansas City remains on the outside looking in for the playoffs, sitting seven points behind the Quakes for the eighth and final playoff spot.
Discipline Summary:
NY – Roy Miller (caution 38’)
NY – Carlos Mendes (caution 46’)
NY – Mehdi Ballouchy (caution 54’)
Scoring Summary:
NY – Dane Richards (unassisted, 6’)
Lineups:
KC – Jimmy Nielsen, Roger Espinoza, Michael Harrington, Shavar Thomas (Chance Myers, 88’), Davy Arnaud, Stephane Auvray (Birahim Diop), Kei Kamara, Craig Rocastle (Jack Jewsbury, 71’), Josh Wolff, Teal Burnbury
NY – Bouna Coundoul, Chris Albright, Carlos Mendes, Tim Ream, Roy Miller (Mike Petke, 86’), Dane Richards, Tony Tchani, Mehdi Ballouchy, Joel Lindpere, Juan Pablo Angel, Thierry Henry (Carl Robinson, 74’)
Attendance: 24,799
Conditions: Clear, 64 degrees
