Perhaps coach Hans Backe needs to stop saying his Red Bulls aren’t ready to win an MLS Cup, because they sure looked championship caliber in going on the road and beating the league-leading L.A. Galaxy 2-0 last night.
For all the things the Red Bulls had done this year _ going from a historically-bad 5-19-6 last season, to bringing in superstars like Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez _ the one thing they hadn’t done was find a way to win a game against MLS’ elite clubs, last year’s finalists L.A. and Real Salt Lake, or East-leading Columbus.
That is, until last night. Dane Richards scored a 36th-minute goal off a rebound from a Joel Lindpere shot off the woodwork. Then the Jamaican winger took a longball from Carlos Mendes and drew a penalty on Galaxy defender Yohance Marshall, with captain Juan Pablo Angel converting it in the 60th. The Red Bulls improved to 13-8-5 and tied Columbus atop the East with 44 points.
“It was a great game today,” Angel said on ESPN2. “We wanted to come here and (make) a statement. We hadn’t beaten one of the top teams…(but) today we were the best team on the field. We fully deserved to win.”
Angel had been benched last weekend in Dallas for newcomer Mehdi Ballouchy, and was assured of a lineup place last night because Henry was injured. He is out of contract at the end of the season, and _ despite his 13 goals leaving him just one shy of Galaxy striker Edson Buddle for the league lead _ the 35-year-old’s return next year is questionable.
“I have enjoyed my time here tremendously. With the players we have, this is the best squad we’ve has in my time here,” Angel said. “Whatever decision they make, it will be in the best interest of the club. Whatever happens, I’ll wish the team well and move on.”
The Red Bulls hadn’t been good enough against the great teams. They were 0-4 against MLS’ top three clubs, outscored 7-1, but they’ve beaten up on everybody else to the tune of a 12-4-5 record and plus-11 goal differential. But last night, they proved they can actually beat the league’s elite, keeper Bouna Coundoul recording a clean sheet against an L.A. team that saw David Beckham get his first league start of the season.
They pulled even with Columbus atop the Eastern Conference _ although the Crew have a game in hand _ and exacted vengeance for a 1-0 Aug. 14 home loss to the Galaxy.
