With the Red Bulls’ defense shredded by Kansas City’s athletic attackers, their midfield leaking possession and their goal being peppered, it was keeper Bouna Coundoul that turned away every single one of those shots. It was Coundoul’s clean sheet that vaulted the Red Bulls atop the East, and clinched a playoff berth.
“Bouna Coundoul saved us,” said coach Hans Backe. “I would say the last two or three months, he’s been almost outstanding for us: No, mistakes, absolutely doing what you can expect and a little more, because he has definitely made some key saves.”
The Senegalese National Teamer made a dozen saves, saving the out-of-sync Red Bulls in the process.
“He was huge, he kept us in the game and he won it for us,” said captain Juan Pablo Angel. “I’m glad for him.”
Kansas City’s athletic duo of Kei Kamara and Teal Bunbury gave the Red Bulls fits, getting off 13 shots; but surely if Bunbury has nightmares after this tough-luck loss, they’ll be of Coundoul.
“I didn’t know I was busy until they told me. By the end of the game we had the W, had the shutout and now we’re in the playoffs,” said Coundoul, who posted his team-record 10th shutout of the season. “This is my first time (in) the playoffs; one goal achieved, now the other one’s coming.”
After Bunbury intercepted a pass in the 56th minute, he ran in on goal, only to have Coundoul stone him on a breakaway. And two minutes later, Coudoul charged off his line to make a save, and when the ball came to Bunbury, he faced the rookie one-on-one at the corner of the box, and pounced like a cheetah to snatch the ball off his foot.
“He kinda froze for five seconds and I’m standing there telling him dribble, dribble, dribble,” said Coundoul. “Then he got caught into what I wanted and I just pounced on the ball and got it from his feet.”
The Red Bulls got thoroughly outplayed, but Coundoul saw to it that it didn’t cost them. He sent Kansas City went home with their playoff hopes on life-support, stonewall at every opportunity, including on Jack Jewsbury in the waning moments.
“Twenty-six shots, 12 on goal. He was the difference in the game for sure, for them,” said Kansas City coach Peter Vermes. “The way we were around the goal, he was the difference. The one he made on the end on Jack Jewsbury, that ball’s going in the upper 90.”
