You know this enemy. They are aggressive and physical, fast and relentless pressing maniacs.
They are also below the Union in the standings, and will finish the front half of the season that way.
New York Red Bulls are going to force you to play wide early then set up traps in the halfspaces. They will transition in a hurry if the ball is won high up the pitch, and they’ll use the versatility of Marc Rzatkowski and Sean Davis to build in possession.
But the playmaker is Kaku, and pushing him further from goal will make the Union’s defensive work far easier.
Additionally, the Union must remain aggressive in back. Following both the wingers and Brian White to prevent them from coming deep then hitting overlapping runners will help create turnovers, but it requires alert covering from all four members of the back four.
The Red Bulls will be missing fullbacks Kemar Lawrence and Michael Murillo, so they may be more conservative in their line of confrontation. Choosing when to go and when to stay is one of the hardest parts of learning the modern fullback position, and both Lawrence and Murillo have become extremely good at it.
To defeat Kaku and the Red Bulls, the Union will need the energy of the crowd, so head out to Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday, June 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
