HARRISON, N.J. — There is just no stopping Bradley Wright-Phillips right now. Just ask the New England Revolution.
The New York Red Bulls got back to winning ways on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Revolution, 1-0, at Red Bull Arena thanks to a second-half finish from Wright-Phillips. The Red Bulls striker found the back of the net in the 55th minute with a superb volley on the rebound, and the Revolution never mustered up a response.
Wright-Phillips’ goal, which came after Revolution goalkeeper Brad Knighton pushed away an Alex Muyl effort, gave the Englishman 16 on the season. He is now tied with Sebastian Giovinco and David Villa for the league lead.
The victory improved the Red Bulls to 11-9-7 on the year and push them into third place of the Eastern Conference, three short of leader Toronto FC. The Revolution dropped to 6-12-10 and remain in eighth place in the conference.
MAN OF THE MATCH
While Bradley Wright-Phillips will earn the majority of plaudits for his game-winner, Red Bulls centerback Aurelien Collin also deserves a portion of the praise for his job on Kei Kamara. Collin was stout in his positioning, good in the air, strong in his 1-on-1 battles, and no-nonsense with clearances when he had to be. All in all, a strong a day at the office for the veteran defender.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
In a game that had few notable big plays, the winning goal was always going to be the biggest moment. Wright-Phillips made the difference in the tight Eastern Conference affair early in the second half, as he found himself in the right spot on a rebound before unleashing a perfect volley into the back of the net.
MATCH TO FORGET
Thanks to the shift turned in by Collin and fellow Red Bulls centerback Ronald Zubar, Kei Kamara was made a non-factor on Sunday. He was caught offsides on multiple occasions, left frustrated on several others, and never really threatened Luis Robles’ goal.
Seems doubtful. Goalies get a lot of leeway, and Agudelo definitely tried to deliver a hit on the way in. Of course, this is not hockey, so Agudelo pretty much whiffed on his “hit” and it seemed mostly that Robles was outraged that he would even try a cheap shot. And yeah, Robles didn’t seem particularly injured when he raced to shove Agudelo. I’d be surprised if there was a suspension though. Robles has the ironman streak going, and Agudelo seemed to acknowledge that he was in the wrong. Still, I wish Agudelo was still on the Red Bulls. That guy plays with a real edge.
What are the chances Robles picks up a retroactive suspension this week from the league? He was angry enough to get up, run at full speed, and deliver a two-handed shove to bowl over Agudelo (I think), but laid down again for awhile and eventually hobbled off the field. The MLS highlights don’t show the play. I was sure it was a red and Felipe was gonna be wearing the gloves for a few minutes.