Fresh off their Emirates Cup victory, the New York Red Bulls get back to MLS regular-season action Saturday night when they visit Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium at 9 p.m. ET (TV: MSG).
New York became the first American club to participate in and win the Emirates Cup last weekend, when they earned four points out of their two matches. On Saturday, Joel Lindpere’s 27th-minute goal upended French side Paris Saint-Germain as the Red Bulls won a 1-0 decision. On Sunday, the Red Bulls faced the hosts and the former club of Thierry Henry, Arsenal FC. It looked as though the Gunners were on their way to lifting the Emirates Cup after Robin Van Persie gave them the lead with a first-half goal. But the Red Bulls struck back in the 84th minute as Henry combined with Roy Miller, whose cross into the Arsenal box was knocked into the net for an own goal by Kyle Bartley.
The Red Bulls enter Saturday’s match in Utah with a record of 6-5-12 and 30 points, which has them in third place in the Eastern Conference. The match pits strength against strength, as the Red Bulls have scored the most goals in MLS so far this season, finding the back of the net 34 times. Real Salt Lake owns the league’s best defensive record, conceding just 14 times through 19 matches. Real Salt Lake currently finds itself in fifth place in the Western Conference on 33 points and a record of 9-4-6. RSL was shut out in its last match, falling to the Columbus Crew 2-0 last Saturday.
The Red Bulls will be without four players called up to international duty. Defenders Tim Ream (United States) and Rafa Marquez (Mexico), forward Juan Agudelo (United States), and goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul (Senegal) have been called up for national team duty in order to participate in international friendlies on August 10. All four players are expected to return and be available for selection in time for when the Red Bulls take on the Chicago Fire on August 13 at Red Bull Arena at 7:30 p.m. ET.