Red Bulls topple CD Guadalajara
Echeverry's score holds up for New York in friendly
The Red Bulls, who have won two consecutive matches, hope to make it a rare Chivas sweep Saturday night when they meet Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center. And the Red Bulls believe they can build off the momentum from the victory.
"It is a good boost of confidence for the team," Juan Carlos Osorio said. "I think we have been competing really well and performing really well lately so great result for the guys and the locker room is very pleased and happy."
One player who is enjoying his finest form as a professional is Ubiparipovic, who also set up the Red Bulls' lone goal against FC Dallas last Saturday at Giants Stadium. The second-year midfielder out of the University of Akron made a darting run down the right flank, avoided a Chivas defender and cut the ball back into the box from the end line.
That's where Echeverry ran onto the ball and slotted it past goalkeeper Luis Michel Vergara from 12 yards out in the 22nd minute.
"I saw open space out wide and I just made a run (for Hunter Freeman), got to the ball, went down the line, crossed it back to Oscar Echeverry, who was wide open," Ubiparipovic said. "He finished it off. He finished it off well."
Echeverry, who also had a shot cleared off the line less than five minutes into the match, appeared to have scored a brace just four minutes later. But that goal was called off because he was in an offside position when receiving the ball.
"In general, I think that it was a very good reward for Oscar for all of his hard work, putting his (knee) injury aside and battling his way back into the team," Osorio said. "I'm very pleased for him."
With his team playing its fourth game in 14 days and with a league contest three days away, Osorio rested many of his starters against the Mexican giants. Veteran Zach Thornton got the nod in net and John Gilkenson, who was selected in the third round of the 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft out of Winthrop University, made his first-team debut.
"It's big, I've been waiting for this a long time," Gilkenson said. "I didn't think it would come this soon, but I thank coach for letting me have this opportunity to let me in there and it was a great game under my belt."
Recently signed Gordon Kljestan, the older brother of Chivas USA standout Sacha Kljestan, made his Red Bulls' debut in the second half.
"I was thrilled once I found out they were offering me a contract," Kljestan said. "It was a dream come true because I played at Seton Hall and I always followed the Red Bulls. As a kid, the Galaxy was my team and then slowly, the Red Bulls became my team so I was happy (when they signed me)."
With both Claudio Reyna and Juan Pablo Angel back in New York still recovering from injury, Seth Stammler wore the captain's armband again. But the midfielder's night would come to an abrupt end three minutes before the stroke of halftime when referee Ricardo Salazar sent him off for kicking a ball into the back of Edgar Ivan Solis, who was also red-carded for his retaliation.
Both teams would play the final 48 minutes of the chippy match with 10 men.
Thornton, who played in his first Red Bulls' match, made sure the clean sheet held up, when fully stretched to his right to push aside a shot from just outside the box three minutes from full time.
"In the first half I think we did enough to probably increase the scoreline and I think in the end, great individual performances, great commitment, great effort from the guys playing against a top opponent," Osorio said. "I'm very pleased with the result and the performance."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
