The New York Red Bulls will go in search of their first Major League Soccer win of 2023 when they face Minnesota United at Allianz Field this weekend.
The Loons, meanwhile, will aim to build on their winning start to the new campaign, having claimed a 1-0 victory at FC Dallas in their season opener.
Match preview
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When Minnesota United suffered four successive friendly defeats in the lead-up to the new MLS campaign, it looked as though Adrian Heath's men would struggle to hit the ground running in 2023.
Funnily enough, Minnesota lost 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls during their pre-season schedule, with defeats to Orlando City, San Jose Earthquakes and Vancouver Whitecaps capping off a poor run of warm-up matches.
Nevertheless, the Loons managed to secure an impressive 1-0 win against FC Dallas on the opening weekend, restricting their hosts to a solitary shot on target while profiting from Mender Garcia's second-half strike.
Having finished sixth in the Western Conference and 11th in the overall standings last year – five points shy of the Red Bulls – Minnesota will fancy their chances of reaching the playoffs for a fifth straight season.
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By contrast, the New York Red Bulls secured four consecutive pre-season victories to generate plenty of optimism in Harrison, dispatching Nashville SC, Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose, as well as Minnesota.
However, Gerhard Struber's men failed to carry their pre-season form into the new campaign, as they suffered a 1-0 defeat at Orlando City on the opening weekend before playing out a goalless draw with Nashville last time out.
Despite racking up 14 shots in Orlando, the Red Bulls failed to find the back of the net, while the Lions scored with their only attempt on target to rub salt into the wounds of their visitors.
It is also worth noting that Nashville failed to register a single shot on target at Red Arena last weekend, so Minnesota could struggle to penetrate RBNY's stubborn backline, although the visitors' defensive efforts will likely reduce their attacking threat.
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Team News
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Minnesota United are currently missing several players due to injury, with Bakaye Dibassy (thigh), Doneil Henry (thigh), Ryen Jiba (knee) and Mikael Marques (ankle) unavailable for selection.
On top of that, key forward Emanuel Reynoso is suspended after failing to report for pre-season training, so the Loons look set to be without their most influential player for the foreseeable future.
Mender Garcia will continue to lead the line for Minnesota, while Robin Lob is expected to occupy the vacant attacking midfield role left by Reynoso.
As for the Red Bulls, they will be without the injured duo of Dru Yearwood and Serge Ngoma this weekend as the midfielders continue to recover from hamstring issues.
Having made his RBNY debut from the bench last time out, Belgium international Dante Vanzeir could start up front this weekend after arriving from Union SG in February.
Minnesota United possible starting lineup:
Clair; Valentin, Boxall, Tapias, Lawrence; Trapp, Arriaga; Hlongwane, Lod, Fragapane; Garcia
New York Red Bulls possible starting lineup:
Carlos; Harper, Reyes, Nealis, Tolkin; Luquinhas, Amaya, Casseres, Morgan; Barlow, Vanzeir
We say: Minnesota United 0-0 New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls boast one of the tightest backlines in Major League Soccer, but they often struggle to find the net at the opposite end of the pitch, meaning that Struber's side are frequently involved in low-scoring matches.
For that reason, we expect the Red Bulls to hold Minnesota United to a goalless draw at Allianz Field, as the Loons are also known for their stubbornness under Adrian Heath.
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Ben Morris
