New York Red Bulls Vs FC Cincinnati: 3 key players to watch

HARRISON, NJ - JULY 14: Players of New York Red Bulls celebrate Daniel Royer's goal from the penalty spot during the MLS match between New York City FC and New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on July 14, 2019 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images) /

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HARRISON, NJ – JULY 14: Brian White of New York Red Bulls going for the ball against Maxime Chanot of New York City FC during the MLS match between New York City FC and New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on July 14, 2019 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images) /

1. Brian White

One of the highlights in a forgettable 2019 season was the emergence of Brian White as a legitimate attacking threat. Called upon to replace an injured Bradley Wright-Phillips, White did his job by scoring nine times, ending the season as the New York Red Bulls’ second-highest goalscorer.

Now with Wright-Phillips completely off the roster, White is the first-choice striker. Luckily for the 24-year-old, he has Daniel Royer to his left, Josh Sims to his right and Kaku behind him, all of which are excellent creators and goalscorers themselves, so he should enjoy space to run in behind and service to find him.

Nevertheless, there were times last season when the Red Bulls relied on White to get points against teams they should not have struggled against. The Duke University alumni had a hand in both of the team’s goals in a home draw with the Whitecaps, scored the lone goal in an away win in Orlando, and the winner when they hosted the Chicago Fire.

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White came up clutch for the New York Red Bulls on several occasions last season. He might well be called upon to do the same in 2020, starting on Sunday against Cincinnati.

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