FC Cincinnati Vs New York Red Bulls: 3 things to watch for – Red Bulls to dominate?
2. Jaap Stam has hope, kind of
After an embarrassing display against rivals the Columbus Crew, it was clear new head coach Jaap Stam needed to make some changes to avoid a similar result against Atlanta United.
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Stam instructed his team to sit back and wait for Atlanta to tire themselves out. The Dutchman got some luck with a man advantage for a majority of the game and a screamer of a goal, but FC Cincinnati picked up their first win in 306 days. Ultimately, that is all that matters.
While Cincinnati cannot count on such good fortune consistently, Stam’s adapted style is their best bet to pull a result off. The New York Red Bulls played an energy-sucking press for they’re opening two matches. Chris Armas will stick to the same gameplan. If FCC are smart, they will be able to find spaces on the counter-attack, especially late on if and when the Red Bulls start to tire.
Stam has a truly challenging job on his hands. This a talent-poor squad that is out of its depth. But the Atlanta victory was something to build on. Can they now stack victories against two Eastern Conference playoff teams?