HARRISON, N.J. — I write to you from Red Bull Arena, typically the crown jewel of this industrial wasteland. It’s been converted into a winter wonderland, with meth addicts playfully sledding down hills on cardboard toboggans, tank-top-clad locals putting their empty 40-ounce bottles down in exchange for dirty snowballs. It’s enough to make a D.C. United fan cry.
Speaking of, D.C. United is set to face the New York Red Bulls in second leg of the MLS Eastern Conference semifinals at 8 p.m. (The game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network.) This storm is for real, and though it doesn’t seem to be piling up at the moment, it will still be a few more hours until the worst of it passes over.
With only a few hours left before game time, here are a few things to look for in what will either be United’s last gasp of 2012 or the game that will land them 180 minutes from the MLS Cup.
1. Who will New York put on the field? Red Bulls Head Coach Hans Backe has never been one for consistency, having tinkered with his lineup repeatedly over the course of this season. One of the primary storylines for the Red Bulls will be whether Mexican national team member and resident demon-spawn Rafa Marquez will take the field or not. Though the team has claimed that the central defender is suffering from a calf ailment, Backe and Marquez were seen arguing loudly as they left the pitch after the first half of Saturday’s game at RFK Stadium. Marquez has been through his share of drama with the Red Bulls—hurling balls at opponents after the final whistle and claiming his teammates weren’t up to his level of play—and some doubt the seriousness of his “calf ailment.” Frankly, the only calf ailment I can see Marquez having is maybe running out of young, nubile calves to slaughter. You know, so he can feast on their blood.
There’s also the issue of the second-leading scorer in the league, Kenny Cooper, who’s been criticized by both Backe and Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry. Will he start? Backe gave Sebastian Le Toux the nod on Saturday, but le Toux was mostly disappointing. Cooper needs service to be effective, and while Le Toux brings speed and creativity to the table, I’d be surprised if the Red Bulls didn’t put Cooper out there tonight. He’s just a better goal-scorer and the Red Bulls will need goals (and maybe more than two) to emerge victorious tonight.
2. How will United fill the void left by Andy Najar? This is perhaps United’s biggest question of the evening. How will they deal with the absence of their starting right back, who will miss the game to serve the suspension he earned for going all Rafa Marquez on Saturday? Defensively, the answer is simple: United can either plug Robbie Russell in at right back, or play the newly-available Daniel Woolard at left and put Chris Korb into Najar’s usual slot. Woolard and Russel would be rusty, though, as Woolard only recently recovered from a months-long concussion-induced absence, and Russell hasn’t played consistently since recovering from a bout with plantar fasciitis earlier this year.
Where United will have a harder time adjusting is on the offensive side, where they’ll have to compensate for the long, overlapping runs that United’s young right back brought to the table. If Nick De Leon can pick up the slack, the United should be fine. If not, it could be a long night.
3. Will Dwayne De Rosario Play? That depends. Just eight weeks into his recovery from a badly sprained MCL—which usually requires 10 to 12 weeks to heal—De Rosario was upgraded to “probable” for today’s match. We see him in the 18-yard box at some point. (He certainly won’t start.) If anything, United fans may see him as a late second-half substitute, but only if absolutely necessary. If the game is pushed to penalty kicks, his experience would certainly serve the team well—he’s United’s go-to PK taker.
Honestly, I wouldn’t expect DeRo to get any minutes. Especially given the snowy conditions here, I think he’ll be riding the pine in support of his teammates.
Prediction: United 3, Red Bulls 2. Expect a wide-open match, as both teams know that they’ll need to put goals on the board to make it through. If New York gives up an early goal—as they’ve been known to do recently—United has an excellent chance of making it out of New Jersey. If Henry comes alive, however, and whatever defensive combination Backe puts out there gells, United could fade gently into the Jersey night, never to be heard from again.
