If you were hoping to be able to find a large difference between the two area MLS teams during their season openers, we're sorry to disappoint you. Both teams played to identical 1-1 road draws—NYCFC against Orlando, and the Red Bulls against Kansas City—despite both having a man advantage in the second half.
Orlando City 1, NYCFC 1
NYCFC kicked off their inaugural season in from of 62,000 fans packed into the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. The clash between the two expansion sides playing their first MLS match wasn't terribly pretty in the first half, particularly when NYCFC goalkeeper Josh Saunders busted his head open on the goalpost while making a save. Despite a few minutes of stoppage for his treatment, Saunders was cleared by team doctors and continued on.
A breakthrough wouldn't come until the second half, when NYCFC would score their first ever goal. David Villa tried to break through on the wing before choosing to dish the ball to the top of the box. It was "Nordic Messi" himself, Mix Diskerud, who - just seconds after fixing his hair - who took a touch into the box and curled home the opener.
The victory looked secure minutes later when Orlando defender Aurelien Collin made a rash challenge on David Villa, drawing a straight red card.
With a man and goal advantage for the finally ten minutes, NYCFC hoped to kill off the game—but it would be the start of Orlando's lineup, Brazilian superstar Kaka, who would rescue the point for the home side. Kaka's dangerous free kick took a deflection off defender Jeb Brovsky, wrong-footing Saunders and leveled the match in stoppage time.
It's hard to complain about a road point, but Jason Kreis will certainly feel as though they let two points needlessly slip away. NYCFC hosts New England in their historic home opener at Yankee Stadium next Sunday, March 15th.
Sacha Kljestan #16 of New York Red Bulls competes for the ball as Amadou Dia #13 and Roger Espinoza #27 of Sporting KC look on (Getty Images)
Kansas City 1, Red Bulls 1
Jesse Marsch's first 90 minutes as head coach of the Red Bulls got off to a mixed start, as the club traded goals at Sporting Park to gain a road point of their own.
The Red Bulls would concede first, with Ike Opara beating Roy Miller (why always you, Roy?) to head home a cross from Benny Feilhaber. But it only took four minutes for the equalizer, a beautiful piece of skill from Lloyd Sam:
The Red Bulls, too, would go up a man late, with Matt Besler earning a second yellow card in the 70th minute. But they could not take advantage, perhaps in part due to Bradley Wright-Phillips having an off night with no shots. In fact, without late heroics from Luis Robles—and a big miss from Dom Dwyer—the Red Bulls might have picked up their first loss of the year.
It's hard to complain about a road point, but Jesse Marsch will certainly feel as though they left two points on the table. The Red Bulls are off next week, and will open at home against DC United on March 22rd.
