April 2, 2015 USL Pro--New York Red Bulls II vs Toronto FC II preview of game (from torontofc.ca)
Match Preview: Toronto FC II vs. New York Red Bulls II April 2, 2015 Kamal Hylton torontofc.ca After securing their first win the tone of training was both focused and energetic looking ahead to a continued road trek. TFC II heads to Harrison, New Jersey to take on New York Red Bulls II. Head coach Jason Bent wants to take positive momentum from the Montreal game into Red Bull Arena, going against a Red Bulls squad that played to a solid 0-0 draw against Rochester Rhinos. The message from Bent is clear. “A clean sheet and one goal would suffice,” said Bent. “We were able to get a clean sheet against Montreal and that’s fantastic. It gives us a foundation to build off.” “The first game against Charleston we also had an issue with set pieces, which was corrected and long may it last. We’ll want to continue to score on set pieces as well, with it being such a huge part of modern day football.” The team is beginning to gel, using road trips to help the group bond off the pitch. From the players perspective it’s also translating itself on the field. “I’ve only come a few weeks ago and just signed on Friday,” said Nunes. “I know a couple players from last year, but being on the road and getting to know each others personalities is helping on the pitch as well. The way we play and the chemistry that’s building, it all comes from the road trips and being on the bus together.” “The road trips are important,” Nunes continued. “If we were playing a lot of home games we wouldn’t be as close as we are, we would just see each other at training and then go home.” The Opposition Known within MLS circles as one of the better producers of academy talent, NYRB II is a team that is projected to do very well as the season progresses. Playing state rivals Rochester Rhinos to a 0-0 draw, the key players that stood out were goalkeeper Santiago Castano, captain and midfielder Leo Stolz as well as forwards Marius Obekop and Manolo Sanchez. Bent has prepared his squad for these players, keeping a close eye on how they impacted the game against Rochester. "I’ve watched the video of their last game and have put the players through a video session,” said Bent. “They have a really good attacking midfielder that can play both ways in Leo Stoltz from UCLA. They have (Marius) Obekop who plays on the left and is a very exciting player, he has a strong left foot and he’s good in 1v1 situations. The goalkeeper (Santiago) Costano has good distribution out of his feet, we’ll have to be aware of that. Then there’s another player coming out of the draft in striker Manolo Sanchez, he has a lot of pace and can be very direct.” “We’ll set up our team to know exactly what we’ll be facing and set out to get three points.” Individual Battle to Watch If it turns into a midfield battle, a matchup to watch could be Stoltz vs. Luca Uccello Although Uccello’s role has been somewhat understated, unlike Mo Babouli for example that’s dazzling fans with goals, fancy footwork and quality set pieces, it doesn’t mean it’s any less important. As a matter of fact, his ability to be a two-way player by helping influence the game on both sides of the ball was critical in the win over FC Montreal and will be vitally important against a player of Stoltz’s caliber. Coming into the 2015 MLS SuperDraft as a highly rated prospect, Stoltz was one of the most talented collegiate players. He bring with him a pedigree of both 2014 College Player of the Year and 2014 National Champion with the UCLA Bruins, showing quality on set pieces, goal scoring, unselfishness and leadership that has earned him the role of captain on NYRB II. This shapes up to be a very exciting USL match, pitting two of MLS' top academies against each other.
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