RED BULLS-CITY ISLANDERS LIVE COMMENTARY

Good evening and thanks for joining us for tonight’s third round Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against the Harrisburg City Islanders. It’s a sunny day here at Skyline Sports Complex, as the Red Bulls arrived to Harrisburg earlier today to have a team meal and rest before the match. The winner of this match will play the victor of the D.C. United-Richmond Kickers game tomorrow. We’ll be providing live commentary right here so make sure you follow along! We’ll have starting lineups in just a little bit. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM.

Here is the starting lineup for New York:

————-Wolyniec———–Chinn———

Agudelo————Nielsen————Garcia

———————-Hall————————–

Miller——-Boyens——-Petke—–Sassano

———————Sutton————————

Substitutes: Coundoul, Tchani, da Luz, Ream

A few notes to get you started:

– The Red Bulls advanced to this round after defeating three MLS teams in qualifying – the Philadelphia Union, 2-1, New England Revolution, 3-0, and the Colorado Rapids, 3-0.

– New York returns several previously missing players into the Starting XI, with Brian Nielsen (right knee) and Roy Miller (hamstring) coming into the mix. Andrew Boyens, fresh from New Zealand’s undefeated third place group showing in the World Cup, starts alongside Mike Petke.

– Forward John Wolyniec leads the team in goals in this year’s U.S. Open Cup with four, including a two goal performance in the squad’s last match against Colorado. Conor Chinn, who also found the back of the net in that game, has three goals this season.

– Midfielder Jeremy Hall will get the nod as a central midfielder today, playing there for the first time since in college. Hall told MLSSoccer.com yesterday that the position could be a good fit for him.

– If New York advanced, it would either travel to Richmond to face the Kickers on July 6 at 7:00 PM at the University of Richmond Stadium or battle D.C. United on July 7 at 7:30 PM at George Mason Stadium.

– Harrisburg defeated the Brooklyn Italians and Long Island Rough Riders to get to this point. Coached by Bill Becher, the City Islanders (the stadium is actually on an island), are 1-6-4 in USL-2 this season. An familiar face on Harrisburg is goalkeeper Danny Cepero, who was with the New York from 2007 to the beginning of 2010 and spearheaded the team’s 2008 MLS Cup Final run.

6:30 PM – Mike Petke is the captain for the Red Bulls tonight.

6:32 PM – Starting Lineup for Harrisburg: Danny Cepero, Danny Ruthven, Dustin Bixler, Jerrit Thayer, Anthony Calvano, Jason Pelletier, JT Noone, Nate Jafta, Jason Hotchkin, Geoff Bloes, Sheanon Williams

6:34 PM – Harrisburg usually lines up in a 4-4-2 with Williams and Bloes up top. Their bench: Dominic Oppong, Tishan Hanley, Tomer Chencinski, Kai Kasiguran, Vince Petrasso, Ryan Zabinski

6:37 PM – Looks like this is what Harrisburg is going to come out with:

————-Williams————-Bloes————-

Pelletier—–Noone—–Jafta———Hotchkin

Ruthven—-Bixler——-Thayer——-Calvano

———————-Cepero————————

Substitutes: Chencinski (GK), Oppong, Hanley, Kasiguran, Petrasso, Zabinski

6:45 PM: See some ESC members rolling in – “ESC On Tour” banner on clear display.

6:50 PM: Well-known MLS referee Alex Prus will be the man in the middle today.

6:55 PM: Red Bulls wearing their road blue kits (haven’t seen that in a while) while Harrisburg donning all white.

6:57 PM: Overheard a “In Backe we Trust” cheer after Hans’s name was announced.

We’re ready to get going here on this beautiful day right along the Susquehanna River (the stadium is actually on an island). Good showing by ESC today and we thank them for making the trip out here!

And we’re off..

2′ It will be interesting to see how the Red Bulls deal with the pitch conditions. Grass is relatively long for a soccer field. Chinn tries to get through but Cepero out to collect.

2′ Wolyniec earns New York’s first corner.

3′ Nielsen corner skips through the box but it is cleared by Harrisburg. On the other end, Sutton catches a weak shot from Hotckin on frame.

5′ Nielsen has a go from 25 yards out but Cepero able to catch it.

10′  Wolyniec pushes off his defender and gets to the end line and tries to cross it to Chinn, whose shot is blocked before being cleared. Red Bulls earn free kick in City Islanders half.

10′ Nielsen free kick shot knocks off Red Bull player and is out for a goal kick.

11′ Yellow card to Chinn for a tackle from behind in midfield.

15′ City Islanders haven’t truly threatened Sutton’s goal so far Bloes is whistled for offsides.

16′ Jinxed us. Bloes gets free on a header from Hotckin cross but it goes straight to Sutton. Sorry about that.

17′ Agudelo then Wolyniec have shots blocked by Harrisburg after Nielsen corner kick goes into the box.

19′ Chinn earns the Red Bulls a corner after a good touch to get into the box.

20′ Petke puts a dangerous header across the box but Chinn can’t control it and Harrisburg clears.

22′ ESC providing the atmosphere as Sassano earns a free kick in the City Islanders’ defensive half.

22′ SAVE Cepero. Wolyniec knocks it on to Petke, whose volley is tipped away by Cepero. Best chance of the match.

26′ Nielsen tries a left-footed volley from 15 yards that rolls and is caught by Cepero.

27′ Harrisburg appeals for a handball in New York’s box after a City Islanders free kick but Prus waves play on. Pelletier tries to test Sutton from long range but it goes wide right.

28′ City Islanders cross skips to Hotchkin, whose left footed shot is blocked by Sassano out of play.

32′ Agudelo does well to find an on-rushing Nielsen but the Dane can’t control his touch and Harrisburg took control.

34′ Red Bulls controling most of the possession but can’t break through.

35′ Red Bulls earn another free kick from about 32 yards out. Nielsen ensuing attempt goes over the crossbar.

37′ Bloes gets into the Red Bulls’ half and runs down the right wing but the cross goes to no one.

38′ Thayer is down on the field after a collison with Chinn. Chinn is getting called for the foul. He has to be careful being on a yellow.

40′ A City Islander is down as play is stopped for now.

41′ Thayer again is the player who was down as he came to the bench.

43′ Thayer is ready to come back in and does so.

45′ Garcia loses possession on the right wing but Hotchkin can’t put in a good cross.  One minute of stoppage time.

46’+ Wolyniec finds Agudelo in the box who turns but his shot on goal is blocked by Thayer. Ball is now out for a goal kick.

Halftime: 0-0. Red Bulls had most of the possession but their best chance (and the best of the half) came when Mike Petke’s volley was saved by goalkeeper Danny Cepero. Brian Nielsen, in his first action back in a few weeks, had a few long range chances and New York had shots on goal blocked by Harrisburg defenders. On the other side, Bloes had a header that went straight to Sutton and Pelletier’s shot from outside of the box did not trouble the goalkeeper. We’ll be back for more in the second half.

Some halftime stats for you

Shots: 4 (NY), 3 (HAR); Saves: 2 (NY) , 3 (HAR); Fouls: 7 (NY), 3 (HAR); Offsides: 0 (NY), 3 (HAR); Corners: 4 (NY), 0 (HAR)

Teams ready to get started with the second half. Looks like no changes for the Red Bulls or for Harrisburg.

46′ Just a reminder, the winner of this match will play the winner of tomorrow’s Richmond Kickers-D.C. United showdown.

47′ Williams nearly gets through on goal but Sutton off his line to pick it up. Meanwhile, Red Bulls earn a corner on the other end.

49′ Off a counterattack, Bloes able to get a shot off towards the left post but Sutton down to gather it.

50′ Harrisburg earns a corner as they have come out strong in this second half. After some sustained possession in New York’s half, Sutton able to catch the ball and retain possession.

53′ Looks like Harrisburg has reverted to a 4-2-3-1 formation with their wingers looking to push forward.

54′ Chinn flicks it on to Garcia, whose volley is caught by a diving Cepero.

55′ Agudelo earns a corner kick for the Red Bulls. After the Nielsen corner was cleared, Garcia floats a ball in that’s caught by Cepero.

58′ Good chance for Harrisburg. Noone cuts into the box and finds Williams, who nods it past the right post.

60′ Nielsen tries to burst through but can’t get enough on his shot and Cepero easily collects.

62′ Wolyniec has a good chance. Chinn muscles past his defender to pass it to Wolyniec in the box. Wolyniec turns and fires into side netting.

63′ Nielsen floats corner kick that Cepero comes out to catch. Cepero quick distribution almost gives Hotchkin a good chance but Petke able to break it up.

65′ Petrasso comes on for Jafta. Looks like Tony Tchani is coming in as well.

65′ Sassano beats his defender and chips it over to Agudelo whose header is wide right. Tchani is coming in for Agudelo.

68′ Williams able to get a step on the Red Bulls defense but the ball goes straight at Sutton.

69′ Miller shot blocked out for a corner kick.

70′ CHINN shot saved by Cepero. Wolyniec took the ball to the end line, cut back to Chinn, whose shot is stopped by a fully extended Cepero.

73′ Bloes put in with some space from Petrasso, but his low shot skips past the left post.

75′ Bloes stays onside and is able to make a run right to the endline. Puts in a cross to Williams, but the forward can’t slide it in. Good opportunity.

76′ da Luz set to come on for Garcia. This will be his first appearance since breaking his foot. da Luz playing on the right hand side. Nielsen is playing wide left with Hall and Tchani in the middle.

77′ Hotchkin almost gets through but can’t control it and New York clears. Ream is getting instructions from assistant coach Richie Williams.

79′ Pelletier shoots from long range but it is right at Sutton. Ream is coming on for Nielsen, who is is playing his first match in several weeks.

80′ Oppong comes in for Hotchkin for Harrisburg. Ream is playing left back, Miller moves to left mid.

82′ Looks like Ruthven is down for the Islanders as the players get some water.

84′ Play resumes as Ruthven comes back in.

84′ da Luz has a go from long range but the ball goes wide left. Good look for the rookie.

86′ da Luz puts it towards the left post but it’s saved by Cepero.

87′ Tonight’s attendance: 1,868.

89′ Sasasano tries to test Cepero from 25 yards out but it swerves straight at Cepero.

90′ Two minutes of stoppage time. Chinn almost gets through but Cepero off his line to get it.

91’+’ Dangerous free kick opportunity for Harrisburg as Williams earns a foul on Boyens. City Islanders 20 yards out.

90’+ Noone’s free kick deflected by da Luz for a corner. Sassano clears.

FULL TIME: 0-0 after 90 minutes.

The teams will play two 15-minute halves. If there is a winner after the two 15-minute intervals are completed, then the game if over. If the score is tied after 120 minutes, the match will be decided by penalty shootout.

Game starts again. Red Bulls outshot Harrisburg 8-5 in that half.

91′ Petrasso tries to cross the ball into the box but no one is there to recieve.

92′ Harrisburg earns free kick after Tchani commits a foul. 28 yards out. Noone’s attempt goes way over.

95′ Wolyniec deflected shot rolls towards Chinn, but Cepero out to get it and collects before being slid into.

97′ Wolyniec creates turnover in Harrisburg’s half and tries to slide it to da Luz but defense able to sweep it away.

99′ da Luz tries to play it over the top to Wolyniec but Cepero off his line again to catch.

100′ Kasiguran looks ready to come on for Harrisburg. Williams lashes shot wide as that’s his last play of the match. He is coming off.

102′ Ream makes a darting run down the left wing and tries to find Chinn at the back post but the forward can’t control.

104′ City Islanders off the POST. Miller’s clearance goes to Petrasso, who one-times a low liner off the right post.

105′ Boyens down on the field and is being attended to.

End of First Extra Time Period. The City Islanders with the best chance of the interval with Petrasso hitting the ball off the right post.

106′ And we’re off again as Petrasso is offsides.

107′ So Petke and Ream are playing centrally with Miller on the left, Sassano on the right. Boyens looks like he was cramping up, so he’s playing more as a center forward with Chinn and Wolyniec also up top. Remember, Boyens just got back from South Africa a couple of days ago.

110′ Boyens nearly gets on the end of a Wolyniec cross but he is called offsides.

112′ Bloes earns a corner after Ream deflects his cross away.

114′ da Luz volley shots that doesn’t trouble Cepero.

115′ da Luz drives in a cross that Boyens nods wide left. Good chance.

116′ Chinn is cramping up as well, but he’s back up, as players from both teams are taking time to stretch.

117′ GOAL CITY ISLANDERS. After Bloes has a great chance that Sutton saves, Oppong goes through the middle and puts it past Sutton. 1-0 HARRISBURG.

118′ City Islanders forced two saves from Sutton beforehand but Oppong was unmarked through the middle and slotted it into the back of the net. A player is down for Harrisburg.

120′ Pelletier shot forces Sutton to dive and save. Red Bulls now have the ball. One minute of added time. Last chance here.

120′ Miller earns corner. This looks like NY’s last chance.

120′ Corner cleared. da Luz shot does not come close.

FULL TIME. Harrisburg wins in the second period of extra time off an Oppong goal. Red Bulls are eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup. Thanks for following and we’ll have post-match reaction later.

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