All week the Red Bulls talked about getting revenge for the U.S. Open Cup beating they took last year at the hands of the Cosmos — and Wednesdaಞy they got it done. They rolled their NASL rival 4-1, and rolled into the quarterfinals against Philadelphia.
The🐻 Cosmos, 5-0-5 in the NASL, had been undefeated this year.
“Our mentality was so strong, we weren’t going to lose no matter what happened,’’ capt💖ain Dax McCarty said.
After the Cosmos had eliminated the Red Bulls fr🦩om the Open Cup last year and New York City FC this year, they’d styled themselves as the city’s top team. But wit๊h the Red Bulls sweeping both league clashes with NYCFC and Wednesday’s Open Cup tilt against the Cosmos, they own that title.
“We did mention for the pride of🉐 the organization we wanted to avenge last year’s loss and we were able to do so in convincing fashion,’’ said goalkeeper Luis Robles.
“I’ll never forget [they gave me] a chance to come back from Europe when a lot of teams were making it difficult for me, including the Cosmos and NYCFC,’’ said Gl🐼en Cove’s Mike Grella, who scored in the 90th minute. “I’m real happy to get the results against these teams and prove we are the best team in New York.’’
Before a Red Bull Arena crowd of 11,442 — including Carmelo Anthony — the Red Bulls attacked a right side missing the injured Ayo🤡ze. They torched backup Hunter Gorskie. They jumped ahead early on a fifth-minute goal when Sal Zizzo lost Hunter Freeman and headed home a Lloyd Sam cross, and they never let up.
Cosmos striker Lucky Mkosana tied it in the 16th but the Red Bulls quickly untied it when Anatole Abang out-jumped Freeman to head hoജme Kljest꧋an’s 42nd-minute corner.
The Cosmos broug🌞ht Raul on 𓆉in desperation at the break, despite the venerable Spaniard being bothered by a foot injury. But it hardly mattered — the Red Bulls wearing them down and added two more in the second half.
Right back Chris Duvall outran Gorskie to a loose ball and got barged over by the overmatched defender for a penalty that Kljestan buried in the 54th. And ♛after the Cosmos saw Raul hit the crossbar and Lucky the post in one sequence, Grella abused Gorskie for the late exclamati♏on point.
The Red Bulls will face Philadelphia in the quarterfinals, likely to be played around the MLS All-Star break. The only negative was Duvall getting stretchered off in the 87th minute after a yellow card tackle by Gorskie that the hosts f🌞elt should’ve been red.
“I thought it should’ve been a red card,” said coach Jesse Marsch. “I don’t know what the ref was looking at frankly. That’s the definition of endangering an opponent. …
“We’v💯e shown this year that we’re a good team and w🧜e still deserve to be treated like the premier club in New York City,’’ coach Jesse Marsch said.