By Tony Álvarez
CF Monterrey will have to send their best players to the pitch to beat a motivated New York Red Bulls team in what is expected to be another tight game in the Leagues Cup when these two side square off this Sunday at TQL Stadium at 8:00 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
- First ever matchup between the teams
- Record at Leagues Cup: Monterrey (5-5), Red Bulls (4-3)
LAST FIVE GAMES:
- Monterrey
- 2 Wins, 0 Draws, 3 Losses
- Lost Leagues Cup opener vs Cincinnati (3-2)
- New York Red Bulls
- 2 Wins, 0 Draws, 3 Losses
- Won Leagues Cup opening match with a last-minute goal
MAIN STORYLINES
- Emil Forsberg continues to embrace leadership role; scored game-winner in 97th minute vs Guadalajara
- New York Red Bulls have allowed 11 goals over their last five games across all competitions
- New York Red Bulls will look for a seventh win against Liga MX teams
- Monterrey has lost four straight games at Leagues Cup dating back to 2023
- Sergio Ramos will play his 2nd Leagues Cup game; played full 90 minutes vs Cincy, recorded two shots (1 on goal)
KEY FACTORS
- *Monterrey:
Germán Berterame scored in Thursday's loss but it came in the 94th minute, he will look to get involved earlier in this one. Since the start of the Club World Cup in June, Los Rayados have scored 12 goals in eight games and Berterame has eight of those.
- Sergio Canales scored a beauty near the end of the first half vs Cincinnati. He now has three goals in seven career Leagues Cup games.
- Could the busy summer with a busy schedule be taking it's toll on the team. Luckily they didn't have to travel for this one as they stayed in Cincinnati since Thursday.
- *New York Red Bulls:
Snapped a streak of eight straight games without a clean sheet with a disciplined effort on the backend Thursday.
- Emil Forsberg continues to be the catalyst of this offense. He had started 10 consecutive games so was given a rest but as soon as he came off bench he provided the spark the Red Bulls needed.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
La Pandilla had a disappointing loss in their Leagues Cup Opener against FC Cincinnati even after fielding a talented roster with Sergio Canales, Germán Berterame and Sergio Ramos on the field. The center back made his tournament debut and had some chances in attack, but the team felt short after a 3-2 loss and now they are in desperation mode.
Red Bulls, on the other hand, looked solid on defense and after grinding for more than 90 minutes against Chivas de Guadalajara, captain Emil Forsberg scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time, which was his first career Leagues Cup goal. Those three points prove to be vital in a tight race for a spot in the knockout stages.
There is no question that he is the leader of his team, as he has been involved in seven goal contributions in his last seven appearances across all competitions for New York. With that said, having a clean sheet in the last game for the first time since the month of May provided confidence on defense and they will look to it carry over against Rayados.
It´s another must-win situation in the Leagues Cup with a CF Monterrey team that has to do whatever they can to stay alive in a tournament that can once again provide a ticket for the Concacaf Champions Cup for them, but in front is a New York Red Bulls team determined to capture a win that would bring them closer to advancing to next round in the tournament.
