Red Bull scouting report

MAINTAINING POSSESSION

Aside from a shot at first place in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference, pride and bragging rights are on the line this evening at RFK Stadium in the first leg of the 2011 Atlantic Cup. D.C. United will face its oldest foe in a nationally televised contest (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2) as Thierry Henry, Rafael Marquez, and the rest of the New York Red Bulls descend on Washington. United's loyal legion of fans will be in full voice, and the Black-and-Red have been preparing diligently on the training pitch and in the classroom for this important fixture. 

Red Bull Head Coach Hans Backe emphasizes a possession-first style of play, and challenging for the ball across every blade of grass will be crucial for United tonight. Said Assistant Coach Chad Ashton, "They have very technical players that can punish you. They play in very tight spaces and they play with limited touches at a good tempo."

Ashton continues, "The key at this point is that teams almost give them too much respect. If you go back and look at their games they have most of the possession in those matches. They've had teams on their heels, they've had more of the chances. In my opinion teams have just shown them too much respect. For us it's a situation where we will disrupt that possession, and try to tick that possession meter in our favor."

New York's roster is littered with gifted players that are smooth on the ball. Centerbacks Marquez and Tim Ream are adept at starting the Red Bull attack from the backline, while Estonian midfielder Joel Lindpere is a constant threat on the left wing. Based on Ashton's comments, United will aim to use its speed and athleticism in the form of Charlie Davies, Josh Wolff, and Chris Pontius to disrupt New York's metronomic movements, making for exciting viewing for fans of the Black-and-Red. 

LAUNCHING THE ATTACK

Though New York centerback Tim Ream was beaten to the 2010 MLS Rookie of the Year Award by United's Andy Najar, the 23-year-old defender is just as important to Red Bull's offense as he is to defensive success. Last season Ream started all 30 of New York's regular season matches, logging 2,700 minutes of the pitch. 

New York's Thierry Henry heads the ball past San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch during the Red Bulls' 3-0 win on Saturday night.
Getty Images

United midfielder Santino Quaranta is no stranger to the Atlantic Cup, having played in 18 matches (14 starts) against New York, registering one goal and seven assists. Quaranta believes that Ream is the key to Red Bull's success, allowing the club's attacking players to advance upfield without worry. "When you have a centerback that plays a beautiful ball directly to the attacking midfielders and forwards, it makes life so much easier," said Quaranta.

He continues, "Both [Rafael] Marquez and [Tim] Ream can start the attack, but Ream in particular does some amazing things. Sometimes he can bypass the midfield with his passing, and this gives [New York] a lot of options in terms of their attack."

Ream and Marquez aren't the only defenders on New York's roster capable of aiding their attack. Norwegian Jan Gunnar Solli is a versatile fullback that will take chances getting forward. He has one assist so far in 2011 and has started all five of New York's MLS contests following an accomplished club career in his homeland with Rosenborg and SK Brann.

STATING THE OBVIOUS

When it comes to scouting the Red Bulls, New York's list of attacking threats is long and obvious. French talisman Thierry Henry leads the way, but the former Arsenal forward has struggled getting on the scoresheet in 2011. Henry scored his first goal of the season last weekend in San Jose in a 3-0 victory. In that same match, Englishman Luke Rodgers burst onto the MLS scene with a two-goal performance. Then there is new signing Dewayne De Rosario, who despite not scoring for New York yet this term, is a constant threat in front of goal. 

Said United's Chad Ashton, "[New York] has a lot of really good attacking players on the field, and as long as they have the ball, that's great. But all of a sudden if you take that time on the ball away from them, you force those guys that love to attack to defend. We're going to try to get at their weaknesses and take away their strengths."

United will rely on the steady midfield play of captain Dax McCarty and veterans like Quaranta, Clyde Simms, and Fred to hold the ball and quell New York's advances. Wing play will be particularly important for the Black-and-Red, with Lindpere stalking the left touchline and speedster Dane Richards on the right flank. Fullback Marc Burch has played every minute of United's 2011 MLS season, and the veteran defender will be tasked with shutting down Richards.

Meanwhile, rookie rightback Chris Korb will be called upon to mark Lindpere and De Rosario when the Canadian drifts into wide positions. Henry will test the center of United's backline alongside Rodgers, and 18-year-old U.S. National Team forward Juan Agudelo is always a threat in space. Look for Dejan Jakovic to partner either rookie Perry Kitchen or fellow first-year player Ethan White in the middle of United's defense. 

NOTES

- Santino Quaranta will be available for selection tonight following a return from suspension due to the two cautions he picked up on April 6 against LA. 

- Both United and Red Bull had two entrants in MLSsoccer.com's Week 5 Team of the Week. Ethan White and Chris Pontius made the cut for their peformances against TFC last Saturday, while Luke Rodgers and Thierry Henry earned recognition for their strike partnerships against San Jose.