Red Bulls 2-0 Inter Miami: An Own Goal, a Forsberg Dagger, and a Season Still Alive
New York blanked the East's form team in Harrison to keep its playoff hopes breathing with three games left.
With the Eastern Conference playoff line cutting right through their season, the New York Red Bulls produced their most important 90 minutes of the year on Saturday, beating Inter Miami 2-0 in Harrison, New Jersey — against a side that had won its previous three matches this month by a combined 9-1.
How the goals came
New York led inside seven minutes. Mohammed Sofo released Cade Cowell down the right, and Cowell's low cross deflected off Miami midfielder Casemiro and into the bottom corner for an own goal, according to the club's match report and the AP account.
The second was pure sucker punch. Emil Forsberg, on as an 85th-minute substitute, finished off a move in second-half stoppage time after Ronald Donkor won the ball deep and fed Cameron Harper, whose cross Forsberg lofted home. It was Forsberg's fourth goal of the season — and Donkor's 10th assist, a franchise record for a player his age (21 years, 338 days), per the club.
Messi contained
Lionel Messi — the league's top scorer with 25 goals entering the day — came on in the 56th minute but couldn't unlock a New York defense that limited the damage all afternoon. Ethan Horvath needed just two saves for his fifth clean sheet of the season; Dayne St. Clair made five at the other end for Miami (15-6-10).
"We wanted to try to go after them in every sense, put them on their heels, not give them time to do anything they wanted," head coach Michael Bradley said afterward.
What it means
New York (11-14-6) began the day in the ninth and final Eastern Conference playoff position, and the three points keep the Red Bulls squarely in the race — though Columbus's 4-2 win over Toronto the same day keeps the fight for that last spot alive into the final weeks. New York visits New England on Wednesday; Miami hosts FC Cincinnati the same night.