HARRISON, N.J. — If the Red Bulls have been adept at anything this season, it has been at making things difficult.
The latest exhibit came Sunday in the wholesale jerseysopener of their home-and-home second-round playoff series in Major League Soccer. Not only did the Red Bulls lose, 1-0, to the Los Angeles Galaxy at Red Bull Arena, but one of their players was shown a red card for the third time in four games.
This time it was the Mexican midfielder Rafael Marquez, who was punished for throwing a punch in a postgame scuffle.
Now the Red Bulls must travel to Los Angeles, where the Galaxy were unbeaten at home in league play this season, without Marquez for Thursday’s return match.
Marquez did not speak with reporters after the game.
“We still have 90 minutes to go,” the Red Bulls’ captain, Thierry Henry, said. “That’s my reaction. We had chances, yes, but we lost. It’s going to be difficult with or without Rafa. We have to regroup.”
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Marquez and Juninho of the Galaxy drew red cards after the final whistle. Marquez caught the ball as the whistle sounded to end the game and threw it at Landon Donovan. In the ensuing 2011 MLB ALL Star Jerseysscrum, Juninho punched or elbowed Red Bulls defender Stephen Keel.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Donovan said of Marquez’s actions. “They’re a dirty team. You saw it happened two weeks ago with Henry.”
Henry’s red card, against Sporting Kansas City, led to his banishment for the final regular-season game, forcing the Red Bulls to claim the last postseason berth without him. Last Wednesday, in the Red Bulls’ playoff opener at Dallas, defender Jan Gunnar Solli was ejected for an ill-timed tackle from behind.
Los Angeles, the league’s No. 1 team in the regular season, scored in the 15th minute on a goal by Mike Magee, a former Red Bull who joined the Galaxy in 2009. David Beckham started the play with a long ball from right to left. Galaxy striker Robbie Keane was in a passive offside cheap mlb jerseysposition, but Magee ran on to the ball and put a left-footed volley past goalkeeper Frank Rost to the far post as the Red Bulls appealed for a whistle.
“We weren’t expecting Magee to be a late runner; he wasn’t in the original mix and he was not picked up,” Red Bulls defender Tim Ream said.
The Red Bulls came out strong in the second half. In the 46th minute, Marquez sent a ball through the defense that Dane Richards corralled, but goalkeeper Josh Saunders fisted his shot away. A minute later, a bicycle kick by Henry sailed wide. Two minutes later, Sean Franklin’s cross-field pass was picked off by Richards. His cross found Joel Lindpere’s head, but Saunders touched that shot over the bar.cheap jerseys
“We created chances, and if we stay on this level we will win,” Backe said. “I think this was our best performance in months. I don’t care if we win this on penalty kicks.”
With a one-goal lead, Los Angeles can play for a tie at home and advance. A Red Bulls win by a goal would force a 30-minute overtime. If the game is still tied, the series would be settled on penalty kicks. http://hima.foruml.biz/t4-topic
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