HANOVER, N.J. – Conceding a season-high five goals is bad. Falling 5-2 to an expansion team at home is worse. Losing your best defender might just top it all.
The Red Bulls defense has definitely seen better days after being run ragged by a lethal Orlando attack headed by hat-trick hero Cyle Larin, but the road doesn’t get any easier as New York welcome Golden Boot frontrunner Kei Kamara and Columbus Crew SC to town on Saturday (7 pm ET; MLS LIVE).
Stopping the Sierra Leone international has been a feat few MLS defenses have accomplished this season, and without the services of the unavailable Matt Miazga – who’s handled elite attacking talents such as David Villa and Sebastian Giovinco commendably – the order becomes that much taller.
In Miazga's stead, head coach Jesse Marsch will turn to Ronald Zubar, who was initially brought in during the offseason to be the defensive rock for New York – the player who was supposed to fill the void left by the departure of Jamison Olave.
“We need him,” Marsch said of Zubar. “This is a really, really good opportunity for Ronald to establish himself and show everything that he’s about. I think very highly of him – I know that our team does – it’s just that Damien [Perrinelle] and Matt have done so well. But the silver lining of Matt being gone is that Ronald gets a chance to show everything that he’s about.”
It’s been a long time coming from Zubar, as injuries derailed his season before it could ever truly get going. But after arduous and seemingly endless rehab, the Frenchman is ready to enter the fold.
“These last two months I’ve really felt part of the team, more than at the beginning,” Zubar admitted. “It’s been up and down. Unfortunately I haven’t played as much as I want to. Jesse brought me here as a leader, and he’s counting on me. I’ve been working on my fitness and sharpness, and I really feel ready to go.”
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Without a steady run of games to get into a groove, Zubar will need to acclimate quickly to face a Columbus side that has caused problems for the Red Bulls several times already. There is also little room for error for Zubar, as the Red Bulls look to bounce back from a rare home loss to stay near the front of the Supporters' Shield race.
“He’s thrown into a game against the best striker in the league, and it’ll be a great battle,” Marsch added. “I think he actually matches up great against Kei Kamara. It’s just a matter of him being at game speed in a game that’ll be pretty fast, now there will be crossing coming in and he’ll be dealing with a really good athlete. I know he’ll be up for the task.”
There’s no doubting that Zubar is being thrown into the fire, but he’ll be the first to say that he’d have it no other way.
“I actually prefer to get someone really strong and big in front of me than someone like Giovinco who’s turning, stopping and starting,” Zubar told MLSsoccer.com. “It’s going to be the kind of battle that I like.”
