It's been four days, but Tuesday night feels fresh for the New York Red Bulls.
Even a resounding 3-1 victory over Eastern Conference foe Montreal only highlighted the lingering sense of loss that followed a Concacaf Champions League semifinal ouster to Chivas de Guadalajara.
Big-ticket offseason addition Alejandro "Kaku" Romero Gamarra played 82 minutes, scoring his first MLS goal in his fourth appearance; on Tuesday, he only subbed in for the final half-hour of CCL action, ripping off two shots and earning a foul even as he – and his RBNY teammates – came up empty despite punishing Chivas throughout the match.
The decision to limit Kaku's time in New York's most crucial moment of the run – one head coach Jesse Marsch said was "heavily" discussed – came under fire. Marsch understood, and as is his decision-making right, disagreed.
"When you see tonight, of course, well, everyone is going to say he should have played on Tuesday," Marsch said. "That game was a very different game. Very different game. It was a game about them locking in on us, not having any space, about mobility, about movement up top … it's not to say that Kaku couldn't have fit in there and we couldn't have helped him do certain things. But we made that decision based on what we thought that game would require; and if he came in late, there might be more space and he might be able to make some plays and he almost did. "We've all had to do a lot of reflection on Tuesday night, but my God, we played great. We went after it. We did everything but get the goal. So I'll take criticism, we'll all take some criticism for different things that happened, but I don't regret what happened on Tuesday night."
Marsch called this Kaku's "best game by a mile" and acknowledged "it's time to take the handcuffs off" citing efforts made by the player to understand the tactical requirements and expected reactions RBNY staff are asking him to execute on field. Training elements were being tweaked as recently as Thursday to better clarify everyone's roles.
High on the list is figuring out how to allow Kaku the freedom to operate as the true No. 10 he was brought in to be, while reigning in the natural instinct to seek out "easy places to find the ball" out on the wing. Marsch explained that the system needs Kaku to hold central position, linking the attack and remaining available to counter press as necessary – all elements the coach felt Kaku achieved Saturday, when he was primarily tasked with tagging Impact star Ignacio Piatti.
"He was in places that are difficult and tight but he's gifted enough to do that," Marsch said. "We'll have to continue to build in different things on different days. But I think today he showed a comprehensive understanding of what we need him to do and obviously his ability to make plays is quite good."
Even as Kaku's match prowess has drawn praise and eyeballs, it's what's happening in practice that's leaving a stronger impression with his teammates.
Forward Bradley Wright-Phillips, who's now assisted on Kaku strikes in CCL and MLS play, indicated that Saturday's result was no surprise.
“The guy is not just a quality player on the ball," Wright-Phillips said. "If you really watched this game, his reactions, he closes down and he’s willing to work. To find a No. 10 that is not only good on the ball but can work as hard as he does is very lucky. Once he starts getting more games he’s going to be our most dangerous player."
