Backe era opens with tie vs CSKA Moscow
January 25, 2010 (Official Game Summary)
The New York Red Bulls played their first match of the 2010 preseason against CSKA Moscow at a wet Campoamour Resort in Alicante, Spain. It was the first match under the direction of new head coach Hans Backe, and the club performed well, playing to a 1-1 draw against the Russian UEFA Champions League side.
Red Bulls midfielder Dane Richards scored the first goal of the 2010 season just six minutes into the match when he took control of a misplayed ball by the CSKA backline and sprinted in alone and beat goalkeeper Chepchugov with a low shot to the left side. Red Bulls captain Juan Pablo Angel took a pass from rookie midfielder Austin da Luz and turned and fired a diagonal ball from 30 yards out at the CSKA defense that was controlled by Stoliarenko, but his back pass was intercepted by Richards.
The Red Bulls had a number of other chances in the opening 45 minutes, including two corner kick opportunities in the 17th and 18th minutes and a Conor Chinn tally that was ruled offsides.
The Red Bulls made six substitutions to start the second half. CSKA came out quickly pressuring the Red Bulls back line and finally put one through when Zabolotniy sent in a left side cross that Tomas Necid handled and fired at trialist goalkeeper Bill Gaudette. Gaudette made the save on the shot from just two yards out, but Necid cleaned up the rebound to level the match at 1-1 in the 49th minute.
Richards, who was subbed back in the 67th minute for Angel, had a chance to give New York the victory with five minutes remaining when he split the midfield and sent a pass wide left to Jeremy Hall. Hall gathered the ball and sent it back to Richards in the middle. But Richards' shot sailed over the crossbar from inside the area.
CSKA pressured New York in the second half, sending a number of shots in, but Gaudette was up to the task as the match finished in a draw.
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