Three questions with Once A Metro

Brotherly Game: The New York Red Bulls were winless in four before beating Orlando City on Wednesday. What changed, and will it be something they can carry to Philadelphia on short rest?

Huan Nguyen, Once A Metro: The biggest thing for the Red Bulls recently has been second half goals given up. The loss against Real Salt Lake and the tie with Columbus Crew SC were all down to second half goals which could be explained by injuries. That said, against the Portland Timbers and against Orlando the defense looked solid and seems to be moving in the right direction. If the Red Bulls can score and defend like the they did against Orlando and they'll be more like 2015 Supporters Shield Winners and not like the team of the last four games.

So far this year Jesse Marsch has been pretty consistent on with his starting 11. He did however rotate the midfield and back four and midfield a little against Orlando. That being said this a long stretch for the Red Bulls with a lot of midweek games for the Red Bulls so the minutes are really adding up. Anything is possible.

tBG: New York has a decent lineup top to bottom - what's the Achilles' heel, and how do the Union exploit that weakness?

OAM: I think the two center backs are often the Achilles heel. Just on an injury and rotation level. With Gideon Baah out with a broken leg, Damien Perrinelle coming back from a long term knee injury and Chris Duvall a converted fullback at center back, there hasn't been a real chance for chemistry to develop. While Bradley Wright-Phillips has struggled to consistently score, the center backs have been this years weakness. Especially for a team with some newly found scoring options.

tBG: Is this a rivalry?

OAM: I think the word rivalry gets thrown around too much in MLS nowadays. There's definitely some history between the two teams now. There's the two Open Cup games and Grella's goal. But I don't think it's a rivalry yet. There isn't the bad blood between the fan bases. I think the closest that it could've happened was after last years Open Cup game. I think for the Red Bulls the "rivalry" boat is full. That being said we don't like you guys for the two Open Cup losses...but then again it was the Open Cup.

Injuries: OUT - Gideon Baah (broken leg), Kemar Lawrence (groin surgery)

Projected lineup: Luis Robles; Connor Lade, Ronald Zubar, Chris Duvall, Sal Zizzo; Felipe, Dax McCarty, Mike Grella, Sacha Klejstan, Gonzalo Veron; Bradley Wright-Phillips

For our answers to Once A Metro's three questions with us, click here.