PHILADELPHIA — With the Red Bulls depleted by injury and going on the road for their third game in eight days, and the Union one of MLS’ most inept offensive teams, today’s game at PPL Park (12:30 p.m., ESPN2) figures to have far more feistiness than finesse, more battling than brilliance. And that’s just fine with the reinvented Red Bulls.
They have played their past three games without Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez, and their first-choice defense. But behind some young backups and a new-found toughness, the Red Bulls not only have stretched their defensive scoreless streak to 293 minutes — sixth-best in MLS this year — but they have reeled off three straight 1-0 wins.
“It may not be a pretty game,” Brandon Barklage said. “It’ll be pretty heated, I’m sure. But that’s all part of the league. That’s all part of the sport.’
“We’re just antsy to get back out there on the field, and hopefully we’ll get a good support group from the New York fans — which I’m sure we will — and we’ll show them what we can do on the road again, like we did against L.A.’’
Coach Hans Backe said left back Roy Miller and Marquez (probable despite a left ankle injury) should start, and Juan Agudelo likely will come in as a sub. Even with Jan Gunnar Solli (quad) listed as probable, Backe will make a few changes just to freshen the lineup after such a grueling stretch of games.
“It’s really hard work. We haven’t always played phenomenal, but the effort has been phenomenal, especially the effort away,’’ Solli said. “Going to Philly, now let’s just be hard to break down and [make] them work really hard.’’
The Union — in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with just seven points — have found it hard to break anybody down. Their five goals are tied for worst in MLS, and last weekend’s 1-0 loss at Seattle, the fourth time they have been shut out — saw them muster just a single shot on goal.
Conde arrested
Red Bulls defender Wilman Conde, who has played in two of the team’s 10 matches this season because of a groin injury and is not expected to play today, was arrested early yesterday in Fort Le, N.J., and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer.
The 29-year-old Conde was released on his own recognizance pending a hearing in Fort Lee Municipal Court this month.
According to the police report, police were called to Conde’s apartment at 5:30 a.m. on a noise complaint. As the police officers encountered Conde and the co-owner of the apartment, Fhanor Dominguez-Sanchez, they found the pair to be “very intoxicated and belligerent to the responding officers,” the report read.
When one of the officers asked the identity of a female guest, Conde “became loud and got in the way of the officer.”
Conde then allegedly pushed the officer repeatedly, causing his arrest.