Sports

RBNY captain Angel looking for form, goals

Despite all of the Red Bulls’ offseason movements and mechinations, the fact is they will take the field today at hated archrival Chicago (3 p.m., MSG) as the only team in all of MLS that hasn’t mustered a single goal. Not one.

Yet Juan Carlos Osorio’s team isn’t worried. Knowing sooner or later Juan Pablo Angel will catch fire must help.

They drew New England 1-1 last weekend in a game they easily could’ve won, if not for conceding a 90th-minute equalizer. But that tally came on an own goal, when Khano Smith’s cross was deflected into the net. No Red Bull has scored yet through two games, noteworthy since Angel’s 33 goals in his two MLS seasons are the best in the league.

“We will start to score goals very soon, because we certainly have the weapons and we have the ability; we have players in here who will be able to score goals in a given day,” Angel said. “I’m not really concerned about it. Obviously I’d like to score goals every game, but I don’t want to get too crazy about it.” Angel said the back woes that cost him eight games last year _ and limited him to two goals the first half of the season, as opposed to a dozen in the second-half _ are a thing of the past. Now the Colombian says he’s just trying to get his game sharp, and get the team their first victory of the year.

“I’m feeling well. I’m still trying to find the rhythm of the game,” Angel said. “That’s the case of everyone here, trying to find the match sharpness. Physically I feel pretty well. I still need to improve more on the football side. I’m sure it will happen pretty soon. There’s a lot of room for us to improve. That includes me and that includes everyone.

“In the end this sport is about winning matches and we have to start winning in order for us to build the confidence up. There were a lot of positives (last) Saturday, but it still wasn’t 100 percent right. We have to find the form sooner rather than later.”

To be fair, their form was much better against the Revolution than it had been in the season-opening loss at Seattle the previous week. But it’s hard to picture the form being much worse than that emasculation.

Angel said he’s rapidly forming a partnership up top with Mac Kandji, something Red Bull fans hope gets the team on the scoreboard tomorrow in Chicago.

“With a partnership we need to play games,” Angel said. “The only way you get that is by playing together, so hopefully this year we get to get a run together and hopefully build something up. Only time will tell.”