Red Bulls need to be pushovers

No revenge, only 3 points needed, as RBNY hosts Houston tonight

Mike Petke humbly took the blame for the Red Bulls' early form that saw them winless through six matches before its 2-1 win at Red Bull Arena last Wednesday over the Philadelphia Union. But surely his players are having none of that.

You sensed the grittiness and hard work that Thierry Henry & Co. displayed in their first victory last week as players walked off the pitch, with Henry limping and Tim Cahill huffing and puffing more so than usual. However, there was relief as the increasingly-versatile Eric Alexander produced an intelligent and quiet yet effective display on the field.

Now the Houston Dynamo roll into town--a team that New York has had success against during the regular season here in nearby Harrison, N.J. and in Texas. The Dynamo have problems of their own, starting out slow once again and scrambling to get back on track much like the Red Bulls are. On the other hand, this is a script that supporters have seen from Houston. Even Henry knows it as he watched the Dynamo's goalless draw in Philadelphia, a game that he feels Houston should have put away.

It doesn't matter that the Dynamo stole a 2-1 win in the second leg of last year's playoff series at Red Bull Arena that eliminated New York, stinging the team and supporters alike. Right now what matters is a win at home for Petke and his side, a result that could kickstart a positive streak in this year's campaign. The playoff loss as well as its Supporters Shield is in the past; their main focus is turning around early-season woes.

That will take focus, commitment and maybe some bullying. New York will be missing some pieces tonight but have the depth to control proceedings, especially against a demoralized Dynamo side that have lost three in a row before its goalless draw in Philly. Houston will be missing a key piece in defense that the Red Bulls can look to exploit.

It's still early in the season but the sole game in MLS tonight will be watched by many. A win by either would catapult them higher up in the Eastern Conference table. 

-Tio Pelotas

@TioPelotas74

What do we expect from referees?

Quite simply, we expect referees to get things right - and we worry less about a throw-in or time-wasting, but they can't get the big decisions wrong and not expect criticism.

Geezer watched the New York Red Bulls draw 2-2 in the playoffs with the Houston Dynamo on Sunday. New York bossed the first half and went in 2-0 up. Then Ricardo Salazar sent off Jamison Olave for a slightly reckless tackle near the halfway line. It was a judgment call, but seemed harsh on Olave. What bugged me more was that Salazar had the red card in his hand less than a second after he blew for the foul. Take your time, have a think if that tackle was really dangerous play. It wasn't, it was a yellow, but by no means worthy of a red.

Now some people will say that it was a red, and that's the beauty of soccer. There are human errors and debates rage for days, weeks and years over decisions.

But then Salazar didn't give Houston a penalty in the last minute (just after they equalized), probably because he didn't want to give another decision against New York. It was a foul, and should have been a penalty, but every football fan has seen officials try and even things up when they know they have got a decision wrong earlier in the game.

Salazar is by no means alone. We see poor decisions all the time, bad calls, missed calls and things that make no sense to anyone but the referee.

We don't need or want technology taking over. All the excitement and momentum that used to be in other sports is dwindling due to delays in refereeing/umpiring decisions.

Let's just give the officials we have better training and more respect and in exchange for some consistency and common sense.