Reggae Boy Richards scores in Red Bulls draw
TUCSON, Arizona (CMC) — Dane Richards continued to impress, when he scored the equalising goal for New York Red Bulls in a 2-2 draw with Sporting Kansas City in a Major League Soccer pre-season game on Saturday.
The Red Bulls fell behind twice, but each time they were resurrected by their possible frontline pair of Jamaican international Richards and French star Thierry Henry in front of a sell-out crowd of 10,087 at Hi Corbett Field.
Richards, whose goal-scoring form at the end of last season earned the Red Bulls a place in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where their season ended, earned his side a hard-fought draw with a 76th minute strike.
The Reggae Boyz forward made up for an earlier missed chance, when Henry gathered the ball at the top of box, and held off defender Matt Besler before he passed it to his striking partner.
Richards was able to withstand the pressure of a Kansas City defender and poked it in under Nielsen.
The Jamaican almost knocked in the game winner three minutes later, outrunning compatriot Shavar Thomas and rifling an attempt that KC ‘keeper Jimmy Nielsen blocked away, and in the 86th minute, Henry nearly had his second of the game, nodding a Joel Lindpere cross off target.
Sporting KC’s early persistence gave them the lead in the 20th minute, when Kei Kamara had the ball on the right wing and found Davy Arnaud, whose one-time shot with his left foot put the ball in the back of the net.
KC’s lead lasted less than two minutes, as Henry drew the Red Bulls level. Midfielder Tony Tchani played a long ball over the top to Richards, who ran towards goal and blasted a shot that Nielsen could only parry away.
The rebound fell to Henry, who slid it in from six yards out to tie the match.
After a 1-1 half-time score, KC got things rolling in the second period, when New York defender Tim Ream knocked down forward CJ Sapong in the penalty box on the hour, and the referee blew his whistle for a penalty kick.
Kamara stepped up and sent Red Bulls net-minder Greg Sutton the wrong way, giving Sporting KC the lead for the second time in the match.
But Richards scored to save the day for the Red Bulls.
