The Red Bulls will be without Michael Amir Murillo and Fidel Escobar, who are with Panama ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, as well as Tyler Adams and Tim Parker, who were called up to the United Stated Men's National Team for a pair of friendlies. Marsch is preparing to be without three starters.
“It’s preparing the next guys to step up and be ready for the challenge," Head Coach Jesse Marsch said. "It's not just about the New England game because it’s New England, then it’s New York, then it’s Columbus, then it’s Seattle. So it’s four games with basically two to three day breaks in between, so I said today that we right now have to have a mentality that for the next seventeen days that we have a total group of guys that’s ready to do whatever it takes in each game and to have the right mentality to grind out some results."
Danny Royer said the next-man-up approach will truly show the depth in the squad.
“It’s not the easiest to adjust because those are quality players," Royer said. "We still have a big squad, we have a really good squad, we’re working hard every single day and I think all the other players already knew there would be a time where some players are out for the national break, so they have to be ready and I think they will be."
With New England on Saturday, the Red Bulls will have a quick turnaround to face New York City FC in the 2018 U.S. Open Cup on June 6, will travel to face Columbus Crew SC on June 9 and come home to take on the Seattle Sounders on June 13.
"These are exciting times," Marsch said. "You find out a lot about yourself and you get to challenge a lot of different players and give a lot of different players opportunities. So that will be what the staff is trying to do, is prepare everyone to be ready to go.”
