In the dying minutes of the New York Red Bulls’ 1-0 victory over Columbus Crew on Wednesday night, Kyle Duncan received a firm slap on the rear from manager Gerhard Struber after energetically crunching Pedro Santos to win a loose ball. Struber and his players alike were visibly thrilled to remove the proverbial monkey from their reverse and earn three points for the first time in a month. John Tolkin scored in the first half and Carlos Coronel repeatedly stuffed the defending champs in Harrison to earn man of the match honors.
Coming on the heels of continued makeshift squads, the match began with Struber rolling out yet another new lineup, this time a 3-5-2 again featuring John Tolkin in a midfield role.