“Since Armas took over for Marsch mid-season, he has added another dimension to RBNY: the team is now capable of pressing you to death or possessing you to death.”



– Me, a few days ago.



As it turns out, Chris Armas and the New York Red Bulls decided to add yet another dimension. On Sunday in Atlanta, in the biggest game of their season, the Red Bulls didn’t try to press and they didn’t really try to possess. Instead, RBNY tried to sit back and absorb pressure.



Deploying a deeper defensive block may not immediately sound like a disastrous decision. After all, Armas had already gotten a team known for playing as directly as possible to embrace the art of keeping possession and probing for opportunities. If he could do that, then maybe no tactical adjustment could be the Red Bulls’ downfall.



Three emphatic Atlanta United goals later and we know that isn’t the case.



The New York Red Bulls sat back for...