We can see how Armas has instructed his players to achieve that goal; the fullbacks are not only more aggressive but also more direct under Armas. Kemar Lawrence spends most of his time in the attacking half. Michael Amir Murillo under Marsch is a primary offensive focus. He is still critical in Armas' attacking scheme, but he is doing things more directly. For example, while Murillo attempts three fewer touches per game, he averages two touches in the penalty box under Armas, a 100% increase over what he did under Marsch.

But those changes are minor compared to the transformation of Tyler Adams.

Armas has spoken in length about how talented Adams is and how much he wants the young midfielder to achieve. The data shows exactly that; Adams is one of the two players who has increased the number of touches under Armas (the other player is Bradley Wright-Phillips). He is now averaging 55 touches per game, a 41% from what he did under Marsch. He leads the team in number of touches per game. Adams is the critical piece in Armas' version of the Red Bulls.

Adams’ midfield partner Sean Davis has also changed the way he plays. Under Marsch, both midfielders played most of their touches on the right side. Since the takeover, Armas has instructed them to spend their time evenly on both sides. In particular, Adams now uses most of his extra touches on the left side. Together with Davis, they spread most of their activities in the two half-spaces past the half-line, presumably to direct Red Bulls’ offense evenly on both flanks.

Armas wants to strike a balance in the offense. We can grasp the different philosophies between him and Marsch. Murillo is probably one of the most, if not the most, skillful right backs in MLS. He can skate past defenders with his dribble and pace. Lawrence is excellent too, but he doesn't have the same skill as Murillo. Marsch gave his players freedom, and naturally, Murillo's side became the focus of Red Bulls’ attack since he dominated the touches with his dribble while Lawrence would find most of his touches behind the midfield. Armas wants to change that imbalance. He wants both of them to overlap all the way to the byline and run into the box. Let the most skillful players - Adams, Davis, and Kaku - to direct the attacks. Armas is more instrumental. He wants more discipline from his players and more structure from his team.

The fundamental change that Armas has installed is because the Red Bulls can play higher so that they can reduce the risk. How did he achieve that?

If the Red Bulls reduce the number of touches in their half during the offensive phase, they must have either increased the distance the pass travels, or the distance player travels with the ball up the field. Neither has happened team-wise: Armas' team's pass travels 23 yards on average, as compared to 25 yards under Marsch. The Red Bulls also average similar carries under the two managers (about 5 yards in both eras).

The change has come from one specific player, goalkeeper Luis Robles: