Kansas City, KS (SportsNetwork.com) - Red Bull New York marked the beginning of the Jesse Marsch era with a point as the club played to a 1-1 draw at Sporting Kansas City on Sunday.
Marsch, who replaced Mike Petke as Red Bulls head coach during the offseason, saw his side fall behind at Sporting Park, but Lloyd Sam pulled back an instant equalizer to grant his side a share of the spoils.
After a scoreless opening period in which the two sides traded a handful of half-chances, the match sprung to life in the 50th minute with Sporting breaking the deadlock.
Benny Feilhaber found space on the right flank and took advantage of Damien Perrinelle's poor positioning, sending a dangerous cross into the box that Ike Opara nodded home with authority.
Sporting's lead, however, lasted just four minutes as Sam drifted into the middle of the park before cutting the ball onto his right foot and curling a splendid equalizer just inside the post.
Things went further south for the hosts in the 70th minute when Matt Besler was sent off for claiming a second caution, reducing Sporting to 10 men.
Dom Dwyer spurned two glorious chances to nick a winner for Sporting in the closing stages. He arrived in the box late two minutes from time to poke Feilhaber's cross just wide of the goal, and he failed to convert after wriggling free of Perrinelle in stoppage time as Luis Robles stoned the Sporting striker from close range.
It proved to be the final moment of action as referee Baldomero Toldeo called for time, leaving both sides to settle for a point.
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