Julian Hall Stays Hot, Ethan Horvath Stops a Penalty as Red Bulls Rout San Diego FC 4-1

Anders Dreyer walked up to the penalty spot in the 44th minute with a chance to make Saturday night interesting. San Diego FC trailed by three, but a goal right before halftime would have handed them a pulse. Ethan Horvath had other plans. The Red Bull New York goalkeeper guessed right and kept it out, and the game never really recovered.

That save protected a 3-0 halftime lead, and Red Bull New York went on to beat San Diego 4-1 at Sports Illustrated Stadium in the clubs' first-ever meeting. Julian Hall, Devin Padelford, Jorge Ruvalcaba and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored, and the Red Bulls did it all with just 36.9 percent of the ball.

Three Goals in 12 Minutes

The scoring started with a familiar name. Hall came back from an international window in which, according to MLS, he became the third player in history to score in each of his first three USMNT appearances. He needed 15 minutes to pick up where he left off. Ronald Donkor drove at the San Diego back line and fed Ruvalcaba down the right, and Ruvalcaba's first-time ball across the six-yard box left Hall with a tap-in.

Five minutes later it was 2-0. Cade Cowell swung in a corner, and Padelford, listed at left back, headed it into the bottom right corner from the middle of the box. The club said it was his first goal for New York and the first by a Red Bulls defender all season.

In the 27th minute, Donkor slipped Ruvalcaba in behind, and the winger beat CJ dos Santos from a tight angle on the right. That was three goals in 12 minutes, and San Diego, despite owning the ball, looked like they had walked into the wrong movie.

San Diego Swing Back

The visitors were not without chances. Marcus Ingvartsen forced Horvath into a save with an 11th-minute header and nodded over from close range off a corner in the 40th. Two minutes later, Julián Bazán fouled Ingvartsen in the box, picked up a yellow card and gave away the penalty.

The Turning Point

Dreyer's spot kick was the moment San Diego had to have. Score it, and the visitors head to the locker room down 3-1 with real hope. Horvath saved it, and the contest was effectively settled at the break.

San Diego sent on Alejandro Alvarado and Cédric Bakambu for Jeppe Tverskov and Ingvartsen at halftime, and Bakambu delivered on the hour, finishing a Dreyer cross with his left foot to make it 3-1. That was as close as it got. Horvath stopped Elias Achouri in the 66th minute and Bakambu in the 89th, while Hall kept peppering CJ dos Santos at the other end.

Padelford went off injured in the 88th minute, with Matthew Dos Santos taking his place, and the substitute made an instant impact. In the third minute of stoppage time, Dos Santos chipped a ball toward the box for Choupo-Moting, who turned past his defender and slotted a right-footed finish into the bottom left corner.

The Kids Are Alright

Julian Hall was relentless. The 18-year-old took seven shots and put six on target, and Red Bull New York said his goal was his 11th of the season and 14th across all competitions. The club added that his 16 goal contributions this season tie Ricardo Pepi for fifth-most in a regular season by a teenager. CJ dos Santos had to deny him in the 33rd, 48th, 64th, 69th and 84th minutes.

Jorge Ruvalcaba finished with a goal and an assist. The club said it was his eighth goal of the season and his first career MLS assist.

Ethan Horvath made four saves, the penalty among them. "We're coming into form at the right time, and before this game we said we had seven finals, one down," he said, according to the club. "It was a great performance today from the team."

Adri Mehmeti, a 17-year-old USMNT debutant per MLS, played the pass that started the move for the third goal. Choupo-Moting scored his fourth goal of the season and the 21st of his MLS career, per the club, and it was his second of the season in the 90th minute or later.

Tim Parker came on in the 61st minute for his 300th MLS appearance, per the club. His message for younger players was simple: "Advice-wise, I would tell them just enjoy it because it does go by fast."

For San Diego, CJ dos Santos made eight saves to keep the score from getting truly ugly, and Bakambu put two of his three shots on target off the bench.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Red Bull New York outshot San Diego 28-14.
• Shots on target: The Red Bulls put 12 on frame to San Diego's five.
• Possession: San Diego held 63.1 percent and completed 460 passes to New York's 261.
• Saves: CJ dos Santos made eight, Horvath four.
• Defending: The Red Bulls made 24 interceptions and 31 clearances.

What It Means

Red Bull New York improve to 10-6-12 (wins, draws, losses) with 36 points, bouncing back from a 3-0 home loss to St. Louis CITY SC on Sept. 30. MLS said the Red Bulls had won three of their last four matches and moved into eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Next up is a Wednesday trip to D.C. United.

Horvath was already looking ahead. "We have nothing to be afraid of. It's all in our hands and all in our control."

San Diego drop to 8-8-12 with 32 points and have now gone six MLS matches without a win, a stretch that began after a 3-1 victory over the LA Galaxy on Aug. 29. For a team that controlled 63.1 percent of the ball, a three-goal loss is a tough one to explain away.

The Closing Take

The Red Bulls let San Diego have the ball, the passes and the possession graphic, then kept the goals for themselves. It was less tiki-taka and more heist movie: get in, take what you came for, get out before anyone notices. With an 18-year-old striker who will not stop scoring for club or country, the Red Bulls have found a storyline worth riding into the playoff race.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by Red Bull New York. Additional details from MLSsoccer.com.