Lewis Morgan's shoes are big things to fill for Red Bull, but the man who replaced him passed through in a big way as the stars were on the sidelines for the home opener.
Mohamed Sopho started in his first major league soccer game on Saturday night in place of the injured Red Bulls star, scoring in seven minutes with his first career MLS goal.
This was one of two goals the Host Red Bulls scored in a 2-0 victory at Nashville SC.
Sopho's strike came in the seventh minute when the Ghanaian winger filled the rebound.
Eric Maxim Chowpo Morting blasted the shot from the right post, and Sopho defeated Nashville Keeper Joseph Willis to leave his position and put it in the net virtually in the sky.
The Red Bulls' second strike came in 30 minutes when they fired a ferocious shot from just outside the box that passed the Diving Willis.
The goal was the first of the Swedish left field season in his second season with Red Bull since moving out of the Bundesliga.
Nashville seemed to pull within one every 64 minutes when Nashville's sub-Ahmed Qasem touched Samuel Saridge and sent a centre pass that entered the net. The target was quickly called to have been erased by offside.
Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel made two saves in the club's first victory of the season. This registered five shots at goal during the 90 minute event, including a diving stop at the salridge at 86 minutes from dangerous range.
The Red Bulls announced Morgan's injury within an hour of Saturday's home opener. Morgan was injured during training session Friday, but the club did not say what the illness was exactly.
Morgan's loss was a tough turn in the event after a breakout season in 2024, leading the team at 15 during the regular season.
Morgan also missed almost everything in the 2023 MLS season after shedding tears in Z's muscles.
The Red Bulls also lost young defender Cam Harper to a knee injury in the first half at stoppage.
Harper went to fight for the ball at his own end at Salridge when the Nashville striker appeared to have fallen over him as the two came down.
Harper was on the ground for a while before being helped from the field by members of the Red Bulls medical staff.
He didn't return to the second half and Dylan Neels entered the game for him.
The 23-year-old Harper, who just played his 100th career match in all Red Bulls tournaments last weekend, played dynamic games up to his injury, with good positioning and shot attempts defensive in the 14th minute.
Before Saturday's game, Red Bulls coach Sandro Schwartz praised Harper's ability to play in various positions on the field.
“It's good to have these profiles of players who have this flexibility in our roster and can play multiple positions,” Schwartz said. “It's good to have this profile with him. We have to first answer our structure and find out which players are in the best position in this structure.”
