Red Bulls show some fight vs. Orlando City
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Marshawn Lynch made the biggest news of what otherwise was a routine preseason NFL game by sitting during the national anthem prior to the Oakland Raiders’ 20-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night.
The ex-Seattle running back, who came out of retirement to sign with his hometown Raiders, sat on an orange cooler with his arms resting on his knees, while others around him stood.
After the game, head coach Jack Del Rio told reporters Lynch told him that he hasn’t stood for the anthem in 11 years.
Although he rarely talks to the media, Lynch has voiced support for quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the anthem last season to protest what he saw as a pattern of police mistreatment of people of color. Lynch did not play in the game. Carson Palmer threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Brittan Golden to cap his brief preseason debut while Oakland quarterback Derek Carr watched the game from the sideline.
Palmer, at age 37 beginning his 15th NFL season, directed Arizona on a 12-play, 70-yard touchdown drive to start the game. It looked as if the Cardinals were headed for a short field goal, but the Raiders were called for covering the snapper on the kick, giving Arizona a first down and setting up its opening TD. —AP SEAN DAVIS assisted on the goahead goal and added an insurance goal in the 80th minute to lift the New York Red Bulls to a contentious 3-1 win over Orlando City on Saturday night at Red Bull Arena.
There were four yellow cards and Orlando’s Kaka was given a red card in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
The win for the Red Bulls comes on the heels of a difficult 3-2 loss to Hudson River rival NYCFC the previous Sunday.
Davis set up the go-ahead goal in the 60th minute, slotting the ball forward to Alex Muyl with Bradley Wright-Phillips beating goalkeeper Joe Bendik to the spot on the centering pass for the redirect and his 14th goal. Davis then took a throw-in from Kemar Lawrence, tapped it to his right and curled perfect shot from distance in the 80th minute.
Carlos Rivas, with an assist from Kaka, put Orlando up 1-0 with his fifth goal in the 18th minute but an own goal by Leo Pereira leveled the game in the 30th minute.
The Red Bulls (12-9-2) have scored 12 goals and allowed just two in their last three home games after a slow start. Orlando City (8-10-6) has won only twice in its last 17 games.
The Red Bulls travel to play FC Cincinnati, a USL club, on Tuesday in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup.