As of September 1, the New York Red Bulls find themselves in a battle for a playoff spot in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference. Sitting in ninth place and with 40 total points, New York is living on the edge currently and fans don’t know how to react.
On one hand, extending their historic playoff streak would be terrific for the club, showing how consistent they have been for years. However, some fans have looked to the other hand and believe their streak will finally collapse this season.
Honestly, for the fans who have a glass half empty mindset, they aren’t necessarily wrong about the future outlook of the club.
First off, their final five matches are no joke besides a visit to an already eliminated CF Montreal club. Trips to Portland and Columbus and home matches vs rivals NYCFC and contenders FC Cincinnati is not an easy ride whatsoever. Plus, with a looming Chicago Fire squad only one point behind them in the conference standings, there is no margin for error anymore.
But when a fan looks at this schedule, what hope is there for New York that they can pull out wins versus these teams? Cincinnati is a top five team and even New York’s strong home record won’t be enough to beat a team featuring a star like Evander.
Now, one could counter and say New York won vs the best team in the league at home in the Philadelphia Union. Sure they would be correct, but you need to put context to that match. The Red Bulls lost the more important U.S. Open Cup match that Wednesday and the Union probably wanted to rest their best players for the Open Cup match.
It was not only that either as the Union’s great goalkeeper, Andre Blake, was subbed off due to injury which changed the trajectory of the match.
Then there’s their away matches vs clubs like the Portland Timbers, Montreal and the Columbus Crew. While having a break is nice, the three-hour time difference and the late start to the match could affect New York. Then on Decision Day on October 18, given how great the home environment is for Columbus, that match is going to be tough to win.
Seemingly, their best shot to win their second away match of the season would have to be north of the border. But remember, New York possesses one of the worst away records in the league with a 1-9-4 record. This is to say that even a match vs Montreal won’t be easy.
For the most logical fans, hoping for a season that has featured many annoying injuries and missed opportunities to end is realistic.
Yet, there is some optimism even when it seems bleak. After Saturday’s match, captain Emil Forsberg approached members of the supporter groups and told them to remain positive and encouraged them to continue to believe in them.
With strong professionals like Forsberg, forward Eric Choupo-Moting, and goalkeeper Carlos Coronel, they understand what is at stake. Add on an experienced defender like Tim Parker and the potential return of midfielder Lewis Morgan, the team will continue to fight.
For many supporters, this season has been a difficult one for arguably one of the league’s better squads year after year. Did it help that a key piece such as Morgan has battled injuries all season and the club couldn’t sign a player like Timo Werner? No, but they have kept on fighting even in the worst of times.
Here’s what it comes down to for New York. The Red Bulls need to have their best stretch of the season to get into the playoffs. It won’t be an easy task, but the players understand the magnitude of this moment and they have to get it done.
