The Red Bulls head into the second leg of the Eastern Conference Finals at Gillette Stadium trailing 2-1 on aggregate to the New England Revolution. New York has gone into New England and won 2-0 once already this year, but must do so again in order to have a chance of advancing to MLS Cup.
The second leg of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday, November 29 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts will begin at 3:00 p.m. ET (TV: NBC Sports).
The following is a guide to the key players in the decisive second leg of the Eastern Conference Finals.
- New York Red Bulls (fourth seed)
- Playoff Record: 2-2-0
- Leading Goal Scorer: Bradley Wright-Phillips (4)
- Assist Leader: Thierry Henry (4)
- Saves Leader: Luis Robles (9)
The New York Red Bulls technically trail by two goals heading into the second leg of the Eastern Conference Finals in effect to the away goals tiebreaker. Despite dashing playoff demons by winning their first postseason match at Red Bull Arena and eliminating D.C. United, once again New York will have to rise against the odds and overturn a 2-1 deficit to advance to their first MLS Cup Finals since 2008.
Peguy Luyindula has been one of the Red Bulls’ best players in this year’s MLS Cup Playoffs. He has scored two goals and two assists, in addition to hitting the crossbar in the first leg, which bounced to Bradley Wright-Phillips who headed in the rebound. He’s been confident and creative on the ball by effectively distributing the ball in attack. He will need to keep up his positive form and continue to lead the Red Bulls in attack on Saturday to give his team the best chance of winning.
Lloyd Sam was actively involved in the first leg on Sunday, but must elevate his game in the final third. The winger created repetitive issues for New England’s defenders and was a nightmare to defend one-on-one, but finding the open man in the penalty area and finishing his chances could decide the match come Saturday. Sam had a team-high five shots, but only two were on target. If Sam can finish his chances and complete more passes, the Red Bulls will be at their most dangerous in Foxborough.
Head coach Mike Petke will be forced to make a change at forward in the second leg due to yellow-card accumulation by Bradley Wright-Phillips, and the play of his replacement could decide the series. Based off of past decisions, it would seem that Tim Cahill or Saer Sene are the most likely candidates. Cahill, last season’s team-leading goal scorer, is certainly capable for the role. Despite struggling in MLS, the Australian international has flourished with the Socceroos as a forward this year, including two goals at the FIFA World Cup. Another possibility is 6-foot-3 forward Saer Sene. He has appeared in more games for his former team, New England Revolution, than for New York since his midseason acquisition in August, but does serve as a big physical presence up front. Petke has many more options to consider, but Wright-Phillips’ replacement could be the difference-maker in the second leg.
New England Revolution (second seed)
- Playoff Record: 3-0-0
- Leading Goal Scorer: Teal Bunbury/Lee Nguyen (2)
- Assist Leader: Teal Bunbury/Jermaine Jones/Lee Nguyen (2)
- Saves Leader: Bobby Shuttleworth (16)
The New England Revolution are red-hot. Not only has the team not lost since September, but they are undefeated in the playoffs and head into the second leg with a 2-1 lead. Three players had a major impact on the first leg and must be a focus in the second leg for the Red Bulls: Lee Nguyen, Teal Bunbury, and Jermaine Jones.
Lee Nguyen actually did not have a great first leg. New York made sure to apply pressure on New England’s danger-man every time he was on the ball and did not have the usual impact he has on the game. Two Red Bulls players would converge on the midfielder nearly every time he was on the ball. Although he did receive a secondary assist on the game winning goal, New York must keep applying the pressure and numbers on Nguyen in the second leg.
At times overshadowed by the likes of Lee Nguyen and Jermaine Jones, Teal Bunbury had a breakout performance in the first leg of the series. Attacking down the right-side, Bunbury was able to challenge left-back Ambroise Oyongo and even bury a curling shot with his less-preferred left foot to get the Revolution on the board. He also supplied the game winning assist on Jermaine Jones’ goal in the 85th minute. Whether it’s doubling him up with a second defender or keeping him out wide and away from the middle, Bunbury showcased one of his best performances last Sunday and will certainly be receiving more attention when on the ball.
Jermaine Jones played to his strengths last Sunday. He was physical, made his presence felt on set-pieces, and transitioned very well from defense into attack. Despite questionable fouls following a yellow-card, he was able to frustrate the Red Bulls and eventually score the game-winning goal in the 86th minute. Jones got off a team-high four shots, two of which were on net. It’s imperative the Red Bulls slow him down. Whether it’s finding a way to keep him in his own end or matching his physicality, they must find a way to disrupt him on set-pieces and when on the ball.
