The New York Red Bulls have clinched playoff berth and seek to improve their place in the standings this week when they face Columbus on Sunday in their home regular season finale.
This will be the eleventh playoff appearance in 12 years for the Red Bulls as they look to move up in the standings before the MLS Cup Playoffs.
With two remaining games against Columbus Crew and Sporting Kansas City, RBNY could move as high as second place by the end of the season.
MLS Golden Boot race leader and Red Bull single-season scoring record holder Bradley Wright-Phillips added another goal to his tally last weekend against Toronto FC. His 25 goals this year moves him into fifth on the MLS single-season scoring records. Only two games and three goals remain in The Chase For 28.
For the Columbus Crew, they have all but clinched a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs. They currently stand in fifth place with 46 points, one point behind the Red Bulls with 47 points, and six points ahead of Toronto FC who have 40. The Crew are 3-1-1 in their last five matches, and scored three goals in five minutes to eliminate the Philadelphia Union from playoff contention in a 3-2 victory at PPL Park.
Coverage of Sunday’s match at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. will begin at 3:00 p.m. (TV: MSG, UniMas). For tips or further directions on how to get to the game, check out the Red Bull Arena Transportation HUB.
Here are three players to watch in the Red Bulls’ regular season home finale against Columbus.
- Forward – Ethan Finlay
A native of Marshfield, Wisconsin, third year winger Ethan Finlay was acquired by the Columbus Crew with the 10th overall pick of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. Prior to the draft he appeared, and started, in 79 matches at Creighton University where he scored 43 goals.
Despite primarily serving as a substitute in his first two years with the Crew, this year he has become a consistent starter and regular contributor to the Columbus attack. With four of his 10 total goals scored in his last five games, the Red Bull back line must focus on making Finlay one-dimensional by forcing him to remain out wide. They cannot allow the uncanny finisher to create separation in the penalty box, otherwise they will likely be punished.
- Midfielder – Will Trapp
Second year defensive midfielder Will Trapp is considered to be one of the best up-and-coming talents in MLS. He has earned 15 caps as a member of the U.S. U-20 National Team and was a finalist for U.S. Soccer’s 2013 Young Male Athlete of the Year Award. He was also ranked number 9 this year in MLSsoccer.com’s annual 24 Under 24 series.
This year he has contributed one goal and three assists in addition to stellar defensive performances. He is commonly paired alongside Tony Tchani in Columbus’ preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. The Red Bulls will need to find a way to break down Trapp and the tough Crew defense, which has two shutouts and six goals allowed in their last five matches.
- Defender – Michael Parkhurst
U.S. international Michael Parkhurst began his professional career in 2005 with the New England Revolution. In 2008, he transferred to Danish Superliga side Nordsjaelland, and later moved to German Bundesliga team Augsburg before returning to MLS this year with Columbus. Parkhurst saw action with the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT), serving as a member in the 2007, 2009, and 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cups and was named to the USMNT 30-man preliminary roster ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Since joining the Crew he has started 30 of 31 games, and primarily plays center back. He is Columbus’ captain and was named to the 23-man roster for the 2014 MLS All-Star Game. New York will need to take advantage of set-pieces and make runs at the defense in order to score and disrupt Parkhurst’s stout back four.
