The Red Bulls trail New England, 2-1, after Sunday's loss in the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference Championship at Red Bull Arena. New York has its work cut out heading to Foxborough for the second leg, which will take place on Saturday, November 29 at 3:00 pm (TV: NBC Sports). The Red Bulls need to win and score at least two goals to have a shot at advancing. Here's a breakdown of how some specific score lines would play out:
Red Bulls advance with…
Any win by two or more goals:
- 2-0 – advance 3-2 on aggregate
- 3-0 – advance 4-2 on aggregate
Any two-goal win scoring at least three times:
- 3-1 – advance 4-3 on aggregate
- 4-2 – advance 5-4 on aggregate
Any one-goal win scoring three or more times:
- 3-2 – tie aggregate 4-4, advance on away goals, 3-2
- 4-3 – tie aggregate 5-5, advance on away goals, 4-2
Red Bulls force overtime with…
A 2-1 win, which would pull them level on aggregate, 3-3, and on away goals, 2-2. In the event of a 2-1 finish in New England, the score would be reset and the away goals rule would be wiped out. The two teams would play a 30-minute, winner-take-all overtime. If the overtime session also ends in a tie, the Eastern Conference Championship, and the right to play for the MLS Cup, would be decided by penalty kicks.
The score lines above may look daunting, and it will be no easy task against a stout Revolution side playing at home, but the Red Bulls are in familiar territory. The team has played the better part of the last two months with its back against the wall. From a late-season run to earn a playoff berth, to the knockout round win over Sporting KC and vanquishing the top-seeded D.C. United, the Red Bulls have proved, time and again, that they will not go down without a fight.
