Despite all of the storylines and implications swirling around Saturday’s second leg of the MLS Eastern Conference Championship between the New York Red Bulls and New England Revolution, the task itself is straight forward: go to New England and win, and score at least two goals.
After surrendering a late goal at home on Sunday, the Red Bulls find themselves with their backs against the wall yet again, down 2-1 and needing at least two away goals this weekend to advance.
Read:score lines that will put NYRB into MLS Cup
It’s familiar territory for New York, a team that has simply found ways to win all season long. After a 3-0 loss to Columbus in the home finale, the late season run that boosted the Red Bulls into the playoffs was capped off with a 2-0 win in Kansas City that earned them the right to host Sporting KC in the wildcard-style knockout game. Just days later, they had to come from behind in that game, scoring two late goals to oust the defending MLS champs and keep the season alive.
Then it was on to D.C., the top seed in the Eastern Conference and a team that has historically haunted the Red Bulls in the post season. A complete 2-0 victory at home and all-important away goal from Peguy Luyindula at RFK Stadium saw the Red Bulls through to the conference finals.
That type of resiliency has been evident through this playoff run, but it also characterized the entire 2014 season. Head coach Mike Petke’ side has gotten the job done with a true team effort from day one. The Red Bulls have used a myriad of player combinations on the backline and in midfield. To the credit of the entire 30-man roster, no matter who suited up, the determination and level of competition has been consistent all season long.
The Red Bulls have demonstrated a maturity and maintained a positive attitude that helped keep them afloat through the tough moments of the season, and for the most part, allowed them to bounce back quickly and respond to adversity. New York went 5-2-3 after a loss during the regular season, with both of those losses coming during a three-game slide in May – the only time the team lost consecutive games all season. From the start of August to the end of the regular season, the Red Bulls followed all four losses with wins.
“What I like is the way we reacted recently … where the games have been difficult, we showed character and commitment,” Thierry Henry told the New York Post this weekend. New York will look to its captain for that character and commitment this weekend. Henry, who has shone brightest on the biggest stages for much of his career, scored in three of those games following losses down the final stretch of the season, netting two game-winners and setting up a third.
The captain set up Bradley Wright-Phillips for the deciding goal after scoring a brace in the span of 15 minutes to spark a second half comeback against Montreal in late August, willing his team to victory after a loss to the Chicago Fire left them barely hanging onto the fifth playoff spot after the All-Star break.
Henry then scored the second goal in a 2-1 win over Sporting KC on September 6. The Frenchman’s strike, now one of four finalists for MLS AT&T Goal of the Year, pushed the Red Bulls back into playoff contention after a 2-0 loss to D.C. United had dropped the team to 7-8-10 on the season, and sixth place in the standings.
Vote: Henry’s strike vs Sporting KC for MLS AT&T Goal of the Year
He scored the only goal in a gutsy, hard-earned 1-0 win over Houston on October 4 after his side suffered a deflating 4-0 loss at the hands of the LA Galaxy that could have left them reeling heading into the final month of the season.
Not only has New York shown its resiliency, but the team has overcome roadblocks and banished demons that had haunted the club’s first 18 seasons. The Red Bulls got their first home playoff win at Red Bull Arena, and on their fifth attempt, finally beat archrival D.C. United in a playoff series. Earlier this season, in their only trip to Gillette, the Red Bulls downed New England, 2-0, on goals from Eric Alexander and Luyindula. Goalkeeper Luis Robles made ten saves to keep a clean sheet and give the franchise its first win in the last 20 trips to Foxborough.
The task is straightforward, but it’s far from easy. New England earned the second-best record in the Eastern Conference this season, and has been in tremendous form of late. If Sunday’s first leg was any indication, it will be a hard-fought, intense game to decide the Eastern Conference. The Red Bulls have risen to every challenge thus far, and they now have 90 minutes to put everything on the line and earn the right to play for the MLS Cup.
Easier said than done to be sure, but as Henry said after Sunday’s loss “I’ve seen crazier things… now we have to try to do what they did to us.”
