Skip to main content

PREVIEW: Decision Day as Red Bulls Win Guarantees Playoff Berth

photo by Matt Kremkau

by Anthony J. Merced

It all comes down to this! The New York Red Bulls will play their 34th and final game of the 2023 season with their destiny squarely in their own hands. A win over Nashville at Geodis Park will give them 43 points and push them into either the eighth or ninth playoff spots. While a win my seem like an easy prospect, Nashville is one of the better home teams in MLS with only three losses all season.

"We have to defensively find our structure," said head coach Troy Lesesne. "What we did against DC and Cincinnati was we didn't make any unnecessary mistakes, for the most part, in those games. And if we did, we were able to find a way to score goals ourselves or be able to mask some of those situations that we found challenging during the match. I think we have to do that versus Nashville."

Red Bulls have won back-to-back games for the first time in 2023 with wins over FC Cincinnati and Toronto. This, along with results around the league, means that the team can qualify for a playoff spot with a win but will need help to do so with any other result. The team has earned this ability to have it at their finger tips, a chance to continue one of the longest playoff streaks in American sports, 13 consecutive seasons.

All that stands in their way is a Nashville team that still has something to play for. Despite a win against New England, Nashville have only one win in their last five games, with the team unable to score goals at home in their last two home games. New York has seemingly found the ability to score again, with multiple goals in three of their last four games. 

"You've seen some of our best results in terms of goal production," said Lesesne about his team's recent offensive form. "I want us to feel free in these moments. I want us to feel like we want to go for it and we know that by going for it and getting three points, we achieve something that is really special in getting into the playoffs."

Red Bulls play Nashville SC on Saturday night at Geodis Park on the MLS Pass on Apple TV.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Red Bulls Announce Fan Experience Improvements

by Garry Redman On top of the theme nights announced this season, something new has been added the next time the season ticket holders and supporters step inside The Cathedral... The state-of-the-art LED lighting system at Red Bull Arena will provide higher on-field light levels for enhanced visibility and safety and introduce new entertainment features that heighten the overall experience for spectators.   Built around Musco's Total Light Control—TLC for LED™ technology, the new system is designed to provide exceptional playability and uniformity while minimizing glare. Cleaner, whiter light will elevate the broadcast quality for fans watching around the world.  Color-changing fixtures and Show-Light® Pro entertainment technology will allow the Red Bulls to wash the stadium in different colors and synchronize light shows to music, heightening the fan experience during goal celebrations, player introductions, and other big moments. If you have no idea what this means, cl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Quotes: Red Bulls Show Promise, But More Work Need To Be Done

photo by Matt Kremkau Sixty seconds in a ninety-minute match. That’s all it took for Sporting Kansas City to ruin the Opening Day festivities at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night. The supporters in attendance saw crisp passing and a stout defense that kept the visitors at bay, despite not having striker Alan Pulido in the starting lineup. But significantly, the supporters were buoyed by a return to that press that has last seen since Jesse Marsch was in charge. But that was the first 45 minutes. In the second half, things turned for the better and then, shockingly, worse for the home side that evening. Midfielder Caden Clark, who scored the opening goal, spoke about the match as a whole: I’ve kept that in the back of my mind, actually, not scoring at home. I really wanted to do that in front of the supporters, and it was great to do that in front of the few that were here tonight who brought the noise. When I scored that [goal] the place was shaking, and you feed off of that and gai...
1 comment
Read more

Editorial: New York Red Bulls are Fun to Watch

photo by Matt Kremkau by Daniel Feuerstein The New York Red Bulls 2024 season starts off and running. In their first three matches, they have looked different from their last five to six seasons of doom and despair when trying to attack or have a lapse in judgment on the defensive end. The two big editions for the club are undoubtedly the imports from Sweden in Centerback Noah Elle & attacking midfielder Emil Forsberg. Two players who are a part of the Swedish National Team have started off well in Major League Soccer. We all knew what we were getting right away from Forsberg. A high-energy creative and attacking midfielder who was already bought in from day one, when Director of Sport Jochen Schneider went to Leipzig and brought him over. He was already committed to making the trip to the United States to play his brand of soccer, and so far he hasn't disappointed. Even though he has come close three times off of free kicks, hitting the crossbar twice and being saved by the ke...
Post a Comment
Read more