The Impact marches on toward MLS Cup this Sunday at 3pm at it hosts the New York Red Bulls in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals (RDS, TSN, ESPN, 98,5fm & CJAD 800 AM – excellent tickets still available). Here are 10 things to know on the Bleu-blanc-noir’s second opponent in these MLS Cup Playoffs.
Context
After a rough start – six losses in seven games –, the Red Bulls found their groove – and what groove! New York is now unbeaten in 20 games in all competitions and finished the regular season top of the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of their rivals from the Bronx, New York City FC. The Red Bulls closed out their regular season with four wins, and they’ve got MLS top scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips (24 goals) and leading assist-man Sacha Kljestan (20 assists) in their ranks.
New York Red Bulls in the playoffs
1996: Eastern Conference semifinalist, defeated by D.C. United
1997: did not make playoffs
1998: Eastern Conference semifinalist, defeated by Columbus Crew SC
1999: did not make playoffs
2000: MLS semifinalist, defeated by the Chicago Fire
2001: MLS quarterfinalist, defeated by the LA Galaxy
2002: did not make playoffs
2003: Eastern Conference semifinalist, defeated by the New England Revolution
2004: Eastern Conference semifinalist, defeated by D.C. United
2005: Eastern Conference semifinalist, defeated by the New England Revolution
2006: Eastern Conference semifinalist, defeated by D.C. United
2007: Eastern Conference semifinalist, defeated by the New England Revolution
2008: MLS Cup runner-up, defeated by Columbus Crew SC
2009: did not make playoffs
2010: Eastern Conference semifinalist, defeated by the San Jose Earthquakes
2011: Western Conference semifinalist, defeated by the LA Galaxy
2012: Eastern Conference semifinalist, defeated by D.C. United
2013: Eastern Conference semifinalist, defeated by the Houston Dynamo
2014: Eastern Conference finalist, defeated by the New England Revolution
2015: Eastern Conference finalist, defeated by Columbus Crew SC
Current form (MLS and CONCACAF Champions League)
D-W-D-W-W-W
Head coach
Jesse Marsch (34-19-15 as Red Bulls head coach, 46-35-21 all-time; 3-1-0 in MLS Cup Playoffs) has been New York Red Bulls head coach since Jan. 7, 2015. He won the 2015 MLS Coach of the Year award after leading the club to its second-ever Supporters’ Shield and to the Eastern Conference Final. Marsch became a coach after a 14-season playing career that started with D.C. United picking him up in the third round of the 1996 MLS College Draft and ended with a trophy haul of three MLS Cups, two Supporters’ Shield and four U.S. Open Cups.
Top scorer
Bradley Wright-Phillips (24)
Players to watch
1. Dax McCarty (#11) – McCarty is fearless. He recovers plenty of balls, enjoys the physical game and provides a surprisingly efficient target on set pieces, given his stature.
2. Alex Muyl (#19) – This tireless winger works extremely hard on the defensive side and contributes well to the attack.
3. Felipe (#8) – Montrealers know what Felipe can do. With the ball, he takes risks that pay off. Without it, he’s a constant inconvenience.
Team profile
The Red Bulls want to play in the opposition’s half. They love having the ball, even on the road. Their midfield mainstays, Kljestan, Felipe and McCarty, enjoy moving the ball quickly with short passes, but will play a more direct ball into space. The aim is to play forward as much as possible, which can translate into costly lost balls or clear chances down the middle. This is the gamble that the Red Bulls are prepared to take. These situations can release the wingers, who enjoy cutting inside (especially Grella), or centre forward Wright-Philips. BWP is also useful in the air, in transition and on set plays, one of New York’s favourite weapons; they have scored more than a third of their goals on set pieces, with a soft spot for corner kicks. They may be efficient down the middle, but the Red Bulls also manage to exploit the flanks, especially Muyl’s. Defensively, the Red Bulls’ play has followed their season’s trends. With six early losses, they had to commit numbers forward to try and mount comebacks, which allowed the opposition to punish them on the counter. Conversely, now that they have returned to form, they are more likely to concede when the opponent is pushing the game into their half – but they’re starting to make opponents pay when they leave space behind.
Tactical formation
The Red Bulls are faithful to their 4-2-3-1, which hasn’t let them down. Lineup v. Philadelphia (October 23): Robles; Duvall, Collin, Perrinelle, Lawrence; Felipe, McCarty; Muyl, Kljestan, Grella; B. Wright-Phillips.
Most recent games against the Impact
After two nights to forget against the Red Bulls in 2015, the Montreal Impact turned the tide on March 12 with a 3-0 win against the Red Bulls at the Olympic Stadium. But the Bleu-blanc-noir wasn’t so successful on August 13 at Red Bull Arena; after Ignacio Piatti opened the scoring, New York replied with a Bradley Wright-Phillips brace and an insurance goal from Sean Davis – but let’s not forget about Ambroise Oyongo’s harsh sending off and a forgotten penalty kick call on Didier Drogba. Then, on September 24, the Impact put together a fine defensive performance in New Jersey, but Daniel Royer opened his MLS account to provide the Red Bulls with a 1-0 win.
Injuries, absences and call-ups (as of October 28)
D Gideon Baah (tibia)
D Connor Lade (anterior cruciate ligament)
D Justin Bilyeu (concussion – has returned to training)
M Daniel Royer (hamstring – has returned to training)
