In their final six games, the Red Bulls will play five of the bottom six teams in the Eastern Conference. Normally that would be a good thing, especially in a year they are battling for the Supporters’ Shield, but there is a tradeoff in playing teams with less than impressive records at this time of year.
Desperate teams play with more hunger and more passion down the stretch as they try and make a push for the playoffs. On top of that, those teams often abandon their game plan for a more attacking mode at some point during the 90 minutes in the quest for goals.
Basically, the Red Bulls should be ready for anything. And that starts tonight with a match against Orlando City SC (9-13-8), which sits four points behind the Montreal Impact for the sixth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
“With six games left it’s easy to look ahead, especially since we qualified for the playoffs, but it’s just important for us to remain focused on each individual task and the next one’s a big one against Orlando City,” goalkeeper Luis Robles said. “They’re a team that’s trying to make the playoffs, they’ve done well in the last two results and they’re getting back their main player, Kaka. We know that they’re not only going to be a feisty team, they’re looking to take three points from us.
“We’ve only dropped a couple of results at home and we want to continue that trend where we make this place our fortress, where it’s almost guaranteed that we’re going to get three points and it doesn’t matter who we play. As of late we’ve been able to do that, and it’s something we hope to continue to do and something that we’re confident about doing.”
The first time the two teams met, a 2-0 Red Bulls victory July 18 in Florida, the Red Bulls received an early goal from Sacha Kljestan before Orlando forward Cyle Larin was ejected in the 32nd minute. Orlando did well with 10 men and had opportunities to tie the game before Mike Grella’s goal in second-half stoppage time sealed matters.
“The last time we went down there I don’t think we were very convincing with a 2-0 win,” midfielder Lloyd Sam said. “They went down to 10 men and we didn’t really play well, but we did enough to get out of there with the three points. They need the points so they’re going to throw everything at the game. It sets up for a good game.”
Orlando City midfielder Kaka missed the Sept. 5 game against the New England Revolution to play for Brazil against Costa Rica at Red Bull Arena. He suffered an injury that night and missed Orlando’s past two games. He will return tonight to aid the playoff push
“It’s going to be tough because they are playing very good,” Kaka said on the Orlando City web site. “Red Bulls (are) in a very good moment, but also us now, after two great wins, we are more confident, we are ready to face them in this type of situation. So we are going to New York to try to reach our place in the playoffs. I’m waiting for this moment to get back in that stadium that I got injured. I can play again and now no problem.
“We have to believe that we have the possibility (to make the playoffs). We still have this opportunity. We just won two games. If we win four games that we still have to play, probably we can arrive in the playoffs. It doesn’t depend just on us now. It depends on the other results. But in this moment we have to (take care of) what is in our hands now and still prepare for every game and try to win every game.”
The first-place Red Bulls (14-8-6) clinched a playoff berth in Sunday’s 2-0 victory over the Timbers in Portland. With midfielder Dax McCarty and defender Connor Lade sitting out due to yellow card accumulation, coach Jesse Marsch was able to get other players valuable minutes. That included midfielders Gonzalo Veron and Shaun Wright-Phillips, who started in place of Sam and Grella.
“It’s a balance,” said Marsch, who admitted he is leaning toward going back to his regular lineup tonight. “It’s been a balance a little bit all year because, physically, we demand a lot out of these guys with the way we play, the way we train. Even the rotation in Portland will help us get through this game in a good way as well. Lloyd and Mike didn’t start, Dax and Connor were suspended, so we’ll still have some fresh legs on the field.
“You know (Orlando’s) putting everything into it. You’re not getting a team that is at the beginning of the year or at the end of the year when they’re out. Right now they know their season is on the line, and that means they’re going to give every ounce of desire and energy in everything they have to try and get a result, but that’s good. That’s good preparation for the playoffs. It’s good preparation for continuing to build on what we have.”
Larin leads Orlando with 11 goals while Kaka has nine goals and four assists, but Orlando has other players to keep an eye on and the team has played well in winning their past two games.
“They’re a really good squad, they’ve got some good players,” Robles said. “They’ve been unlucky with results. Some of their frustrations have come from being an expansion team, and that’s expected, but when I think about the first fixture against them when we took three points, beating them 2-0 in Orlando, some things went our way, the red card obviously, we got the first goal that sort of changed the whole outset of the game because they were dominating possession. And of course, you have to give credit to the defense the way they were able to finish off that game.”
Defender Matt Miazga is expecting Orlando to push the game, even on the road, because all that matters to them is winning.
“It’s crunch time with the end of the season coming up and they need to make the playoffs, so it’s a lot of pressure for them to get a win, and obviously we want to continue pushing forward and maintain first place in the week, so it’s going to be a good game,” he said. “We’re expecting them to be dangerous. They gave us trouble the first time we played against them, even with a man down. We’re expecting a good test and we’re looking forward to it.”
