HANOVER, N.J. – Setting a new club record with 13 home wins, New York has been nothing short of spectacular at the friendly confines of Red Bull Arena.
On the road, however, it’s been a different story entirely.
Taking the full points just twice all season long (at Yankee Stadium and at BC Place), the Red Bulls have struggled to find success away from home in 2016.
Standing at 2-7-7 on the season, New York have just one more road match remaining as they travel to Talen Energy Stadium to take on the Philadelphia Union this Sunday afternoon in the regular season finale.
And although their No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference is all but ensured, head coach Jesse Marsch is hoping to set the tone with a strong performance on the road as they gear up for another postseason run.
“We’re treating it as an important end of the season match,” he told reporters after training on Friday afternoon. “We need to continue to push our form and fitness as we get ready for the playoffs. You’ll see a lot of regulars…and we’ll think about how we use guys off the bench to keep guys going so that in all ways we’re ready to push a week later.”
The squad looks to be rounding into top form as the season draws to a close, but a last road hurdle could prove to be a valuable test as a road match in Eastern Conference Semifinals looms on September 30.
While he missed out on their last trip to Philadelphia, defender Kemar Lawrence is looking to make a difference this time around with an added emphasis on closing out matches.
“I thought we played excellent in the first half, but we couldn’t really continue that in the second half,” he told NewYorkRedBulls.com. “Going there, the focus is on not giving up chances. We’ve talked about finishing off out games and continuing this winning streak. Going on the road, we’ll be looking to pick up those three points before the playoffs.”
Despite their inability to improve their standing on the season’s final day, the team is determined to make the most of the season finale on the road, looking to prove a point before a five-game sprint to MLS Cup.
“It’s something work on,” midfielder Mike Grella said of his team’s road performances. “Every game we look to get better and better, and we’ll be looking to keep the unbeaten streak going, keep our momentum going.
“This match is the last one where we can learn from our mistakes, then it’s down to business. “
