Even though the two teams could possible meet up in the Knockout Round of the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs, Head Coach Jesse Marsch said he won't get "too cute" with the New York Red Bulls lineup against Atlanta United on Sunday.
"We will have to be clever, a little bit, in not showing all our cards," Marsch said. "It’s also important for us to establish playing well. That’s a delicate balance. I don’t want to be too cute with it."
In the penultimate game of the MLS regular season, the two sides will match up for the second time of the year. The Red Bulls won the only other previous matchup, 2-1 in the season opener at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta.
Tyler Adams said the team plans to treat it like every other game in the season.
"We’ll focus on it and try to get three points," he said.
Daniel Royer and an Atlanta own goal helped pave the way for New York's victory way back on March 5.
While Adams was not with New York for the first matchup against the expansion side (away for FIFA U-20 World Cup), he said the team is very different from the beginning of the year.
"They’ve added pieces and they’ve come together," Adams said. "Being a new team in the league they’ve adapted quite well."
Marsch stressed the fact that coming off a winless September, the Red Bulls will need to make sure everything is in place during the last two games of the season as they head into the first round of the postseason.
"We need to keep pushing these games like they’re playoff games," Marsch said. "We have to have the mentality and the approach like these are playoff knockout matches. We have to execute a game plan and make sure we are always at the top of our game."
As it stands before the two teams match up on October 15, they would be set to face off in the first round of the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs, in Atlanta's new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"Whatever we do, we want to go into the playoffs with momentum and feeling strong. That’s more important than the cleverness and dealing with the matchup," Marsch said.
