The New York Red Bulls will look to right the ship this weekend as they take on the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
With a lot of the line for the Red Bulls this Saturday, here are seven reasons why you should be at Red Bull Arena come matchday.
Win and We're In
To put things simply, this is the most important MLS match of the year to date.
Playoff implications are the talk of Saturday’s matchup because if New York comes away with three points, the Red Bulls will earn an MLS Playoffs berth for the eighth straight year.
October: A Clean Slate With Favorable History
After a September to forget, the Red Bulls look to October to be a month of building up momentum into the 2017 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
A year ago in 2016, the Red Bulls were 3-0-0 in MLS regular season play in October and hope to replicate last year’s form this season.
Most Assists In MLS?
Yet again, Sacha Kljestan finds himself among the league-leaders in assists near the end of the MLS season.
Currently, the 32-year-old sits on 15 assists for the year, second only to Toronto FC’s Victor Vazquez who has 16.
Another Litmus Test
With playoffs becoming a likely possibility for the Red Bulls, the Whitecaps will provide New York with a reliable litmus test for the current state of the team.
The Whitecaps boast the most points earned on the road in the Western Conference this season with 20 (6-7-2) and should help produce an exciting match at Red Bull Arena on Saturday evening.
Another Shot at a Conference Leader
Last Saturday, the Red Bulls disappointingly left BMO Field against Eastern Conference-leaders Toronto FC without any points.
This week, the Western Conference-leading Whitecaps are in Harrison and provide the Red Bulls with a chance to avenge their most recent defeat against a conference-leading team.
A Chance for Revenge from CONCACAF Champions League
Earlier in the year, the Whitecaps eliminated the Red Bulls from CONCACAF Champions League in the Quarterfinals, winning by an aggregate score of 3-1.
Although half a year has passed since then, Saturday’s match will be a chance for Bradley Wright-Phillips and company to try and level the score against their Canadian foes.
Daniel Royer
Since returning from injury, Daniel Royer hasn’t started a match at Red Bull Arena.
After notching a penalty against Toronto FC on Saturday, Royer will look to continue his good form from kickoff on Saturday against the Whitecaps.
