HARRISON, N.J. – Late leads slipping away? Nothing a little home cooking can’t fix.
Back at Red Bull Arena, the New York Red Bulls handled their business to extend their franchise-record unbeaten streak to 13. Taking down the Montreal Impact 1-0, the Red Bulls managed to see out the match in a manner that so often eluded them this season.
Plenty more was accomplished on the night, let’s get into the takeaways:
Postseason Ticket Punched
You kiddin’ me? Indeed, we can talk about the playoffs now that the Red Bulls are guaranteed a spot amongst the top six in the Eastern Conference.
For the seventh consecutive season, New York will take part in the highly unpredictable MLS Cup playoffs, but giving themselves a chance in the postseason tournament is merely step one in a much larger scheme.
“It’s a good accomplishment,” captain Dax McCarty admitted. “I think everyone is proud of how we were able to dig ourselves out of that early hole, but that’s the bare minimum expectation when you play at this club. We expect to be in the playoffs every year and give ourselves a chance to win a championship.”
Overcoming a difficult start to the season in which the Red Bulls managed just three points from their first seven games, the team now—somewhat remarkably—sits in first place with an “X” next to their name in the standings. Yet even still, there was but a muted sense of joy in the locker room at the prospect of a return to the postseason.
“It’s an expectation that we’re going to be in the playoffs, so there’s no cause for celebration when we make it,” goalkeeper Luis Robles told NewYorkRedBulls.com. “For us, it’s just the next step. We have very high hopes; we’re an ambitious team.”
Perhaps more surprising, the Red Bulls find themselves on top of the East thanks to some favorable results at the weekend. The job is far from finished, but it’s ok to take a sense of pride in what has been accomplished thus far, even for just a minute.
“I feel very proud of our group, but we'll say that this is only the start,” head coach Jesse Marsch said. “I think it's really key for us to keep pushing to get a top two seed and then set ourselves up for success come playoff time.”
Royer The Destroyer
Midseason acquisitions are often put into a difficult spot. While they are often asked to immediately contribute to a contending team, there lie many obstacles in the way.
A country, a new system, new teammates, coaches; you name it. That’s what makes Daniel Royer’s fast start wholly impressive.
Making his third consecutive start for the club, the Austrian winger proved to be the difference on the night, nodding home his first career goal in MLS (even if he wasn’t sure if he should take credit).
“Everything went very fast,” Royer said after the match. “I know I touched the ball, but I wasn't quite sure if the other [player] next to me also touched the ball, but everyone told me that if I touched the ball first, it was my goal. At the end of the day it was not important. It was important that [the ball] made its way into the goal, so I'm really happy.”
The lone goal proved to be enough on the night as the defense stood firm to ensure a clean sheet for New York, but Royer’s contributions were appreciated far and wide.
“Watching him slide around, make plays, cover ground, compete -- he's good with his feet,” said Marsch. “He's a good soccer player. He's adjusted to the way we play almost immediately, and it's been fun to watch him. I think he's made our team better. He gives us more options.”
Even in his short time with the club, Royer has endeared himself to coaches, teammates, and fans alike with his tireless work rate and ability in 1v1 situations.
The better news? He’s only just getting started.
“It’s getting better day-by-day,” Royer added. “Like I said in some interviews, it's a new style, it's a new philosophy for me which I never experienced in my former clubs in that way so it took some time, and I think that's normal. I've still only been here for just a few weeks, and it's getting better day-by-day and I'm feeling more comfortable and more confident.”
On to the Next
As is often the case, the Red Bulls have already turned their focus to the next task, and it’s a big one.
With a midweek CONCACAF Champions League game looming large, the Red Bulls could well see themselves into the knockout stages of the tournament for the first time in franchise history.
“That was the big emphasis in the locker room, trying to congratulate them for a big accomplishment, but also to let them know that we've got another big accomplishment that we're just knocking on the door on,” Marsch stated. “We have to make sure that in all ways we enjoy this tonight but that we prepare ourselves for Tuesday, knowing that it won't be easy going down there and that we have to find a way to advance.”
Given the short turnaround, plenty of squad rotation should be expected, which in turn will once again test the depth of this Red Bulls side. New York will be forced to rely on a plethora of reserves, but no one is expecting a drop in form.
“It’s the most important game of the season, that’s how we look at it.” McCarty said with a wry smile. “It’s a big goal of this club to make it to the knockout rounds and see how far we can take it next year. We know we need a result down there to advance, so it’s another challenge. We’ll need our depth to step up to go down there and win that game for us. It’s another big test for our character and I’m hoping we come out on top.”
Earning a postseason berth was a nice start to the week, but Marsch and company would love to sweeten the pot even further.
“It would be a big week,” the head coach said. “It would be a big week for our club if we could make the playoffs and solidify our quarterfinal in the Champions League. That's our goal
