HANOVER, N.J. – It has often been said that the only real mistakes are the ones from which nothing is learned. Luckily for the Red Bulls, head coach Jesse Marsch has been taking notes.
For the second straight year, New York is heading into the postseason as Eastern Conference champions. With plenty of momentum spurring them along thanks to a 20-game unbeaten run to end the season, there is plenty of reason to feel optimistic about their impending playoff run.
But with the 34-game marathon now behind them, full attention has turned to the five-game sprint MLS Cup, drawing heavily upon the lessons learned from last year’s postseason journey.
“The biggest difference for this year is that we truly understand who we are, what these games are going to be like, and we’re prepared for them,” Marsch told reporters. “Last year, I think there was still an unknown. [The playoffs were] the next season for a team that had only been together for nine months, and we were going into those big games to see how we’d respond.
“Now, we’re much more aware of what the biggest games are like. That’s not just based on last year’s playoffs; it’s based on all the big games we’ve played in these two years together. That doesn’t mean we won’t have challenges or mistakes in the playoffs, but I think we’ll be ready for whatever comes our way. That’s a good place to be in.”
Thanks to the significant contributions of Golden Boot winner Bradley Wright-Phillips and assists-leader Sacha Kljestan, the Red Bulls have enjoyed yet another successful regular season. But if they are to claim the ultimate prize on December 10, they’ll have to find a way to capitalize on their terrific season by replicating its success in the highly unpredictable postseason.
For his part, Kljestan is confident that this more experienced Red Bulls side is superior to its predecessor, making them better equipped to overcome the hurdles that surely lie ahead.
“I think we’re in a better spot right now than we were at the end of last season. I just think we’re a better team; this is year two of a lot of these guys being together. We’ve found a way to stay unbeaten in 20 games, which is a big deal for us, so we’re staying confident. We go into every game knowing that we’re a very hard team to beat.
