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Matchday Musings: Decision Day
A slightly too lighthearted look ahead to the Red Bulls' upcoming fixture
It’s hard to sum up a season, so rather than wax poetically about all that has occurred in the last nine months, I’m just going to shamelessly butcher the seminal work of Frank Sinatra:
We loved, we laughed we cried
We’ve had our fill, our share of losing
And now, as tears subside
I find it all so amusing
To think we did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way
Oh no, oh no not me,
The Red Bulls did it our way.
Bulletin Board
It’s been a long, long year and now we’re finally and painfully at the end. It’s Decision Day in MLS, the last game before the playoffs. The Red Bulls are set to make their 15th consecutive appearance in the postseason, and it’d be pretty understandable if head coach Sandro Schwarz looked past this match in favor of the most important games of the year. Still while qualification is no longer at stake, playoff seeding is still very much on the line.
In 7th place the Red Bulls are only 1 point below Charlotte FC for the 6 seed. While they can’t catch NYCFC who has the edge on tiebreakers, a win and Charlotte loss or draw, would allow the Red Bull to pass the Crown in the final standings. Which would give the Red Bulls a slightly easier draw against 3 seed Cincinnati rather than the Columbus Crew, though easier is a bit of relative statement considering Cincinnati has knocked New York out of the playoffs in each of the last 2 seasons. Still the Crew are the more daunting opponent. The reigning MLS Cup champs are one of the top favorite to hoist this year’s championship, in a season where they already won the Leagues Cup, while finishing as runners up in the Supporters’ Shield race and CONCACAF Champions Cup. If I was a betting man, I would take Columbus and Miami over the rest of the field. They are truly an historically good team, they also just happen to be the Red Bulls opponent in this game.
That presents a bit of an interesting conundrum. Schwarz may choose to rest several starters to avoid giving away too much information to the team’s most likely playoff opponent. This could be the first of potentially 4 games between the two clubs in the next few weeks. With their talent, increased familiarity would likely be more of a benefit to Columbus, as it could limit the Red Bulls’ ability as underdogs to pull off any surprises. On the other hand, it’s also a perfect opportunity to measure how the squad stacks up against Columbus, giving Schwarz a chance to make changes and fine tune strategy ahead before the games that actually matter. On the other side of things, Columbus has absolutely nothing to play for in this game as their seeding is set regardless of the game’s outcome.
Columbus most recently lined up against the New England Revolution in a 3-4-2-1 formation. It’s a very well rounded team, arguably the most well rounded in MLS, without a serious vulnerability and quality depth at almost every position. This is a team that put 5 players, almost half of their starting line up in the MLS All-Star Game, one that could lose their best player and not miss a beat. As they should with a 4-0 victory in their last outing as star striker Cucho Hernandez was out fulfilling national team duty for Colombia. With him on the field they’re even better. Hernandez is the best forward in the league, and may just beat out Lionel Messi to win this year’s MVP. Head coach Wilfried Nancy could very easily bring out a heavily rotated side without much to play for, but considering Hernadez saw minimal playing time with Colombia, Nancy will likely give him decent minutes to avoid playoff rust. Containing him will be no small task as he’s a very skilled dribbler, capable of making high quality, and taking threatening shots from both distance and different angles. With the likes of Diego Rossi providing support as part of an absolutely lethal one-two punch, they might just have the best attack in the league. The backline is equally stout, while 23 year old keeper Patrick Schutle has turned himself into a serious contender for the USMNT’s starting job. The Red Bulls will have to be at their best to grab a point, and even better if they want to cause a first round upset should this be a preview of their first playoff series.
Stats Circle
New York Red Bulls MLS record: 11-14-8 (7th-E)
Columbus Crew MLS Record: 18-9-6 (2nd-E)
New York Red Bulls Last MLS Result: 1-2 vs Atlanta United
Columbus Crew Last MLS Result: 4-0 vs New England Revolution
New York Red Bulls Top Scorer: Lewis Morgan (13)
Columbus Crew Top Scorer: Cucho Hernandez (19)
The Red Bulls famously lost to the Columbus Crew in the 2008 MLS Cup final, 3-1, the only time New York has made it to the league’s championship game. Strangely enough, due to an odd playoff format at the time, the Red Bulls did so as the Western Conference Champions, despite being in the Eastern Conference.
Fun Fact: Alongside the Seattle Sounders, the Columbus Crew are one of only two teams in MLS with an alliterative name.
Players to Watch
Darlington Nagbe
Some players are just winners. Darlington Nagbe is that kind of player. He’s been a key cog on 4 different MLS’ winning teams, and there’s not a better 6 in the league. He’s one of the most accurate passers in MLS, and can basically control the whole game from the midfield. He’s also the Crew’s a testament to not just his experience, but impressive tactical knowledge that allows him to always be in the right place at the right time. Hernandez may be the one with holding the MVP trophy when all is said and done, but make no mistake, Nagbe is the engine that powers the fully operational fighter jet that is the Columbus Crew.
Felipe Carballo
The Red Bulls’ newest DP has shown the underlying talent that made the Red Bulls’ signature, well only, summer signing, but has yet to really put in the level of performance expected of a player with that title. MLS is a league that can take a little while to adjust to, and Carballo is certainly a welcome addition to the midfield, but the team is going to need more from him in this late stage of the season. He also hasn’t much time on the field with fellow DP, Emil Forsberg who has recently returned from a foot injury. Forsberg subbed on for Carballo in the Red Bulls last game, and the two have only been on the field together for a combined 11 minutes. The Red Bulls need to develop chemistry between the two if they have any chance of making a playoff run and it’s hard to see that happening if they never share the field. Hopefully this game will be an opportunity to really see what the team can look like with both of them in the lineup.
Prediction
It’s a rotated side for Columbus and a rather cautious game for the Red Bulls, ending in an ‘exciting’ 0-0 draw.
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