N.Y. RED BULLS AT UNION
RECORDS: New York Red Bulls (14-14-6, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Union (16-11-7, third in the Eastern Conference) BOTTOM LINE: The New York Red Bulls visit the Union in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The Union are 12-7-3in Eastern Conference play. Union is 7-1-1 when it scores two goals.
The Red Bulls are 9-9-4in conference matchups. New York has 32 of its 53goals in the second half of matches. The teams meet Sunday for the third time this season. New York won the last meeting 2-0. TOP PERFORMERS: Kacper Przybylko has 15goals and four assists for Union. Marco Fabian has three goals over the past 10games for
New York: 3-5-2, averaging 1.2 goals, 0.5assists, five shots on goal and 6.9corner kicks per game while allowing 1.7goals per game. NOT EXPECTED TO PLAY: Union: Alejandro Bedoya (injured), Sergio Santos (injured).
New York: Amro Tarek (injured), Florian Valot (injured). surprises. The Red Bulls are synonymous with high pressure, getting after opponents to make them uncomfortable. It’s the model that Union sporting director Ernst Tanner, formerly with Red Bull Salzburg, injected to the club this year to great effect.
“It’s one of the most easyto-pick-out styles that you can have in our league in terms of it jumps off the page in film,” Curtin said. “They press the ball as good as anybody. I don’t think Chris (Armas) is going to turn a completely new wrinkle into the way they play or a completely new formation out of the blue that doesn’t suit Red Bull. They’re great at what they do, and we have to be at the top of our game to defend them and also create chances.”
The system is such that individual brilliance is less important. Seventeen Red Bulls have scored goals, led by Daniel Royer’s 11 and nine from Brian White, who spent most of last year in USL and who Curtin coached in the Union’s academy as a right back. They’ve excelled with Bradley Wright-Phillips, a certified Union killer and one of MLS’s most prolific scorers, and designated player Kaku relegated to the bench.
The Union struggled against Red Bulls this season. They beat New York, 3-2, at Talen in June but trailed 2-0 at half before three Ilsinho-influenced goals in 12 minutes rescued points. In September, the Union left Red Bull Arena with a 2-0 loss.
Even with a young squad replenished by its endless well of academy talent, the Red Bulls have the edge in postseason experience, in their 10th straight appearance. Only two Union players — Warren Creavalle and Aurelien Collin — have ever won a playoff game, and both are reserves.
The crowd in Chester could be an x-factor, Union partisans having waited eight years since a loss to Houston in 2011 for playoff soccer to return to the banks of the Delaware. The Union have sold out Talen on eight occasions this season, including five straight. The Union are 10-3-4 at home.
“I think we have seen some great atmospheres this season already in some of the games,” Bedoya said. “But I want to get the club the first playoff win, advance in the playoffs and get into the final. That’s what I came here for, to make a difference and I hope I can do that, be a part of it. The crowd’s been great so far this year, and I’m sure with a home playoff game, our first one in a while … there will be a lot of fans here.”
Curtin is also selling this special 90 minutes to his team as a rare chance to write the narrative of the season. Players have the power to determine how this season will be remembered. Curtin’s troops have taken well to that message in the past. He’s hoping it’ll work at least one more time.
“Until you win a playoff game, that will always be the chatter and the noise in the background that you haven’t taken that next step,” Curtin said. “We don’t hide from that. I’m a realist and I’m pretty open and honest about when my team plays pretty good, about when my team has to do better, and this is an example of one where we recognize it’s a good battle, a good matchup against a good team.”