Red Bulls aim to end winless streak

Saying and doing are two different things for the Red Bulls.

Despite their current eightmatch winless stretch, thirdlongest in club history, the Red Bulls (43 points) find themselves mildly comfortable in the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference. They sit four points ahead of Montreal, with a one-game advantage over their Canadian conference rival.

All the Red Bulls have to do to make the MLS playoffs is win — except that’s easier said than done, considering they haven’t won in nearly two months. Head coach Jesse Marsch called their disastrous September, one in which they dropped the U.S. Open Cup final to Sporting Kansas City and ultimately were embarrassed on the score sheet by Supporters’ Shield winners Toronto FC last week, a “demanding month.”

“At least we get to say bye to September. It’s October now — it’s a new New York Red Bulls,” forward Bradley Wright-Phillips said.

It remains to be seen if that holds true when the Red Bulls try to scratch out a win Saturday against the Vancouver Whitecaps at Red Bull Arena (5 p.m.; UniMas).

With concerns of travel — an excuse Marsch blamed for the September skid — behind them, the Red Bulls essentially control their own destiny. Vancouver (51 points), widely considered the favorite in the West to reach the MLS Cup, is missing a slew of starters, including Peruvian playmaker Yordy Reyna, because of the international break. The absences might give the Red Bulls a break considering the Whitecaps grabbed 13 out of a possible 18 points in September.

“It’s not a must-win in terms of we have one win out of three. If we can get a win here then we can start to think about ‘Maybe we can inch our way up the placing a little bit.’ But, it’s a mentality move for our group,” Marsch said.