

New York Red Bulls
I have to admit; I’ve pronounced the season to be dead more than once before. But you gotta cut me some slack, I wasn’t counting on the absolute ineptitude of the rest of the Eastern Conference. Thanks to their shortcomings, the Red Bulls found themselves clinging to the tenth and final playoff spot after a draw away to Toronto. That being said, New York needed all three points on Tuesday to have some sense of security in the playoff picture. And thanks to our good friend Irene, the Bulls got just what they wanted.
Well, here I am, once again reeling from another disappointment, trying to figure out just how to sum up yet the latest uninspired performance by New York. I swear, with all the talk of how great this team is better on paper, I propose we so all go out and cover RBA in 8 ½ x 11’s on Saturday… but I digress.
Just when you thought all hope was lost, New York goes out and does this. A win, honest to God, a win. For the first time since the July 6th drubbing of TFC, the Red Bulls claimed all three points and boy did it feel good. Granted, it got a bit nervy there and it wasn’t the pretty display by any stretch of the imagination, but isn’t that what it’s all about? A gutsy road win, the team’s first since winning at RFK in April, might be just what this team needs to get back on track. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s remember the long road New York still has to travel.
Man, the past week or so has been quite kind to the Red Bulls. After Irene washed away any hopes of the Galaxy match being played, New York saw their playoff position actually improve despite not playing a single match since August 20th. As of now, New York owns the 10th and final playoff spot, sitting behind Columbus, SKC, Houston, and Philly in the East. Vancouver rolls into town this Saturday, and the Red Bulls absolutely need three points against the lowly Whitecaps.
Do I even need to bother recapping this game? You might as well just read my last post. It meets all the requirements: disappointment, 2-2 draw, second half comeback, Ballouchy being useless… you know, the usual. Just when you think they can’t draw against a crappier team, they do. The Revs, proud owners of the most anemic offense in the league, still managed to take a 2-0 lead against New York and it took a 87th minute equalizer to walk away with a point. Their winless streak at Gillette continues, with the Metro Bulls failing to collect all three points since their first trip their in 2002, but at this point, that’s the least of their concerns.
Another week, another disappointing performance for RBNY. Par for the course, I would say (No Backe reference intended). With the lowly Fire in town, you’d probably expect a win in front of the sell out crowd at RBA… who am I kidding, we were all pretty much expecting the worst the way things have been going lately. And while the 2-2 draw isn’t worst-case scenario, the clock is ticking on New York’s playoff hopes.
Game night, fans. The Bulls are in Rio Tinto looking to pick up crucial points away from home. Keep it locked here for live banter with yours truly and feel free to chime in and let your voice be heard.
That’s right, folks; to go along with the laundry list of accomplishments the Metro Bulls have attained in their illustrious history, you can add 2011 Emirates Cup Champions to it. Now while it’s no La Manga, it ranks right up there with the Mickey Mouse Cup of 2010. Hey, this is about the only Red Bulls news I can get excited about nowadays, so get off my back. Where the Backe haters at now? Huh? Oh alright, alright, calm down I see you. Jesus.
Wow, well hopefully you haven’t been using the Offside as your sole source for MLS news (as I know many of you do), because I haven’t been very diligent in updating you on all things Red Bull New York. With the Bulls facing some adversity (understatement of the year?), the front office has taken action and enlisted the help of German backstop Frank Rost. Will Rost be the stable netminder the Red Bulls need to get back to their winning ways? We’ll find out soon enough, starting on Saturday against New York bug-a-boo Chivas USA.
Coming off the heels of a rather unconvincing (but welcomed) win against New England, the Red Bulls are off to embark on their longest trip away from the friendly confines of Harrison. First up, the rowdy crowd at JELD-WEN Field, home of the Timbers.









