After 28 games, three coaches and two ownership groups, the New York Red Bulls' playoff picture couldn't be clearer, according to Bruce Arena.
"In reality, they're a point behind fourth place," Arena said of his team. "They've got to somehow, between now and the end of the year, be a minimum of a point better than Kansas City."
The Red Bulls squandered an opportunity to do just that Wednesday night, to move ahead of the idle Wizards and into a third-place tie with the New England Revolution. Instead, the Red Bulls were dominated from the outset and dropped a 2-0 decision to the rival Revs.
"We already lost the opportunity," Red Bulls captain Amado Guevara said. "We still can make it, we have four games and it's only one point."
Now, with four games left, the Red Bulls are one point behind Kansas City for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The math might be easy, the task not so much.
The Red Bulls head to RFK Stadium on Saturday to face a D.C. United team that is not only the class of the league but also holds a 2-0-2 mark against the Bulls this season, including a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal victory.
If the Red Bulls do manage to make the playoffs, there's some additional math that isn't in their favor -- a combined 0-5-5 mark against D.C., New England and Chicago, the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.
It's a record that's come as a shock to Guevara.
"I wasn't thinking about that. It's an interesting point and really, I'm worried about it right now," Guevara said. "If we make the playoffs, we have to play them. To go with that doubt to play that team, it's not good."
Guevara is one yellow card away from a one-game ban and he was subbed out for just the second time this season Wednesday for a sub-par performance, according to Arena. He was replaced by rookie Blake Camp in the 77th minute.
One of the few bright spots was the play of newly-signed Austrian Markus Schopp, who came on at halftime and was the Red Bulls best attacking player in the second half.
"He looked sharp, he looked like he wanted to do something, like he wanted to play," Dema Kovalenko said of Schopp, who replaced Chris Henderson and played on the right side of midfield. "We need the leadership. We need older guys, including myself, to step up and lead the younger guys."
The Red Bulls will be without Mike Magee, who was suspended an additional game and fined $500 for violent conduct against Columbus last Saturday. Magee was sent off for a left-handed punch to Kei Kamara in the 64th minute against the Crew. And defender Todd Dunivant is listed as questionable with a left quadriceps strain that he suffered two weeks ago.
Central defender Carlos Mendes, though, is back after serving a one-game suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards.
"We have four games left, and now we're going to see what this team is made of," Kovalenko said. "Every game is going to be a fight. We just have to come out and try to win games and put us in the playoffs. It's going to be very interesting to see how this team responds."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
