When the New York Red Bulls were last home, they beat David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy 5-4 in front of 66,000 at Giants Stadium. Any momentum they thought would come from that thrilling victory went out the window with back-to-back road losses to D.C. United and New England.
Now the Red Bulls play host to another designated player and are in desperate need of three points when Cuauhtémoc Blanco and the red-hot Chicago Fire come to the Meadowlands on Saturday night.
"It has to be three points. That's the mentality we're taking into this game," Carlos Mendes said. "We're back home, we played a few tough road games and three points this weekend is huge."
This is the second time the Fire will play at Giants Stadium -- the Red Bulls blitzed Chicago 3-0 on MLS Primetime Thursday May 24. That victory put New York at an MLS-best record of 5-1-2 after conceding just four goals. Some were talking MLS Cup for the Red Bulls.
Three months later, New York is in the midst of a fight for their playoff lives, sitting one point in front of Kansas City in third place in the Eastern Conference and is now 10th in the league with 32 goals against.
Chicago, meanwhile, is a totally different team since that meeting. Former MetroStars assistant coach Juan Carlo Osorio has taken over for Dave Sarachan and Blanco has made a major impact since his arrival.
Since his first game July 22, the Mexican international has two goals and four assists and the Fire have gone 3-1-1 in those five matches.
"What makes him a special player is you look at set pieces and he can score goals on free kicks, out of the run of play he's a good passer," Red Bulls coach Bruce Arena said. "He's an experienced guy, composed on the ball, wants the ball in tough spots. A person who possesses those qualities still tends to be unique in this league."
And he's a player the Red Bulls will be very aware of Saturday night.
"Blanco is a huge addition for them, he's obviously the catalyst for them and with a new coach, everyone has to prove themselves," goalkeeper Jon Conway said. "I think they have something to fight for now, not only a playoff spot but a job."
The Red Bulls limp back into Giants Stadium after back-to-back losses to the top two teams in the Eastern Conference and have given up nine goals in the past three games.
"We're not going to win games by giving up a lot of goals and we can't be giving up the kind of goals we gave up in New England or the kind of goals we gave up in D.C.," Arena said. "To be honest those are five pretty bad goals to give up."
The Red Bulls played well enough to earn a point at Gillette Stadium, but walked away with a 2-1 loss after a shocking own goal by Carlos Mendes 10 minutes from full time.
"I have no real hangover effect from it. It happens," Conway said. "You can't really let it get you down. I've been here for what -- almost two seasons now? To be honest with you, I made one mistake and it cost us a point. I can't really let that bother my performances. I've been probably one of the more consistent here over that span so I can't really complain about making one mistake."
With the game tied at 1-1 in the 80th minute, Mendes played a 40-yard ball back to Conway. But the pass, which had pace on it, somehow eluded Conway and rolled into the Red Bulls net.
"It was a combination of things," Conway said when asked what happened on the play. "The ball is played back and I misjudged some of the pace, I took a look up the field to see where our guys were and see if there was any pressure coming. With the pace and as I was moving across, I just lost my footing trying to get back and that was it."
It's not the first own goal in club history, but it will certainly go down as one of the most bizarre in MLS history.
"I think that kind of play is pretty freaky. Both players know what they could have done a little bit better on the play," Arena said. "It's just a bad play. You might follow the game for the next 100 years and not see that again."
For the Red Bulls playoff hopes, they certainly hope not.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
