Eastern Conference Championship Showdown: MLS Cup on the line for red-hot Revs, explosive Red Bulls

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<strong>Position/Edge</strong>

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<p><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/luis-robles" target="_blank">Luis Robles</a> is a quiet guy, but he&#39;s made plenty of noise with his play since he made the job his last season. New York&#39;s up-and-down 2014 campaign could have had far more downs had the 30-year-old not been on hand to spare his backline&#39;s blushes.</p>

<p class="rtecenter">Goalkeepers</p><strong>EVEN</strong>

<p><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/bobby-shuttleworth" target="_blank">Bobby Shuttleworth</a> put his time in behind <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/matt-reis" target="_blank">Matt Reis</a>, slowly integrating himself into the lineup after tragedy struck for his mentor last season. As the Revs trajectory improved this season, so did Shuttleworth&#39;s. At 27, he still hasn&#39;t hit his prime either.</p>

<p class="rteleft">The Red Bulls&#39; 50 goals allowed were the most among Eastern Conference playoff teams and tied with the Seattle Sounders for most on both sides of the bracket. The issues stemmed largely from inconsistency. <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/jamison-olave" target="_blank">Jamison Olave</a> was the only backliner who played more than 2,000 minutes for Mike Petke, and the Colombian certainly wasn&#39;t at his physically dominant best like in 2014. Then just when it seemed Petke had settled on a defensive unit, <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/roy-miller" target="_blank">Roy Miller</a> went and got suspended for the series. Fresh off international duty in Cameroon, <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/ambroise-oyongo" target="_blank">Ambroise Oyongo</a> is the likely replacement.</p>

<p class="rtecenter">Defenders</p><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/928_200x200.png" style="width: 75px; height: 75px;">

<p><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/jose-goncalves" target="_blank">Jose Goncalves</a> was the MLS Defender of the Year a season ago. <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/aj-soares" target="_blank">A.J. Soares</a> appears to be one of those guys who&#39;ll be quietly very good in MLS for a long time. <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/andrew-farrell" target="_blank">Andrew Farrell</a> could be a future US national teamer. <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/chris-tierney" target="_blank">Chris Tierney</a> might have the best left foot in MLS. And there&#39;s depth behind them. The Revs gave up 19 goals during their nine-game losing streak, and 27 in their 25 other games, a pace that would have put them right there with D.C. and LA as one of the league&#39;s elite defensive teams.</p>

<p class="rteleft"><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/thierry-henry" target="_blank">Thierry Henry</a> is a midfielder. Logically, then, you&#39;re wondering how on earth New York didn&#39;t manage to take this category when there&#39;s <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/lloyd-sam" target="_blank">Lloyd Sam</a>, <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/peguy-luyindula" target="_blank">P&eacute;guy Luyindula</a>, <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/eric-alexander" target="_blank">Eric Alexander</a> and <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/dax-mccarty" target="_blank">Dax McCarty</a> in the mix as well. It&#39;s because while the Red Bulls thrive when there&#39;s time to possess and get Henry faced up, they&#39;re less effective when the game becomes a physical battle and they&#39;re forced to defend under pressure. D.C. couldn&#39;t put them in uncomfortable positions for prolonged periods, but New England will at some point in the series.</p>

<p class="rtecenter">Midfielders</p><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/928_200x200.png" style="width: 75px; height: 75px;">

<p><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/lee-nguyen" target="_blank">Lee Nguyen</a> and <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/jermaine-jones" target="_blank">Jermaine Jones</a>. Enough said. Even with Henry in the mix, the stats say Nguyen is the elite chance creator in this series. The only difference is he doesn&#39;t have a <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/bradley-wright-phillips" target="_blank">Bradley Wright-Phillips</a> banging in the goals in front of him. That&#39;s OK, though, because MVLee just does it himself. Meanwhile, Jones took the Revs from plucky challengers to legitimate MLS Cup contenders. With <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/scott-caldwell" target="_blank">Scott Caldwell</a> coming into his own, and <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/kelyn-rowe" target="_blank">Kelyn Rowe</a> and <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/teal-bunbury" target="_blank">Teal Bunbury</a> providing combo play, industry and the occassional brilliant moment, this group has an established identity.</p>

<p>It&#39;s all about goals up top and <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/bradley-wright-phillips" target="_blank">Bradley Wright-Phillips</a> can&#39;t seem to stop scoring, enjoying one of those magical seasons that can sweep a club forward seemingly on the back of one man&#39;s production alone. When he&#39;s not campaigning for his teammate for MVP, Henry likes to harp on the chances that went unfinished, but both sides know BWP&#39;s form in front of net (good or bad) could very well be the key to the series.</p>

<p class="rtecenter">Forwards</p><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/399_200x200.png" style="font-size: 12.2222px; width: 75px; height: 75px;">

<p><a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/charlie-davies" target="_blank">Charlie Davies</a> is starting to remind folks of the player he was before the accident this postseason and could trouble the Red Bulls&#39; backline with his movement and work rate. <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/patrick-mullins" target="_blank">Patrick Mullins</a>, meanwhile, showed flashes of his college goalscoring prowess this season. Still, to expect either to chip in with more than a goal in this series might be a bit hopeful after they combined for seven during the regular season.</p>

<p>With Oyongo a good bet to come in for <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/roy-miller" target="_blank">Roy Miller</a> at left back, Mike Petke&#39;s limited in his options should the game need a jolt. He&#39;ll have <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/bradley-wright-phillips" target="_blank">Tim Cahill</a> to either crash the box in search of one of the brave headers that defined his 2013 campaign or provide midfield steel. After that, it&#39;s the inexperienced <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/ruben-bover" target="_blank">Ruben Bover</a> and a cadre of defenders.</p>

<p class="rtecenter">Bench</p><img alt="" src="https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/imagefield_thumbs/928_200x200.png" style="width: 75px; height: 75px;">

<p>Assuming Farrell is back in the lineup, Jay Heaps has just about every scenario covered with the seven men sitting next to him. Need defensive help? <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/darrius-barnes" target="_blank">Darrius Barnes</a> and <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/kevin-alston" target="_blank">Kevin Alston</a> slot in seamlessly. <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/andy-dorman" target="_blank">Andy Dorman</a> and <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/daigo-kobayashi" target="_blank">Daigo Kobayashi</a> bring veteran influence in midfield. And in attack, Mullins and <a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/diego-fagundez" target="_blank">Diego Fagundez</a> are waiting to change the game.</p>

<p>On the basis of trophies, Petke takes it based on a charmed Supporters&#39; Shield campaign in his first season in charge that sated Red Bulls fans&#39; long-time thirst for silverware. His decision to transition to a 4-2-3-1 and turn to Luyindula as an attacking midfielder late in the year have turned this team into a true MLS Cup threat. Now can the club legend lead his team to MLS Cup? Can he manage Henry&#39;s minutes and keep him from having to play his first-ever game at Gillette Stadium? To get there, he&#39;ll have to outmaneuver Heaps, who has turned the Revs into one of MLS&#39; most entertaining teams.</p>

<p class="rtecenter">Coach</p><strong>EVEN</strong>

<p>In November 2011, Jay Heaps took over a team that had managed just 28 points and finished joint bottom in MLS. Three years later, the former New England defender rallied the Revs from a nine-game losing streak to come withing nine points of the Supporters&#39; Shield. He may not have a trophy yet, but Heaps has revived a franchise in three seasons with a patient approach that&#39;s made an MVP candidate out of Nguyen and seen the club&#39;s young core rise together to the top of the Eastern Conference. Now the Revs and Heaps will believe it&#39;s their time to get some redemption for their MLS Cup defeats in the 2000s.</p>