It was another rocky regular season for the New York Red Bulls, but not one without its fair share of memorable moemnts.
Though they didn't repeat their Supporters' Shield-winning feat of 2013, the Red Bulls had plenty of thrilling games and plays on their way to the upcoming Eastern Conference Championship against the New England Revolution. Most came late in the year, as a veteran-laden New York team took some time to find its footing.
Here are the Red Bulls’ top five moments thus far in 2014:
5. Introducing the 4-2-3-1
It wasn’t a stunning moment nor did it raise many eyebrows when it happened, but the introduction of the 4-2-3-1 formation on Sept. 6 was key in beginning New York’s late-season surge. They not only beat Sporting Kansas City, 2-1, on that September night, but went on to win eight of the next 12 matches en route to reaching the Eastern Conference Championship.
4. Breaking a Long Run of Futility
The Red Bulls entered their first meeting against the Revolution back on June 8 extremely shorthanded
. They
were missing almost half of their regular starters and had not won at Gillette Stadium in 20 games, a run of futility that stretched over 12 years. Surely, they were in for a rough day.
Not quite.
New York flipped the script, winning, 2-0, thanks to tallies from Eric Alexander and Peguy Luyindula and a standout performance in goal from Luis Robles. The victory injected the club with plenty of confidence going into the World Cup break, as the players knew then that they had enough to get the job done even without some of their top performers.
3. Stirring Comeback
In their only other game thus far this year against New England, on Aug. 2, New York needed an impressive comeback to knock off their northern rivals. Down a man - Matt Miazga was ejected late in the first half - and a goal at halftime, the Red Bulls dug deep to produce one of their better rallies in recent years. Dax McCarty scored the equalizer on a sensational chip shortly after the break, and Bradley Wright-Phillips delivered the winner with a dazzling strike of his own to give Mike Petke's side the 2-1 win.
2. Wright-Phillips wins it at home, finally
New York had made
the playoffs in every season since Red Bull Arena opened in 2010, but in each of those years they failed to win inside their gem of a stadium.
That changed on Oct. 30
, as the Red Bulls used a Wright-Phillips brace to rally from a goal down and post
a 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference Knockout game
.
Wright-Phillips’ winner came on the brink of extra time, the forward nodding home a cross from Ambroise Oyongo in the 90th minute to send his club into the next round and the long-suffering fanbase into a dramatic sea of ecstasy.
1. "Hey, Hey, Goodbye"
As
sweet as that playoff moment was against Sporting KC, it likely paled in comparison to what Red Bulls diehards felt
when New York finally ousted archrivals D.C. United in a playoff series
.
After being bounced out of the postseason time and again by D.C. – four times prior to this year, to be exact – the Red Bulls emerged victorious in the Eastern Conference Semifinals by an aggregate score of 3-2. New York lost the second leg at RFK Stadium, 2-1, on Nov. 8, but that did not stop the Red Bulls and their 1,250-plus traveling fans from thoroughly enjoying the accomplishment, and United's heartbreak, on their nemesis' home turf.
Franco Panizo covers the New York Red Bulls for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached by email at Franco8813@gmail.com.
