Want to hear from some of the notable names around the league? MLSsoccer.com contributing editor Alicia Rodriguez spends 10 minutes talking to some of the big names in North American soccer.
Shep Messing is a retired goalkeeper who won the NASL title with the New York Cosmos in 1977. Working as a television analyst in American soccer for more than two decades, including on New York Red Bulls broadcasts since 2001, Messing knows the history of the Eastern Conference Championship entrants as well as just about anyone. Here, he discusses the Red Bulls' season, their series against the New England Revolution, and the prospects of winning MLS Cup.
Rodriguez: As far as the Red Bulls are concerned, maybe something’s changed a little bit this season as far as their playoff performances. What do you think has been the difference in 2014, compared to previous years?
Messing: When it comes to the Red Bulls, this team, this playoffs, this Eastern Conference finals, I think it’s the same team that’s been very schizophrenic. They play well at times, they can certainly score goals.
In previous years they’ve imploded in the playoffs, but for me, the whole difference in the recent four weeks, six weeks of this playoff run is
Thierry Henry
. It’s not so much everything he does on the field. You can sense the chemistry and the energy of a team sort of rallying around Thierry. This is a team, I think, that takes their temperature based on how Thierry Henry is playing. So that’s the emotional part of it, and you can clearly see it in the locker room and training ground, and during the last bunch of games.
I still think they’re a flawed team. Like every team, they have their strengths and their liabilities, but right now they’re on a really good run. And most of it is predicated on, “Let’s win this one for Thierry.” Who knows what he’s going to do after this year.
Rodriguez: As far as seeing the vulnerabilities, what do you think is potentially their one or two biggest issues that they could see in this series or perhaps even the MLS Cup Final?
Messing: I think this is a really interesting match-up with New England, because in some ways I think each team has similar exposure and liabilities, and that’s for the most part on the defensive side of the ball. And I think the Red Bulls’ central partnership pair has struggled to find accommodation. [Jamison] Olave is a very good player, but he’s older and has a bad knee. They’ve alternated with [Ibrahim] Sekagya and Armando, they’ve experimented with that dual partnership centrally in the midfield, sweeping in front of the back four.
And I think they’ve finally found what they would consider their best core defensive unit. But every game they’ve played, they’ve given up quality goal-scoring opportunities, and Luis Robles, for me, under the radar screen, has been unbelievable. So he’s really made them look defensively a little bit better than they are. I think that goes the same for New England. I think if you look at one weakness, I don’t think they’re the greatest on the defensive side of the ball, but in the last couple of games [Bobby] Shuttleworth has done a great job. So I think both teams have defensive places they can be exploited.
I’m on the Red Bulls’ side – I’d be the last guy in the world to predict Bradley Wright-Phillips would score this many goals. But it’s all clicking. This Red Bulls team, at this juncture, is really a challenge and a problem for New England.
Rodriguez: Based on what you’ve said here, do you expect this series to be a shootout, kind of what New England’s last round was, or do you think the teams are going to be more cautious because of the circumstances? What’s your inclination ahead of the first leg as far as how this series is going to shake out?
Messing: I definitely think Red Bulls certainly in the first leg are going to be super-aggressive, they’re going to attack the game. Now I’ve seen many games where New England has been superb on the counterattack. But I think they’re both going to go for it.
These playoffs are a whole different animal, and New England knows what happened to D.C. United [in the Eastern Conference semifinals]. They don’t want to drop a game by two goals. They don’t want to go back to New England having lost a game by 2-0 or 3-0. I don’t think they’re going to be cautious. I think both teams rely on attack in a little different manners.
Look, two weeks ago, I would have said New England’s the favorite. I think this international break clearly hurts New England and clearly helps the Red Bulls.
Rodriguez: That’s pretty interesting. So as far as looking at the final four, let’s suppose New York makes it to the MLS Cup final, do you think they have a good shot of taking it all, or do you think they’re going to come up against either of the Western Conference teams and it’s going to be too much for the Red Bulls?
Messing: You go through life through the eyes of what you used to be. I used to be a goalkeeper, many years ago, and when I analyze teams, I do it from a goalkeeping perspective. If you have an ex-striker, like Taylor Twellman, he does it from a goalscorer’s perspective.
So to answer your question, it’s not out of the question that the Red Bulls go on, get to MLS Cup, and win it. But I would not make them the favorite to do that. I think the Galaxy team is extremely good, and playing with the same emotional factor that I alluded to in terms of Thierry Henry, with Landon Donovan. And Seattle’s loaded.
If you’re the Red Bulls, you can’t worry about it. You want to get to the final game, obviously. Is it winnable if they play in Seattle or LA? Sure. Their focus has to be, as for every team, on the next 90 minutes, and I think the next 90 minutes at Red Bull Arena will determine whether or not they go on.
