HANOVER, N.J. — They are already the best version of themselves, setting club records for wins (19) and points (62) and tying the mark for clean sheets (13).
But can, or should, the 2018 New York Red Bulls be in the conversation for best MLS team ever?
Not just yet, according to midfielder Sean Davis.
“Even though we’re setting [club] records for points and wins and all that, it really comes down to hardware,” he said after training Wednesday. “We don’t get caught up in the discussion of ‘best team ever.’ That’s way too soon for us to be talking about that. We need to accomplish what’s in front of us and that’s hopefully winning Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup.”
Toronto FC lay claim to that title for a historic 2017 season, which saw them become the first team in MLS history to win the domestic treble (Canadian Championship, Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup) and along the way set the record for most points accrued during the regular season with 69.
The Reds were runaway winners a year ago, a team head and shoulders better than anyone else from the midpoint of the year. For most of this season, Atlanta United were touted as the team most likely to ascend to that pedestal. Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles refereed to Atlanta as the “league’s darlings” after his team’s decisive 2-0 victory over the Five Stripes on Sunday.
That win moved the Red Bulls to within one point of the Shield leaders with three games to play. Both teams can break Toronto’s record point total if they win out the rest of the season.
The Red Bulls have made no secret of their desire to win the Shield for a third time in club history. If that means setting the league record for points in a season along the way, so be it.
“I don’t really care about breaking any records,” winger Alex Muyl said. “I would love to win the Supporters’ Shield and have the best record in the whole league. We’re able to do that, it’s possible. You see in the game last weekend that we showed we can play against anybody and we can be successful.”
Including twin wins over Atlanta, the Red Bulls are 6-1-1 with a plus-13 goal difference against teams that have 50 or more points to date. Conversely, Atlanta are 1-4-2 with a minus-two goal difference.
Atlanta might have the Golden Boot and potential Landon Donovan MLS MVP winner in Josef Martinez, as well as playmaker Miguel Almiron and a coach in Tata Martino who is in high demand, but the Red Bulls like where they are.
Is it a lack of respect? Muyl said team is used to that narrative already, while it doesn’t really matter for coach Chris Armas.
“The more that we’re not discussed and talked about the better for us,” Armas said. “Every time there’s three points out there, we’ll keep putting out a team that goes after it the right way.”
