Searching for their 2018 form which propelled a single-season record for points, the New York Red Bulls hit the road with another chance to get it right.
The defending Supporters' Shield champions travel north up I-95 to face the New England Revolution on Saturday (7:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, DAZN in Canada). With both teams struggling out of the gate, the battle for points will be fierce.
"We have a good idea of what that game is going to look like: In New England against a tough team, conference rival, close proximity," head coach Chris Armas said after training on Thursday. "We love those games. I'm sure they're looking forward to it, too, but we want to get right back out there."
Midfielder Sean Davis agrees that it'll surely be a tough game, especially with the Revs third in the league in duels won (411) and seventh in tackles won (79), per Opta.
"We know they brought in some big pieces this offseason, including Carles Gil," Davis said. "They have a lot of pieces, a lot of athleticism. We know that's how Brad Friedel likes his team to play: To attack, be aggressive and physical. We have to match that. Otherwise it'll be a long night."
While the Red Bulls have only five points after six games, the club isn't yet looking at the standings.
"We're about a month into the season, you can't really look into it and start to worry about the playoff line," Tim Parker said. "There's a lot of time left."
How do they place to return to last season's form? Rely on the defense.
"We know when we score first, we're very good," Aaron Long said. "We have to get back to scoring first. More importantly, the defense has to keep a shutout for longer amounts of time. (Our opponents) are getting goals too early in the game.
"We're looking for three points," Long added. "Nothing less."
