Red Bulls Rampaging In Harrison!!

Soccer Spookiness in New Jersey!!

Happy Halloween everyone!  There is much to be excited about today - 1.  It's Friday.  2.  It's Halloween.  3.  It's Halloween on a Friday, believe that!!

Playoffs?!  Last night I was fortunate enough to attend the NY Red Bulls - Sporting Kansas City MLS playoff game.  What is interesting about the MLS and the way they conduct their playoffs is that the structure is all out of whack!  First off, European leagues do not have playoffs.  If you stunk the whole season you don't get to participate in the playoffs and make a late run to win a title (I am looking right at you NBA…you know I am, too).  The first round is a winner take all game and then there's the home and home but they don't follow the Euorpean goals aggregate rules (this makes no sense) and above all else…they don't have playoffs!  Wait, I mentioned that already.  Thing about playoffs is that they are exciting as anything.  Last night's game was great, awesome atmosphere and a brilliantly crisp fall evening.  

I have once again turned to the resident MLS & Red Bulls fanatic to run through a recap of last night's tilt.  So without further ado, Steven Humiston, take us through the game - 
For 76 minutes last night at Red Bull Arena, Red Bull fans and players felt that sinking feeling coming across them yet again. Another year over, another playoff let down. Having control of the ball for the majority of the game, a 72-28% possession ration in the home sides favor, a sloppy midfield giveaway saw the RBs down 1-0 to Sporting Kansas City(SKC). 22 goal man Dom Dwyer calmly slotted the ball past RB goalie Luis Robles. For large stretches of the game, the RBs seemed to be okay with holding possession without penetrating the SKC defense. Head coach Mike Petke seemed to pull the right string at the right time inserting 23 year old Cameroon international Ambrose Oyongo in at right back and shifting to a back three allowing right winger Lloyd Sam to shift to the left side to team with Thierry Henry. This switch opened the field for the Red Bulls. In the 77th minute, Sam sprung Henry free down the left side. Streaking down the middle was just the man the Red Bulls need, 27 goal scorer and MLS record holder for goals in a season Bradley Wright-Phillips(BWP). Henry found BWP in the cross and slotted the ball home to tie the game. 

For much of the game, SKC sat back and defended. They took 30-40 seconds and walked every throw-in 15 yards forward before throwing the ball in. Following the goal that leveled the match at 1, SKC did not change their game plan. The next 10-12 minutes were spent watching them waste clock, seemingly trying to will the game to overtime and penalty kicks. In the last minute of regular time, the Red Bulls finally broke free once again. Red Bulls defender Jamison Olave played what could have been his best pass of the year up to this point down the right to the recently inserted Oyongo. Ambrose attacked down the line, and found the Red Bulls talisman once again streaking down the middle. The cross went to near post instead of far, which wrong footed both SKC central defenders and their keeper. BWP leaped and headed the ball just inside the far post for his second goal of the match. Four finger crossing minutes of extra time felt just as long as the first 90, but the Red Bulls did it. They didn’t fold when they went down 1-0, or hit everything but the back of the net. Thierry Henry provided the setup and the magical season of BWP continues as his two goals pushed the Red Bulls into the eastern conference semifinals. 

Next up for the Red Bulls is the Eastern Conference’s top seed, DC United. This is the original rivalry in MLS. Supporters Groups - The Empire Supporters Club vs. La Barra Brava, Coaches - Mike Petke vs. Ben Olsen, DC vs NY is a rivalry rich in MLS tradition. From their 1996 playoff tilt which saw the RBs then METROSTARS win the home leg in a shootout, only to crash in DC, to the recent touch line shouting matches between head coaches, these two clubs flat out don’t like each other. DC United comes into the playoffs as the top seed in the east. They play a high line of pressure and will try to force the Red Bulls into turnovers and mental mistakes. DC Keeper Bill Hamid is one of the best in the league, and the Red Bulls will have their work cut out for them to put goals past him. Perry Kitchen, Nick DeLeon, and Sean Franklin will be key figures working the ball up to a lethal trio of attackers; Eddie Johnson, Luis Silva, and Fabian Espindola. Keys to victory for the Red Bulls remain the same, defend as a team, work the ball to speedster Lloyd Sam through French Legend Henry, and hope that magical dust that BWP seems to have found hasn’t washed up yet. Tune in Sunday 4PM MSG for the first leg in what is sure to be another storied battle in this I-95 rivalry. 
Thanks a ton Steve, I look forward to Sunday's game!  It has a lot to live up to after this one.  AND, as I mentioned earlier this week…if you're hitting up Red Bull Arena, you gotta get one of these.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN - watch out for razor blades in apples, pills pushed into chocolate bars and men with mustaches and trench coats…you've been warned!

HAPPY WATCHING!!