The Red Bulls admit they have not played their best so far this season, and they didn’t expect to. That’s because it’s all about the postseason, all about building toward finally winning the MLS Cup.
“We’re all honest with ourselves to say that we haven’t been at our best in the beginning stages of the season,” coach Jesse Marsch said. “Now that’s OK, and we’re going through certain moments.”
The Red Bulls, 5-6-2 (17 points) going into Saturday’s home game against the New England Revolution, have gone through more maddening moments than usual.
They have spoiled fans by finishing atop the Eastern Conference the past three seasons, winning the Supporters’ Shield in two of those, but falling short in the playoffs each time. Now they have spent the early part of this season blooding new young talent, trying different formations, and figuring out what to address in the summer transfer window, all with an eye towards being their best in the playoffs.
“With some of the changes we made, we knew that maybe some regular-season goals wouldn’t be as attainable as they were in the years past,” Marsch said. “But everything that we’re doing right now is with an eye towards the ultimate championship. That’s what this club needs and that’s where we need to go.
“Obviously, it’d be nice to win everything all the time. But I think in the end, frankly what we just think is most important is finding a way to be the best during the biggest games of the year.”
The Red Bulls have gone young. Tyler Adams (18), Alex Muyl (21) and Aaron Long (24) all replaced veterans in the lineup, including last year’s captain, Dax McCarty, who was traded away to make room for Adams, who currently is away at the Under-20 World Cup.
“Our expectations may need to be lowered just a little bit right now in that we’re going through a transition. … We’ve got [to] think more about the long term right now,’’ midfielder Sacha Kljestan said. “Obviously we’re struggling with some things right now. We’re not as good with the ball, not creating as many chances as were used to in the past. We’ve got some younger guys who are stepping in to play.
The remaining veterans are carrying the load for now.
“There’s a lot of weight on some people’s shoulders, a lot of the older guys, me, Luis [Robles], Bradley [Wright-Phillips], we’re trying to carry this team as we go along,” Kljestan said. “The expectation needs to be that we get better as the season gets on, and we need to be a team that grinds out results instead of really dominating like we’re used to in the last two years.”