Who are they?
New York Red Bulls. One of the league’s original ten teams, although before
selling their soul
being acquired by a global energy drink chain they were once the NewYork/NewJersey MetroStars.
What have they won?
The Red Bulls have consistently been one of the biggest teams in MLS, were the first team to have three designated players, and have boasted some of the biggest stars to grace the league. Despite this, they’ve never won the main prize. A single Supporters Shield is the extent of their silverware.
They’ve never won a championship?
There’s even a name for it, The Curse of Caricola, named after Nicola Caricola who scored a bizarre own goal in the team's first ever game to lose in the final minutes.
What about the Disney Pro Soccer Classic?
They won the first ever edition of the prestigious pre-season tournament, beating Toronto 4-0 in the final. Does this make up for not winning an MLS Cup? You decide.
Last year...
They went into 2014 as defending supporter shield champions, and Henry and co led the team to a 4th place eastern conference finish in the playoffs, losing in the semi-finals to New England Revolution. This wasn’t enough to keep Head Coach Mike Petke in a job though. The new sporting director Ali Curtis dismissed Petke, a fan favorite and statistically their most successful coach of all time, a decision which was almost universally criticized.
Off-Season
Thierry Henry announced his retirement, the talismanic Frenchman having been the face of the team for several years. With him went Tim Cahill, and new head coach Jesse Marsch has some rebuilding to do. Felipe Martins and Kljestan were both good additions to the midfield, and the new look Red Bulls will have to rely more on collective strength than individual quality.
This year...
The Red Bulls sit in 3rd place in the Eastern conference, and despite a period earlier in the season when they took only 1 win from 9 games, they’ve won three of the last four.
Star player
Without a doubt Bradley Wright Phillips is the main man. Last year he finished as the golden boot winner with 27 goals, and while he may not reach those heights this year without Henry behind him, he’s still finding the scoresheet with regularity. The Englishman is a natural poacher, and a real threat in and around the box.
Who’s the boss?
Jesse Marsch was appointed at the beginning of the season. A veteran MLS midfielder in his day, Marsch previously coached Montreal Impact in their inaugural season, although has been out of the game for a few years. He will be under pressure to produce results in a team that doesn’t seem to have heard about managerial stability
Stability?
Being the Head Coach is not a position with a lot of job security. They’ve had 15 head coaches in the last 20 years.
Supporters?
The Red Bulls average around 19,000 in the 25,000 Red Bull Arena. The Empire Supporters Club, the Garden State Ultras and the Viking Army collectively oc
cupy th
e South Ward area of the stadium.
Rivals?
Traditionally they’ve had rivalries with DC and the Revs, but with the addition of NYCFC to the league has changed the dynamic somewhat. The Red Bulls have won the first two games in what MLS has dubbed the Hudson River Derby. While it may feel somewhat manufactured, both sets of supporters have taken to it, and there seems to be the beginnings of a genuine rivalry that will ultimately help both clubs.
