The players have changed, the coaches have changed, but if there’s been one constant throughout the last decade for the New York Red Bulls it's the club’s spot in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
And while there’s a lot of season left to play, the club’s record of 11 straight years of postseason soccer is in jeopardy.
The Red Bulls have lost back-to-back games and four of their last five in a winless streak that extended to seven Saturday night at Stade Saputo following an especially stinging 2-1 defeat to CF Montréal.
The Red Bulls sit ninth in the Eastern Conference but are seven points below the playoff line with 16 games remaining.
“The playoffs is a clear goal for us, and we fight and we work for this goal,” head coach Gerhard Stuber said after the match. “I cannot remember that we speak about the Supporters’ Shield or other dreams. We always speak about the big vision, we build up a team with a clear goal this season to come one more time in the playoff. I think this is very, very important.”
Struber was hired to turn things around after the club parted ways with Chris Armas last September following a run of one win in six matches. And interim coach Bradley Carnell guided the MLS original during a playoff-clinching stretch drive in which the club went 3W-1L-3D.
RBNY's struggles have persisted, but defender Andrew Gutman believes they aren't far off from being able to turn things around.
“We just have to put 90 minutes together, like it’s pretty simple,” Gutman said. “It’s not like we’re getting blown away or something like that. I’ve been on teams that are far worse and we’re not a bad team, it’s just we have to put 90 minutes together, honestly. That’s really all I can say on that.”
Beginning Wednesday (8 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+) against the Columbus Crew, the Red Bulls embark on a critical stretch where they’ll play their next four matches at Red Bull Arena, including the first Hudson River Derby showdown against an in-form New York City FC on Saturday (8 pm ET | FS1, FOX Deportes).
“I think it's very, very important for us to be very close together, find a good mindset for the game on Wednesday,” Struber said. “Right now, we have to reflect it, and to be very clear for the next game, and this is the most important thing right now.”
The Red Bulls are 4-2-2 at home this season, but are winless in their last three after opening the season unbeaten in four of their first five matches at RBA this year.
“I think with the fighting mood, with the belief in that, what we do, and also a little bit luck, when this comeback, then I think we pick up the necessary points,” Struber said. “But right now, we have to change the results immediately for the chance for the playoffs [to be] reality.”
