Back in October, the New York Red Bulls beat Philadelphia Union to bring an end to the 2016 Major League Soccer regular season. In doing so, they confirmed that they would end the campaign as the Eastern Conference’s top team.
Yet, seven months on, Jesse Marsch’s side look far from the team that they were back then.
The star-studded squad has started the 2017 season in remarkably poor form. Despite promising spells in March and April, the club has recorded draws and defeats throughout against sides that they were expected to beat comfortably.
Their latest run has seen the club lose three and draw one of their last four matches, which leaves them in sixth place, level on points with fifth placed city rivals New York City FC, but with two extra games already played.
Last week’s 3-1 home defeat to an LA Galaxy side that have had a similarly poor start to the season was undoubtedly the club’s lowest point so far. Prior to that game, they had previously gone 13 months undefeated at the Red Bull Arena, with their last home loss coming against Sporting Kansas City back in April 2016.
The results have been poor, the team’s support is dwindling and the atmosphere at the Red Bull Arena is far from positive. Yet, there is still plenty of time for the club to turn things around. It’s easy to look at their results so far and rule them out of the race for the MLS Cup, but you only have to turn back to last season’s results to see that that definitely isn’t the case.
Marsch’s side started the 2016 season with six defeats in their first seven matches. Yet, they went on to lose just three more times throughout the season, eventually finishing in first place.
NY Red Bulls have recorded the same amount of defeats this season in 13 games. Their form is below what we have come to expect from one of MLS’ best sides, but it hasn’t exactly been terrible. The 1-1 draw with Toronto FC this weekend was somewhat better. The Canadian club leads the Eastern Conference by six points and would have been confident going into the game. Yet, the Red Bulls managed to hold them off.
Marsch will be hopeful that this is a turning point for his club, as they look to get their season back on track. They will be visited by a lacklustre New England Revolution side next, in a game that could prove to be make or break for the club.