With David Villa and Zlatan Ibrahimovic set to miss out on Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game against Juventus, a young midfield star and a surging forward have been named as replacements.

MLS announced on Monday that New York Red Bulls midfielder Tyler Adams and Minnesota United forward Darwin Quintero have been named to the All-Star Game. The duo replace Villa and Ibrahimovic, who pulled out due to an injury and for rest purposes, respectfully.

Adams has broken through with the U.S. Men’s National Team in recent months while remaining a key contributor in the Red Bulls’ midfielder. Adams has started 17 games this season as the Red Bulls sit third in the Eastern Conference.

Quintero, meanwhile, has scored nine goals and provided eight assists in just 17 games since joining the Loons from Club America. The Colombian has three goals and six assists in his past four appearances.

Many thought there would be a torrent of goals Sunday evening as two high-powered offenses faced off at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

While there weren’t quite as many goals as predicted, the New York Red Bulls’s 2-1 win over LAFC certainly provided it’s share of entertaining soccer.

The game got off to a quick start as the Red Bulls’ high press caused problems for LAFC just seconds into the game. The Red Bulls’ defense stole the ball deep in LAFC territory, and Bradley Wright-Phillips found the ball at his feet near the penalty spot. He couldn’t put the ball on frame, but the quick start set the pace for the rest of the game.

Both RBNY and LAFC traded attacking jabs, as an end-to-end game gave both teams plenty of opportunities to score first. Neither team was able to put the final piece together until the Red Bulls struck first in the 39th minute.

Kaku stood deep outside the LAFC box and switched the field to Red Bulls defender Michael Murillo, who was able to get a shot off but sent it right at LAFC keeper Tyler Miller. Unfortunately for LAFC, Miller was unable to gather the ball, which bounced to the foot of Daniel Royer, who, despite being on the ground after a collision with LAFC defender Steven Beitashour, was able to kick the ball past two LAFC defenders to give RBNY a 1-0 lead.

The Red Bulls took their 1-0 lead into halftime, but just eight minutes after restart Diego Rossi made a brilliant move to find a pocket of space between Murillo and Tim Parker. Carlos Vela picked out Rossi with a pinpoint pass, and Rossi’s lovely first touch saw him square up to keeper Luis Robles and send the equalizer straight into the back of the net.

Both teams began to slow as it looked like LAFC may get out of Red Bull Arena with a road point, but Bradley Wright-Phillips made a perfectly timed run to get behind LAFC’s back line. He brought down a gorgeous long ball from Aaron Long and slowly sent a cross to a wide open Royer, who tapped in his second of the night that for the go-ahead goal.

LAFC had a late corner that gave them one last chance to equalize, but the Red Bulls’ defense cleared the ball away right as referee Allen Chapman blew the whistle, giving RBNY the full three points.

Man of the Match

Daniel Royer’s brace ultimately proved to be the difference in the match. His first goal may not have been the prettiest of his career, but he found a way to score when needed.

Moment of the Match

After LAFC looked poised to steal a road point, Bradley Wright-Phillips’ perfectly timed run gave him a gorgeous look on goal, but he unselfishly dropped the ball off to Royer who easily put the ball away to give RBNY the victory.

Match to Forget

Tyler Miller has been solid for most of the year for LAFC, but his inability to gather in what should have been a routine save in the 39th minute let the ball slip away to Royer. While Miller wasn’t solely responsible for the loss, his costly mistake certainly played a large part in keeping the black and gold from earning a crucial road point.

It seems there’s nothing Bradley Wright-Phillips can’t do to help out the New York Red Bulls.

The entire league knows about his goal scoring prowess. He scored his 100th MLS goal just last week, a feat he was honored for after Sunday night’s win over Los Angeles FC. However, in that match, he made headlines for his abilities to feed his teammates rather than finishing the goals himself.

Wright-Phillips easily could have brought his career total to 101 by slotting home the winning goal in the 80th minute. He collected a long ball from Marc Rzatkowski and was basically one on one with LAFC keeper Tyler Miller. However, he declined the chance to score himself in order to play a pass to Daniel Royer, who easily tapped the ball in for his second of the night.

“That play says everything,” Royer said about Wright-Phillips feeding him the winner. “He had a decent angle to shoot and to score a goal. But after the game he told me he heard me yelling and he saw me and he thought I had a better position, so he passed the ball and that’s just great.”

That was his sixth assist of the season. That, combined with his 14 goals has him involved in a total of 20 Red Bulls goals this year. Only Josef Martinez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have found themselves on the scoresheet more often.

It doesn’t seem to matter whether or not he’s the guy finishing attacking moves, he’s excellent, and happy, anyway.

That selflessness is but one more quality that makes him a valuable asset to the Red Bulls. Even when he isn’t scoring goals, he’s out there helping his teammates both on and off the field. It’s something that everyone has noticed, especially his new head coach, Chris Armas.

“Look, every so often, a guy like this comes around and you can only be so fortunate to spend some time with a player and a person like this,” Armas said.

“So for every young player, either in our academy and comes through, and first-team player, how for fortunate that they can watch a guy and remind guys — and I tell players, watch this guy: Watch how he shows up every day and watch what real work looks like. Watch how he interacts people. Watch how he takes to Nancy, the woman who prepares our food. Watch how he deals with the bus drivers, and it goes on and on and on.”

So, while his goal scoring speaks for itself, there doesn’t seem to be much BWP can’t accomplish, both on and off the field.

The third New York Derby of the 2018 Major League Soccer season comes at a crucial point for both New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls.

The New York rivals are chasing Atlanta United for first place in the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield standings, with the Red Bulls three points back in second place and NYCFC four behind the Five Stripes in third.

Wednesday’s showdown at Yankee Stadium could alter the balance of power in the East, especially if the Red Bulls come out on top.

However, both sides are dealing with their share of difficulties ahead of the Rivalry Week opener.

NYCFC, who fell flat on Saturday in a 2-0 loss to Philadelphia, will be without a few key players due to injuries and suspensions.

Jesus Medina and Alex Callens are out with injuries, while Ronald Matarrita is serving a red-card suspension after he was sent off late in the second half on Saturday.

The Red Bulls don’t have as many absences, but they will be without Michael Murillo, who was sent off in Saturday’s contest against Vancouver.

The schedule makers didn’t do the two sides any favors either, as the midweek contest comes after a key East contest for NYCFC and one of the longest road trips of the year for the Red Bulls.

But once the two sides step on the field on Wednesday, all of the built-in excuses they could use will be thrown out the window.

In addition to Eastern Conference standings, hanging in the balance is bragging rights and superiority in the rivalry, as NYCFC’s finally established a foothold against its rival from New Jersey.

Dome Torrent’s side won three of the last five league derbies, with a 1-0 win at Yankee Stadium on July 8 being the latest triumph.

Despite the recent traction gained by NYCFC, the Red Bulls still have a knack for emphatic wins in Derby, as they won 4-0 on two occasions in 2018, once in the league and once in the U.S. Open Cup.

When you break down the potential starting XIs for both sides, the immediate focus shifts to two of the most prolific scorers in the league.

Bradley Wright-Phillips has been nothing but stellar against NYCFC, as 11 of his 101 career goals have come against the Bronx-based side.

David Villa is obviously no slouch either, but he enters with one goal since June, as an injury hampered most of his summer.

Each side’s midfield playmaker goes up against a stout challenge, as Kaku must find a way around Alex Ring, while Maxi Moralez has to navigate in space past Tyler Adams.

When you go up and down the projected starting lineups, fullback could be the most important position given the way NYCFC and the Red Bulls try to put their opponents under duress.

Anton Tinnerholm and Ben Sweat, who is quietly having one of the best seasons of any full back in MLS, have to deal with the pressing style of the Red Bulls while also choosing the right time to surge forward and make an impact on the flanks in the final third.

Kemar Lawrence and Connor Lade serve the same purpose on the red half of the field, as they’ll try to play as high as possible to help the effectiveness of the press. But, they’ll need to keep an eye on the interchanging of Villa, Moralez, Jo Inge Berget, and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi.

While Wednesday’s affair in the Bronx could easily turn into a shootout with all the attacking talent on the field, there’s more of a chance it turns into a chess match, with an unlikely hero stepping up with a key strike in the second half.

NYCFC needs a victory more than the Red Bulls since Armas’ men still possess a game in hand on the top four sides in the East, which means we could see more alterations from Torrent early in the second half if the game remains scoreless.

If the Red Bulls come away with three points, they’ll once again walk away with supremacy in the Derby, and the win should set them up for further success in their chase of Atlanta.

The New York Red Bulls can take their 1-1 draw with New York City FC in two different ways.

Chris Armas’ side earned a vital road point against a team that hasn’t lost at home this season, but they also did so versus a nine-man side.

“One point on the road, tough place to play, a derby match, which they’re always interesting,” Armas said. “And then there’s the other side: we’re up two guys and couldn’t get the game winner, so there will be some initial frustration, but [it will be] short-lived and on to the next one Sunday.”

Wednesday’s draw came on the heels of a 2-2 draw in Vancouver in which the Red Bulls netted a late equalizer down a man, which turned out to be the complete opposite situation of the third New York derby.

“The two ties couldn’t be more different,” midfielder Daniel Royer said. “The tie in Vancouver felt like a win and the tie today feels like a loss to be honest.”

“As hard as it is today, we have to see it as a point on the road,” Royer said. “Of course there are things we have to talk about. Overall I think we’ve done really well, especially in the last couple weeks, except for the second half today.” 

At this point in the season, where teams are scrapping for points whenever they can earn them, the Red Bulls picked up a valuable point that kept them above their direct rival for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

While some satisfaction can be taken from a road result, the Red Bulls know there are things to improve on, especially from the second half in which NYCFC create opportunities despite their disadvantages.

“I think we played too many long balls,” Royer said. “We had more players on the field than NYCFC so we should be able to play more, to possess the ball and create chances since we have more guys on the field.” 

“I think sometimes, even though we didn’t play enough, we were in good situations to create good chances, but then sometimes we made the wrong decisions,” Royer said. “Like when we should’ve played the ball, we took a finish. The final passes were sometimes not good enough and I think that’s the reason why we didn’t create enough.” 

“We just have to be more patient,” Kaku said. “We were up two men so we should’ve relaxed a little more bit, but been more aggressive in our attack. Just should’ve been a little more patient in executing and trying to find a way to win.” 

The lessons learned from Wednesday will undoubtedly help the Red Bulls down the road, but there’s still a bitter taste left from letting an opportunity slip away at Yankee Stadium, one that might not appear on the road much more this season.

The first lesson to take away is putting Wednesday’s match in the back of their minds as early as Thursday morning, as another Rivalry Week clash awaits at home on Sunday against D.C. United.

“Obviously it’s a bit frustrating being that the three points was what the goal was,” Kaku said. “We just have to turn the page and find a way to get a win back at home.” 

A familiar problem arose for the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night, and this time they acknowledged it.

The Red Bulls picked up a midweek point after playing to a 1-1 draw with New York City FC, but the result probably felt more like a defeat given what transpired on the field at Yankee Stadium. The Red Bulls not only took the lead against their arch-rival after 37 minutes, but went up a man three minutes later following the ejection of the debuting Eloi Amagat and then went up two after Ebenezer Ofori was dismissed in the 73rd minute.

Despite holding a numerical advantage for almost an hour, the Red Bulls seemed like the team playing with fewer players. They simply could not do much of anything with the ball, electing to frantically attempt to push the tempo, as is their style, by bombarding forward with very few combinations between the players. It was lots of running, lots of long balls, lots of direct play.

The game, however, called for something different. Up a man and in need of a second goal to really put the game away, the Red Bulls needed to be less vertical and focus more on moving the ball from side to side in order to exploit the extra space initially allowed by Amagat’s sending off.

More passing, patience, and smart possession was required to carve open NYCFC, but, as has been the case in other tough losses that these Red Bulls have suffered in recent years, the team never figured out how to play anything but their preferred high-pressing style.

It proved costly.

“We talked about it at halftime: control, understanding,” said Red Bulls head coach Chris Armas. “It wasn’t after the fact. We knew exactly what was required, so it’s just really disappointing knowing that if we’d just catch and played and moved the ball and take what the game gives. Instead we got a little antsy. We’re trying to force it a little bit, we’re trying some through-balls, and … it’s just about learning the right way and a calculated way, machine-like, to go after it.

“We knew where the space would be, we knew it would be on the flanks, so it’s understanding it and then doing it.”

The Red Bulls didn’t do it, though. On top of NYCFC somehow winning the possession battle by a 51.5-48.5 mark, the hosts looked the deadlier of the two teams in the second half. David Villa scored an equalizer seven minutes after the break, and Rodney Wallace came closest on either side to finding a winner but embarrassingly skied his open look at the back post in the 66th minute.

Even after Ofori was given his marching orders, the Red Bulls still could not find the necessary resolve to win the final 2018 edition of the Hudson River Derby. In fact, it was not until the seven minutes of second-half stoppage time began that the Armas’ side looked capable of creating dangerous opportunities and even that was in part to NYCFC leaving itself bare at the back as it tried to push the limited numbers it had into the attack.

“I don’t remember what chances we had,” Alejandro ‘Kaku’ Romero Gamarra told SBI. “I think we could’ve waited, had the ball, and then from that create and finish chances. I do remember one that [Bradley Wright-Phillips] had but he couldn’t finish quickly because the goalkeeper pressured him, but I think that was the only one.”

Added midfielder Tyler Adams: “We created maybe two good chances from the possession that we had, but obviously not enough. We didn’t have enough ideas in the final third. We were forcing passes and getting lured into a game that they wanted and it benefited them in the end. They defended well in that nine-man block but, at the end of the day, it has to be better from us.”

Red Bulls fans have to be frustrated, especially because they have seen this type of game play out before. The club is probably the best team in MLS when it comes to forcing turnovers high up the field that can turn into quality chances, but it is a different story when opposing teams sit back and stay compact and organized and look to hit on the counter.

Such was the case in previous playoff eliminations. Such was the case in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals series vs. Chivas Guadalajara. Such was the case again on Wednesday in a match with significant implications in the Supporters’ Shield race.

“We needed to move more,” said Gamarra. “Wait until they came out and then pass the ball around to try and move them out from deep in their half because it was getting difficult for us to enter the final third.”

“We know that we always have the same philosophy here and we try to do it in every game, but sometimes, depending on the opponent, we could change it up a little,” Gamarra added later. “But that’s not up to me or the team. I think we have to do better at recognizing moments when a team throws numbers back or when we have space to capitalize on. We have to get better, but we’re still on a good path and I think we’re putting together a great regular season.”

The Red Bulls are indeed enjoying a heck of a season and they could very well win the Supporters’ Shield again for the third time in six years, which is an impressive accomplishment. Nonetheless, the club has stated all year long that its main goal is to win that all-elusive first MLS Cup, and finding different ways to play and break down opponents can only help in that regard.

After all, we have seen the Red Bulls come up short plenty of times against teams that sit back and try to play more direct. The draw with NYCFC was just the latest example.

“Calmness, ease,” said Gamarra when asked what the Red Bulls could have done different to change Wednesday’s result. “We had the numerical advantage. We needed to stop and take a little more time with the ball. That’s what we lacked. They couldn’t run anymore and closed themselves. We needed patience to try and create and finish chances.”

“We had more players on the field than NYCFC obviously,” said midfielder Daniel Royer. “We should be able to play more, to possess the ball and create chances since we have more guys on the field.”

For the New York Red Bulls, Wednesday’s 1-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo saw a few old habits. Going top of the league standings with the result, winning has obviously common practice, particularly at home.

Wednesday win had a different feel though, because it was driven by a handful of new faces from the team’s USL affiliate, who stepped up and made the most of their opportunity to play for a team that needed to rest starters in the midst of a busy schedule.

Chris Armas gave first MLS starts to Cristian Cásseres, Jr. and Brian White, who scored the game’s lone goal, as well as new signing Andreas Ivan. The match itself, played in intense heat, was hardly one of the most entertaining in the league that night, but White and Cásseres were a few of the bright spots in their first significant first team minutes.

“The front office all season has done a great job of creating depth through
transactions,” team captain Luis Robles said, “So that when we deal with rotation when the schedule and season get very congested,
especially around summertime.

“There’s a number of guys that could fill in, be starters, and do well. And we saw that today. It’s crazy our team got even younger today.”

White earned man of the match honors after his first MLS goal, a little more than a week after making his league debut with an eight-minute appearance in Vancouver.

“This is the level I’ve been dreaming of reaching,” White said, “and to score on my first start in front of my friends and family, I couldn’t picture a better night – especially getting three points at the end, too.”

The goal and standout performance, though, came as little surprise to Armas and the Red Bulls coaching staff.

“Recently we talked about all the little things that [Bradley Wright-Phillips] does,” the head coach said. “We talked about him running for the team, chasing, pressing. Brian is cramping at the end, and he’s still running and fighting and giving everything.

“He wasn’t here tonight getting a start because we had no other options.”

As for Cásseres, his debut for the Red Bulls came next to Tyler Adams in midfield, where they both successfully paired up to boss the midfield. It had been a bit of a lengthy road for the player, who joined the team during the offseason.

“That’s what I wanted since the beginning to make my debut,” Cásseres said. “I hadn’t been able to because of the injuries. I hadn’t been able to get my rhythm as quickly as I wanted, but now that I’ve gotten some games in me [with New York Red Bulls II], thankfully I was able to pick up my rhythm. I felt excellent today, I felt great today and my form was great and I was able to make my day.”

Naturally, there is a bit of an adjustment from playing in the USL to playing in MLS, which is something a number of the Red Bulls players noted post-match. Robles feels the responsibility to “help cultivate [and] help mature them,” while White just tried not to “get overwhelmed” by the experience.

Cásseres’s partner and a former USL player in Adams, though, believes the transition is a bit smoother because of individual players’ — and the club’s — dedication to the system.

“If you fit our philosophy, it’s not hard to get along with the guys on the field. It’s so many little details that you have to understand and whether it’s ideas like counter-pressing and keeping the net in place, that translates to how we’re going to play,” Adams said. “It’s good when you have good soccer players around you that have strong IQs and can understand and adapt quickly.”

D.C. United had three chances to put away the New York Red Bulls, but each time the home team found the net, the visitors responded, and each time it was Bradley Wright-Phillips answering the call.

Wright-Phillips helped the Red Bulls grab a point at D.C. United, scoring a hat trick in a 3-3 draw at Audi Field.

Luciano Acosta looked to the win secured for D.C. United in the 87th minute when he worked a give-and-go with Yamild Asad before dribbling in on goal and chipping Luis Robles from close range to make it 3-2 D.C. United.

The celebrations at Audi Field were short-lived though because Wright-Phillips answered right back in the 90th minute, volleying home a cross from Alex Muyl to help the Red Bulls grab a point, while also putting a dent in D.C. United’s pursuit of a playoff spot.

D.C. had another chance for a winner, but Steve Birnbaum hit the post with a header in stoppage time.

Wright-Phillips was the star on the day, and his first goal should have been a sign he would have a big afternoon. His overhead kick goal in the 41st minute canceled out a Paul Arriola opener and set the tone for a wild affair.

Wayne Rooney scored his fifth goal of the season to regain the lead for D.C. Unite in the 64th minute. Wright-Phillips responded once again, getting on the end of Michael Murillo’s assist and beating Bill Hamid in the 76th minute.

D.C. United (9-11-8) continues a seven-match home stand on Sept. 29th against the Montreal Impact, while the Red Bulls (17-7-5) begin a two-match home stand of their own on Sept. 22nd against Toronto FC.

Man of the Match: BWP was huge again for the Red Bulls this season, scoring his first hat-trick since May 2016.

Moment of the Match: After it looked like D.C. was going to claim all three points, Wright-Phillips saved his best finish for last roofing the equalizer in stoppage time.

Match to Forget: The D.C. centerbacks failed to limit Wright-Phillips offensively, allowing a hat-trick to the veteran forward.

The New York Red Bulls picked up their first win in three on Saturday, beating Toronto FC 2-0. However, one of the larger talking points was about a refereeing decision that resulted in Bradley Wright-Phillips’s suspension for the team’s all-important match against Atlanta United.

In the 87th minute, Wright-Phillips said Toronto defender Nick Hagglund committed a foul and grabbed his arm. From there, said Wright-Phillips’s teammate Kaku, things escalated.

“He complains to the linesman,” the midfielder said, “and I think the linesman might’ve told the ref about what he said and that’s how he got the yellow.”

What exactly Wright-Phillips said was unknown until referee Kevin Stott answered the pool reporter’s questions about the incident after the match. He confirmed that the yellow card was indeed for dissent, and shared that the forward used an expletive during his complaints.

Per the referees on site, “he disputed that there was a foul that was not called that he suffered. Multiple use of the word ‘F—‘ directed at the assistant referee in an aggressive manner.” The referees also answered that it was Stott’s decision to issue Wright-Phillips the yellow card.

Despite the referees’ experience, both Wright-Phillips and Red Bulls head coach Chris Armas insisted that what the forward said did not warrant a yellow card, though Armas admitted he did not clearly hear what Wright-Phillips said. The player himself was particularly upset following the match, and was particularly vocal about the decision.

“There is so much that I want to say, but I know these guys and if I tell the truth they will suspend me for another week, but it’s unacceptable,” Wright-Phillips said. “What I said wasn’t that bad, it just had a swear word in it. … It’s too big. We’re men. If you can’t take a swear word and what really happened then you’re in the wrong sport man. That is ridiculous.”

Wright-Phillips also said that he “was trying to be quiet” because he knew another yellow would result in a suspension, and that Stott had not issued prior warnings to him about his language.

For Armas, the yellow card was indicative of frequent behavior of the league’s refereeing team. Like his predecessor Jesse Marsch had discussed several times, he also believes that Wright-Phillips is not treated like other designated players in Major League Soccer.

“Bradley Wright-Phillips is not the guy that crosses the line,” Armas said. “No one respects the game more and shows it the way he does, and in games. We don’t think he gets a lot of leeway and the benefit of the doubt at times. … I was hearing and it didn’t sound that bad, what he said. Is his leash that short? It’s disappointing.”

Though he admitted that he did not have the numbers on hand, Wright-Phillips did agree that referees are quicker to punish him than other high-status players.

“I have seen people fall over and get fouls,” Wright-Phillips said. “I don’t do that. Past managers have told me — even Jesse — Chris has said I should go down more. I can’t. It’s not in me to do that, so I expect the same treatment if I don’t go down — I don’t have to go down or make a meal of it to get fouled, it’s ridiculous. These guys don’t understand football, I’m sorry.”

Eventually, the forward accepted some responsibility in the situation, though he still did not hold back from criticizing the league’s referees.

“Maybe swearing warrants a yellow card,” he said. “If it does then maybe I deserve it. You know what, I deserve it anyway because I have been told the last three weeks that I should just be careful, but sometimes you have enough. I can’t keep getting decisions against me and shut up, because I want to win. If you let those things slide and don’t care, to me that’s not wanting to win. I want to win the game, I want it to be played well.”

HARRISON, N.J. — The New York Red Bulls are enjoying another good season. The club currently sits in second place in the Eastern Conference, is in serious contention to win the Supporters’ Shield for the third time in six years, and looks as capable as ever of winning that all-too-elusive first MLS Cup.

Yet as impressive as the Red Bulls have been in 2018, an interesting trend has developed in recent months regarding Alejandro ‘Kaku’ Romero Gamarra — a trend that raises questions as to whether the star playmaker is being used most effectively.

Since Chris Armas took over as head coach of the Red Bulls in early July, Kaku has been given more freedom to play like a traditional No. 10 but that license to roam may actually be hurting the club. The 23-year-old attacker’s bread and butter since his earliest days as a pro has been setting up teammates for goal-scoring chances, but he has gone two months without delivering an assist and, not coincidentally, has been less effective and influential.

“I think Chris — unlike Jesse who always tried to play me in the middle — is looking to find me in different spots, on the outside or another area where I can get freed up,” Kaku told SBI.

“He asks me that when the ball is out wide to try and get close because if I’m in the middle I’m too far,” Kaku later added. “He wants me to not always stay in the middle because if the whole team is pressing or playing with the ball in those areas and I’m (in the center), then it doesn’t help us much.”

Once the league leader in assists this season, Kaku has not set up a goal for the Red Bulls since July 28. While he has scored twice in that span, Kaku has not created any goals, be it from the run of play or off set pieces or even a lucky bounce. His last helper came on July 28 in a 3-2 road loss against the Columbus Crew, and he heads into this Sunday’s marquee showdown with Atlanta United having failed to record an assist in eight straight appearances.

While the Red Bulls have still churned out wins over the past two months by going 5-3-1, their performances in those matches, as well as Kaku’s, have not always been as impressive or commanding as they were during the first half of the year. A part of the reason for that may be because Armas is looking for his playmaker to do some different things tactically.

It seems the manager’s overall aim is to have less positional rigidness for Kaku when the club is in and out of possession. That strategy would make sense, too, as No. 10s are traditionally given more freedom to roam than their teammates so as to find the ball more and have a bigger influence on games.

The overall structured nature of the Red Bulls’ system, however, requires the players to be fixed to their positions. Interchanging of spots practically never happens, so having Kaku float around the field with none of his teammates doing the same might be limiting his passing options. Not to mention that he finds it tougher to play out wide.

“Yeah (I feel more comfortable in the middle),” said Kaku, who has 14 assists this year. “I feel comfortable in the middle because I have more space, because I have more vision to see the forwards and try to assist them.”

Another ripple that could be coming from Armas’ decision to have Kaku drift out of position is the team losing its tight defensive shape. The Red Bulls have been amongst the strongest defensive teams this year, but recently gave up a combined six goals in two games, a development that raised plenty of eyebrows.

If Kaku is pulling away from the middle, that leaves more space for the two central midfielders behind him to fill and other teams to play through. What has made the Red Bulls so successful defensively this year apart from their individual talent is that players are usually not sucked out of position in order to put out fires. With Kaku moving to the flanks, though, players have to move to cover the spaces he used to occupy and that could be having a domino affect.

“It depends on the game. Against D.C. United, I played on the outside,” said Kaku of his positional deployment. “Depending on the game, (Armas) moves me around to find the best position for me. We know I like to play in the middle and he knows it too, but it just depends on the game and whether it’s more important to stay in the middle to help press in that spot so that we can press high and win balls and go directly towards goal.”

Armas’s reasoning for the tactical change may just be that he is looking to take the Red Bulls’ game to another level ahead of what the club is hoping is a deep postseason run. After all, the Paraguayan international is silky smooth on the ball and possesses the type of panoramic view of the field that makes it easy to pick out the killer final pass. Having someone of that caliber on the ball more in theory should only help the Red Bulls in their quest to win that elusive first MLS Cup.

That said, it seems that right now the strategic move is having an adverse effect on both Kaku and the Red Bulls. Yes, the club is still winning games but it is doing so without Kaku setting up his teammates and is thus doing so without him playing to his strengths.

The highly-anticipated matchup between the New York Red Bulls and Atlanta United, which the Red Bulls won 2-0 on Sunday, was a match between two teams who are well known for their offensive output.

A match like this, though, always is coupled with questions of just how well defenses can handle that kind of talent. In this case, the Red Bulls defenders answered every question asked of them correctly, walking away with a second consecutive clean sheet in the process.

The Red Bulls were missing their stalwart in defensive midfield, Tyler Adams, due to a minor back injury, but that ended up not being an issue. Behind the midfield duo of Sean Davis and Marc Rzatkowski in front of the usual quartet of Michael Amir Murillo, Tim Parker, Aaron Long, and Kemar Lawrence, the Red Bulls defense put in one of its best performances of the season, and were able to put away defensive issues from the beginning of the month.

“The physical output was always going to be a big demand a team as good as they are, attackers as good as they are,” head coach Chris Armas said. “Everyone just showed up on the day.”

Armas detailed the task further, saying teams that are built in transition score a ton of goals and they can score equal amount on crosses.

“They can get you one-v-one, they have 11 penalties on the year. … You can’t just address one of the weapons on their team, so you try to do it all at once,” Armas said. “But it takes a team effort, and most of it involves taking away time and space and spaces and the back line moving and pressing.”

The Red Bulls managed to do just that, particularly in the first half. Atlanta, though splitting first half possession evenly and dominating in the second half, did not have a lot of meaningful time on the ball.

The Five Stripes were limited to two shots on target, leaving the league’s highest scoring team without a lot of concrete chances. That was something the Red Bulls had obviously prepared for, though they found it difficult to do so at the beginning of the week.

“There’s a lot of pride in this locker room,” Red Bulls captain Luis Robles said, “So no matter what we do, whether it’s in training, whether it’s intersquad, whether it’s in a match. This week in intersquads, the first team was just getting their butt kicked, and sometimes it wasn’t even close.” 

“[Armas] made us even do it the next day, and it still didn’t look that great, so what that manifests [into] at least is opportunities to talk about things and what we’ve seen so far in the second half of the season is when our defense is playing so well, we can be a little complacent, so when we had our defensive meeting.” Robles said. “This past week, the challenge was: How can we continue to improve? How can we come from a posture in which we’re good, we know we’re going to make it difficult for them when we’re on, but still constantly strive to be better?”

Eventually, though, the Red Bulls figured it out, and as Tim Parker, a goal scorer on the day put it, “come game day, things got easy.”

“The whole week of training, we weren’t too happy with each other,” Parker said. “We weren’t happy with the way we were figuring things out. Credit the guys, the scout team that obviously replicates Atlanta, and the credit to us to figuring things out the right way on game day,” Parker said.

It is all part of a defensive effort that has improved over the last several years for the Red Bulls. Years of inconsistency at the back has finally subsided, with a seemingly perfect mix of defensive talent finally in front of Robles.

“(In the past) it was just an instability in the way that we wanted to play, and I haven’t dealt with that this year,” Robles said. “It’s just been uniform. The way that we want to play is, the last couple of years, the same way and then of course, they went in and they made a huge splash to get Tim Parker and Tim has just solidified our defensive line. … In a way, you could just rest on your laurels and have good guys, but no. For us, it has to be: How can we get better?”

With defensive unity in place, the Red Bulls have managed to close the gap on Atlanta, leaving just one point in between the teams with three matches left. The Supporters’ Shield is once again in reach, but there is still a little more work to be done.

“This is a game we’ve had marked on the calendar for a little while now, now the next couple of games are just as important,” Parker said. “We put ourselves in good position today, but now we got to follow that up with good performances.”

The New York Red Bulls have been in a constant state of change this season. From trading away the team’s captain, Sacha Kljestan, to adding new key pieces in Kaku and Tim Parker, to heavy rotation and integration of USL players. There was even a coaching switch midseason, making the 2018 season  an eventful one for the Red Bulls.

Yet, with all that change, form remained consistent, and the Red Bulls were able to lift their third Supporters’ Shield in six seasons, setting MLS regular-season records in the process.

“How do you do that?,” first-year head coach Chris Armas said following the Red Bulls’ 1-0 victory over Orlando City at Red Bull Arena. “We prepare as a staff with a philosophy and with the players that bring it to life. They bring it to life. You know, we guide them in the process and then game by game, step by step. Don’t get too ahead with the wins and down get too down with the losses, and really try to improve.”

The aforementioned philosophy has always been instrumental in the team winning matches, but it became incredibly important as the team started making the changes it believed would help them improve their chances at MLS Cup.

“There were some really big names offered to this organization, this year and last year,” goalkeeper Luis Robles said. “I’d go in there and say, ‘Hey, what’s going on?’ and they were very firm. They have a philosophy. They have a belief in their homegrown system and the talent that comes through their academy, the players that come from abroad, and I’m really glad they’re the ones making those decisions because it has come to fruition in the Shield.”

It also helped as the team was forced into making a coaching change, when Marsch left over the summer to become an assistant coach at RB Leipzig. His long-time assistant Armas replaced him for his first ever professional head coaching gig, and though his start was a little bit slow, he has managed to record impressive wins on the way to Supporters’ Shield.

“Things obviously change when you get a new personality,” midfielder Tyler Adams said. “Chris isn’t going to be Jesse, but a lot of things that he does are similar to the things Jesse does. He built such a great culture around Red Bull in general, and now when Chris was ready to fill in, he grew into the role. He grows each and every game. The big games that we’re now winning, it just reflects on Chris’s playing career, because that’s what he did all playing career. He knows what it’s like to raise trophies, and now we want to know what it’s like. We raised one today with him, and I think we’re hungry for more.”

Forward Bradley Wright-Phillips had a similar feeling, saying “You watch any league around the world, coaches are going, players are going, and they get on with it. We trade a big player or our coach goes because he’s done amazing, everyone’s like, ‘Oh, they’re going to be rubbish. What are they going to do?’ All of a sudden, we’re going to forget how to play football or what the culture is at Red Bull. I don’t think these things really — unless your team is not really weak and don’t have a system, I don’t think they rock the boat that much, and I think we showed that.”

The Red Bulls’ current success is part of a long stretch of being an Eastern Conference heavyweight. The team is now headed into the playoffs for a ninth straight season, finishing the regular season at the conference’s number one seed on five occasions. For the Red Bulls, it ultimately comes down to those who created and believed in the system, and that includes Marsch, who Armas said “doesn’t get enough credit” for the “culture change” at the club.

As the Red Bulls reflected on their success, long-term and not, in the hours after winning the Supporters’ Shield, the conversation eventually led to the infamous town hall of winter 2015, shortly after Marsch was hired and fan favorite Mike Petke was fired. Robles called it a “top five Red Bull memory” and a “unique experience,” but also took away something else while remembering the anger-fueled interactions.

“I hope that the fans can see that everything Ali [Curtis], Jesse, and Marc [de Grandpre] were saying came to fruition,” the captain said. “They’ve really stuck it out and believed in the younger players, and for us to go into the season the way we did, so young, and yet staying with so much experience. There is a very deep belief within this group that we’re doing something very special, and for us to get one trophy is great, but there’s another one we can get, and you better believe that every single person in this locker room, in this organization, in the South Ward believes that we can.”

HARRISON, N.J. — We haven’t had a defense like this before.

Long-time New York Red Bulls goalkeeper and team captain Luis Robles uttered those eight words on Sunday when explaining why this is could be the year the club finally brings home the all-elusive first MLS Cup. The phrase stood out not only because of the fact that the improved back line was a key difference in a record-setting regular season, but also because it very well could be again in the playoffs.

The Red Bulls claimed the Supporters’ Shield on a dramatic final day of the campaign on Sunday, but a lot of the talk after their 1-0 win over Orlando City was on the bigger prize, that being the MLS Cup. It was natural for the conversation to head in that direction, of course. After all, New York, for all its success this decade, has never won that trophy.

The club believes this year will be different, however, and one of if not the biggest reasons for that is because of an improved defense that yielded a league-low 33 goals in a record-setting campaign a year after conceding 47 times and finishing in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

“I would say yes because of our defensive play, how we are defensively,” said forward Bradley Wright-Phillips when asked if he feels this team has a better chance of winning the MLS Cup. “I think in the past years in the playoffs we’ve suffered from not taking our chances and not keeping cleansheets. I think since I’ve been here this team has kept the most cleansheets or they don’t give up many chances during the run of play.

“When they’re giving you that kind of chance, we always have a chance.”

The Red Bulls, despite fielding the reliable likes of Wright-Phillips and Robles on both ends of the field, have repeatedly been plagued by defensive mishaps in recent postseasons. The 2013 Supporters’ Shield winners saw their playoff hopes thwarted in part because of an Ibrahim Sekagya blunder that allowed the Houston Dynamo to pull level before winning in extra time.

Two years later, another Supporters’ Shield campaign was spoiled by a loss to the Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Red Bulls lost that series, 2-1, but trailed for the entirety of it because of an opportunistic goal from Justin Meram scored 10 seconds into the first leg. Once again, shoddy play at the back was to blame.

This year’s group of defenders might be different, though. Michael Murillo, Aaron Long, Tim Parker, and Kemar Lawrence are all veterans but relatively young players with international experience, and more importantly they all seem to be perfect fits for a demanding high-press system that required loads of energy, toughness, concentration, and cover.

As a result, the Red Bulls have been as tough as ever to break down. Giving up cheap goals has largely been avoided this year, which is exactly what you want for the postseason, when games become tighter, the margins become thinner, and the pressure becomes bigger.

“You go into any playoff game or any game and you’re trying not to concede goals or you’re trying to be difficult to score against,” said Wright-Phillips. “So far this season we’ve been that team. Hopefully we carry on with that form into the playoffs and see where that gets us.”

For years, the Red Bulls have had regular-season success with their high press. They have also gotten plenty of goals in the attacking end from Wright-Phillips, and plenty of timely saves from Robles on the other side of the field.

All those ingredients are still there, but what has been added to the recipe is a much-needed tough back line – one that just helped the Red Bulls claim some more silverware in record-setting fashion, and one that looks poised to avoid the types of mistakes that have been so costly in the past.

“We have a very, very strong belief in the guys that we have because we haven’t had a defense like this before,” said Robles. “We’re hoping we’ve learned from those experiences where we’ve tasted failure.”

Federico Higuain may not have started the match for the Columbus Crew against the New York Red Bulls, but he sure had a role in finishing it.

Higuain came on as a half time substitute after being left out of the starting eleven and he came on to provide the assist in the lone goal in a 1-0 Crew win over the New York Red Bulls in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal at MAPFRE Stadium.

The Red Bulls nearly spoiled the fun for Columbus in the final minute, but Zack Steffen made the save of the day, diving to his left to make a fingertip save on a Bradley Wright-Phillips header.

Higuain did not start the game after playing 120 minutes and picking up a yellow card on Thursday night’s shootout win over D.C. United. Resting him to open the match was clearly a good decision by head coach Gregg Berhalter, as his attacking midfielder entered the match after the break with a full tank of gas and made a real difference on the pitch in the first leg win.

Gyasi Zardes scored the lone goal of the match in the 61st minute, but it was the lead-in play before the shot that gets the credit for the goal. It was Higuain providing the final pass. He received a feed from Milton Valenzuela and followed that with a fancy backheel flick to the forward, who easily shot past a helpless Luis Robles.

Higuain’s presence, in general, livened up the match from a Columbus standpoint. It didn’t take him long to spearhead a dangerous counter attack early in the second half before setting up the goal.

For the Red Bulls’ part, aside from a flurry of corners in the middle of the first half they have very few chances going forward. The Columbus defense remained organized and kept New York’s dangerous attackers at bay for most of the match.

The Crew will try to defend their lead next weekend when these two sides meet in the second leg at Red Bull Arena.

Man of the Match

There was a huge difference between the Columbus side that took the field to open the match and the one that came out after half time with Federico Higuain out there. It took the Argentinian no time at all to become a big part of the match and he truly had an effect with the assist on the Zardes goal.

Moment of the Match

As big as the Gyasi Zardes goal was for Columbus, it was the last-second Steffen save to deny Wright-Phillips a potential equalizer that made the biggest difference.

Match to Forget

The Red Bulls struggled to get anything going up front, and a lot of that had to do with the midfield being unable to get through a stout Columbus defense. Kaku was rendered invisible on the day.

The New York Red Bulls didn’t get the result they were looking for at MAPFRE Stadium on Sunday afternoon, and they will need to refine their approach if they hope to head home and get a result in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal. They fell 1-0 to the Columbus Crew in a match that saw them miss on a pair of golden chances that could have changed the way everyone thought about the first leg and the entire two-legged series.

Their first chance came during a stretch of play midway through the first half that saw them get a series of four straight corners. The second of those produced a Tim Parker shot that smacked off the post and off Crew goalkeeper Zack Steffen’s face before being cleared away for another corner.

The second came during second half stoppage time when Kaku chipped a pass over the Crew defense and onto Bradley Wright-Phillips’s head. The prolific scorer could only watch as Steffen used every bit of his 6’3″ frame to deny a late tying goal.

Those close chances have the Red Bulls believing that they can go home to Red Bull Arena and get the result they need to get through to the Eastern Conference Final. Head coach Chris Armas saw a lot to like in his team despite the less than ideal result.

“1-0, it’s close to the best result when you lose,” Armas said in the post-match press conference. “Cause you’re down by one at half time essentially. You have 90 minutes back in our building where we’ve been pretty good.”

And it wasn’t like the team didn’t execute a solid game plan or anything. They contained the Crew quite well and only gave up one goal on an outstanding play by Federico Higuain. That was one of only two Columbus shots on target and one of only six overall on the day. It’s hard to ask more from a defense against a team with some prolific attacking talent.

“We feel feel good about the way we managed their attack and some of their attackers,” Armas said about his team’s defensive performance. “Whether it’s they’re building out of the back or trying to play direct and stretch us, we understand what they do and why they do it.”

It was up front where things were a bit lacking. The Crew only got six shots overall, but the Red Bulls didn’t produce that much more. Of their nine shots only three required a save from Steffen. Sure, two of them could have been goals had the Crew keeper not been on his game, but it was still not the sharpest of performances going forward. Set pieces were a highlight, however, as the Red Bulls often looked threatening from their corners.

“We created some really dangerous set piece opportunities, if we’re being honest, in the first half,” said Armas.

But it was a lack of sharpness overall that hurt the Red Bulls, and that’s what Armas and his squad are hoping to refine for the second leg.

“I think if we’re a little bit calmer in moments and we’re just a little bit sharper up the field then I think we can create more clear cut chances. Some of the crosses weren’t quite there. Just some of the final plays that will get sharper for the next leg.”

The New York Red Bulls did what has become a habit of theirs by winning at home, and with a 3-0 victory over the Columbus Crew on Sunday were able to overcome a first-leg deficit and advance to the Eastern Conference final.

The Red Bulls’ 3-1 aggregate victory secured a showdown against Atlanta United in the East finals, with the first leg set for November 25 at Mercedes Benz Stadium. The second leg is set for Red Bull Arena on November 29.

The Red Bulls got started quickly on Sunday, and after a few chances got the game’s opening goal in the 17th minute to even the series. Sean Davis sent the long free kick to the far post, with Daniel Royer waiting for it. From there, the midfielder passed to Aaron Long in front of goal, with Alex Muyl getting a final touch on Long’s shot before the ball found its way in the back of the net.

Momentum was with the hosts for a majority of the first half, as they forced the Crew defense to put out fire after fire. Goalkeeper Zack Steffen almost paid for a misplaced pass midway through the first half, but managed to save Tyler Adams’s shot in time. The Crew managed some opportunities of their own in the first half, though were effectively out-pressed by the Red Bulls at half’s end.

The Red Bulls still needed another goal to take control of the series and found it in the 73rd minute. Adams passed to Muyl at the edge of the penalty area, and he eventually sent the ball to Royer in front of goal. The Austrian scored his first playoff goal.

Three minutes later, Royer scored again, effectively sending the Red Bulls to the next round. Kaku’s pass from distance found the winger, who took a shot from outside the penalty area and completed his brace. The Red Bulls were easily able to hold on for the victory, and their first trip to the Eastern Conference finals since 2015.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Royer was impactful on all three goals, and was a general force to be reckoned with as the Red Bulls spent long stretches of the match testing the Crew back line.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

When the second half was at its calmest, the Red Bulls got their go-ahead goal to change the momentum. Muyl’s smart pass to Adams eventually resulted in Royer’s first of the night, and the energy carried on for the final goal of the game.

MATCH TO FORGET

Zack Steffen may have earned the Goalkeeper of the Year award this year, but did not impress on Royer’s goals. When the series was still hanging in the balance, he seemed unprepared to deal with the Red Bulls attack as the tie was lost in those few minutes.

After an uninspiring 1-0 loss in Columbus, the New York Red Bulls turned their fortunes around with a commanding 3-0 win over the Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference semifinals, booking a spot in the next round in the process. The two legs ended up being vastly different matches for both sides, but for the eventual victors, it was a day for the wide midfielders.

Alex Muyl, on the right, and Daniel Royer, on the left, were the night’s two goalscorers, with the Austrian recording a second half brace that all but ended the Crew’s chances to advance. Both were also influential in the buildup of the goals they did not score, with Muyl recording an assist on Royer’s first. The players, for head coach Chris Armas, are the perfect package deal of not just goals and attacking talent, but also being able to fit the system.

“If you first talked about Dani and Alex in the pressing it’s one thing,” Armas said, “but then with the ball, now they’re producing, they were a force now in the attack.” That ended up helping with the Red Bulls’ overall strategy as the team adapted its second leg strategy, including the play of right back Michael Amir Murillo and left back Kemar Lawrence.

“Maybe we’re being a little conservative, staying home a little bit,” Armas said about the first leg. “It wasn’t really the game plan, but that’s the way it played out, and so you go there and doesn’t feel great because you lose the game, but we didn’t give up that second goal and more. … In our building we’ll take care of it. But tonight the emphasis was to attack the flanks and we did, and the crosses early in the first half with Kemar, you see Murillo getting forward, they were both dangerous. And so the wide play was great tonight.”

Muyl echoed those statements after his impactful night that is just one in a stretch of strong form. Starting his seventh consecutive match on Sunday night, the New York native is becoming a reliable option on the Red Bulls’ right wing after an inconsistent start to his professional career. The player gives the credit to his coaches, including Armas’s predecessor, Jesse Marsch.

“Chris is great,” Muyl said. “So was Jesse at fostering young players and giving them confidence and giving them chances. I think it’s more just in the process. I’m getting a little bit more experience now and it’s coming together for me but I don’t think anything has really changed. I’ve just been able to make a few more plays and the team is so good this year that you get more opportunities to make plays.”

While Muyl finally begins to add experience to his game, Royer has been someone the Red Bulls could count on for most of his two-year stint with the club. He has become a source of goals to lighten the load for the likes of Bradley Wright-Phillips, who believes that part of Royer’s game is important to the team’s long-term success.

“It doesn’t matter what areas,” the forward said. “We just need people to chip in with goals, like they have been all season. I think it’s been spread out widely throughout the season. Today, Dani comes up big. Next game we’re playing a better team. No disrespect to Columbus, but the table doesn’t lie. We’re playing a better and someone else is going to have to step up.” Wright-Phillips even called Royer the team’s most clinical player in the box, a compliment that Royer quickly and politely rejected.

Despite the focus on the wide players, Royer noted that the well-known system did not change. As is almost always the case on a day the Red Bulls do well, the press was efficient and successful for long stretches of the match, at times shutting the Crew out completely in the attacking third.

“It’s a little easier at [Red Bull Arena] to play the way we want to play,” Royer said. “I think we just played the same way we always do. Of course, there are always some little adjustments, or it depends on who you play against, but in general, our philosophy will never change at RBA.”

The two best teams in Major League Soccer begin what is expected to be a fierce two-legged series on Sunday inside the raucous environment at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Although Atlanta United is viewed as one of the most dominant teams over the last two years, the Five Stripes have struggled with the New York Red Bulls in four total meetings.

Not only will a place in MLS Cup on December 8 be on the line in the Eastern Conference Final, the right to host the final is up for grabs since the Red Bulls and Five Stripes finished first and second in the Supporters’ Shield standings.

Below is an in-depth look at what to expect for Sunday’s first leg in Atlanta.

Season Series

The Red Bulls outscored Atlanta 5-1 in two meetings this season, with the second matchup on September 30 being the statement victory, as Chris Armas outclassed Gerardo “Tata” Martino in the tactics department.

What was even more impressive about the victory at Red Bull Arena was the Red Bulls came out on top without Tyler Adams and Bradley Wright-Phillips in the starting lineup.

Players to Watch

Atlanta United: Miguel Almiron

The highly-sought after Miguel Almiron might be playing his final few games in an Atlanta shirt with interest starting to come out of Europe for the Five Stripes midfield playmaker.

In his two seasons in Atlanta, Almiron’s contributed 21 goals and 28 assists, and although Josef Martinez is important to the club in front of goal, the Paraguayan is the player who ties the whole team together.

Almiron has the unenviable task of breaking down the defensive wall put up by the relentless pairing of Tyler Adams and Sean Davis, but if he can get past New York’s defensive midfield duo on a few occasions, he’ll be able to set up quality chances inside the penalty area.

New York Red Bulls: Kaku

The other Paraguayan No. 10 involved in the Eastern Conference Final will be just as important to his team.

Much like Almiron, Kaku is the driving force of the Red Bulls attack, as he links up play between Adams and Davis and Wright-Phillips between the center circle and the penalty area.

Kaku dished out 14 assists in his first full season in MLS, and he’s recorded one in the postseason to date.

If the 23-year-old is able to link up with Wright-Phillips and find a valuable away goal, the Red Bulls will end up as the favored side entering Thursday’s second leg.

Matchup to Watch

Josef Martinez vs. Tim Parker and Aaron Long 

In all honesty, every matchup on the field between the Red Bulls and Five Stripes is worth watching, but you can’t ignore the showdown between the MLS Golden Boot winner and the best defensive duo in the league.

Although Martinez scored 31 goals in the regular season, his goal-scoring pace significantly slowed in September and October, as he scored three times in eight games.

The Venezuelan improved his scoring rate with two goals against New York City FC, but he’ll find chances hard to come by against the physical American pair of Parker and Long.

What could separate Martinez from the MLS Defender of the Year and the physical force that is Parker are his cheeky runs in between defenders, which could open up the slightest bit of space for an opportunity to beat Luis Robles.

X-Factors

Atlanta United: Eric Remedi

Atlanta United has X-factors littered across its starting lineup, but Eric Remedi’s emerged as the top player who fits that bill throughout the postseason.

The 23-year-old Remedi contributed a goal and an assist versus NYCFC and he fills a valuable role in the middle of the field where he could expose the Red Bulls midfield as the focus shifts toward the playmaking ability of Almiron, Martinez and Darlington Nagbe.

In the second leg victory over NYCFC, Remedi was one of Atlanta’s most accurate passers, as he completed 88.9 percent of his 27 passes, and he dug in defensively with four tackles.

If he turns in a similar performance, the Argentinian will make valuable contributions to the attack and clog up the passing lanes for Kaku and Co. to invade.

New York Red Bulls: Alex Muyl

If you look up and down the Red Bulls roster, the one potential weakness comes on the wings.

Fresh off adding a goal and an assist against the Columbus Crew, Alex Muyl needs to provide an extra element to the Red Bulls attack to make the offensive approach more balanced with Daniel Royer, Kaku and Wright-Phillips going at the Atlanta defense from all angles.

The 23-year-old Homegrown midfielder needs to open up the Atlanta fullbacks in order to allow Kaku and Wright-Phillips to go one-on-one with Atlanta’s center backs in an attempt to steal an away goal from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Outlook

The two teams remaining in the Eastern Conference are evenly matched on paper, but the Red Bulls have proven they’re the dominant team on the field in their meetings with the Five Stripes.

Armas delivered a tactical masterpiece in the September meeting at home that ended up helping the Red Bulls clinch the Shield.

However, Martino has had two weeks to revisit the tape from the loss at Red Bull Arena and make the necessary adjustments to get out to a commanding first-leg lead.

Atlanta was 11-2-4 at home, but they struggled to create an advantage against teams that qualified for the playoffs, while the Red Bulls boast an 8-5-4 record on their travels.

Exploiting the smallest of weaknesses will help either side progress to the second leg with a lead, and that could come on the wings for each team.

It wouldn’t be a massive surprise to see the Red Bulls sit back a bit in the first half to avoid the concession of an early goal, and that’s possible because of the machine Adams is in covering territory and breaking up plays in midfield.

However, fatigue could be a factor for Adams, Long, Almiron. Kaku and Martinez. All five of them participated in international friendlies across the globe on Tuesday.

Adams and Long played for the U.S. Men’s National Team in Belgium against Italy, Kaku and Almiron had to travel to South Africa to play for Paraguay, while Martinez went 74 minutes in Qatar for Venezuela.

But the real reason why the East final will be tight heading into the second leg could be two of the most experienced players on the field.

Robles and Brad Guzan are two of the best goalkeepers in the league, and it’ll take a terrific individual effort in the final third from the talented attackers on each end to make a difference on Sunday night.

The New York Red Bulls’ frustrating playoff history has been filled with on-field mistakes, but the latest postseason disappointment suffered by the franchise came about because of a poor tactical decision.

Head coach Chris Armas, who delivered a managerial masterclass on September 30 at Red Bull Arena against Atlanta United, set the Red Bulls back by not relying on the pressing style that got the franchise to the Supporters’ Shield and home-field advantage in the playoffs.

“They really got the better of us,” Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles said. “We came here with a plan and looking at the result you can see that we failed to execute our plan. So, there’s not much time. We just have to regroup and look forward to Thursday. It is very clear what we have to do and just go one goal at a time.”

The home-field advantage at Red Bull Arena that would’ve been incredibly valuable is now thrown out the window, as the Red Bulls head back home down 3-0 to the Five Stripes, who need a single away goal to put away the series.

Of course, dealing with Atlanta United’s style of play is one of the hardest tasks in Major League Soccer, but Armas tinkered with his in-game strategy too much, and it led to the Five Stripes barreling through the final third, while the Red Bulls struggled to create anything moving forward.

“We did not expect that, but it happened,” Atlanta defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez said. 

“Well, we thought it was possible given how they played against us last time they were here and how they played against Columbus away last round, but you expect the press, and then, it’s easier to adjust to the half press than it is to vice versa,” Atlanta defender Michael Parkhurst said.

Although the possession and passing stats were similar, where the key actions of both teams occurred was the difference maker on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The majority of the Red Bulls’ defensive actions took place in their own half, or 10 yards from midfield, and they lacked an intrusive quality to their attacking approach, as Kaku’s impact in the middle of the park was silenced.

The uncharacteristic approach from the Red Bulls was displayed on Atlanta’s scoring plays, starting with the 32nd-minute strike from Josef Martinez.

Although Jeff Larentowicz isn’t known as a long-ball specialist, the Red Bulls should’ve put more pressure on the ball before the MLS veteran picked out Martinez in the middle of the penalty area for the opening tally.

“We made it a little too easy for them,” Robles said. “When you have a team as talented as them, and you make mistakes, they are going to punish you.” 

Miguel Almiron was handed a similar space to create 30 yards from goal in the buildup to the second Atlanta goal.

Instead of closing down on Almiron, the Red Bulls allowed the Paraguayan to play in Julian Gressel, who escaped the reach of Michael Amir Murillo and triggered a sequence in which the visiting side looked lost.

The finished product from the Five Stripes saw Gressel play a nice pass across the penalty area to an incoming Franco Escobar, who had plenty of time to pick his spot and finish past Luis Robles.

As if the night wasn’t going bad enough for the Red Bulls, Armas’ option to take off Sean Davis for Brian White in the 87th minute in a half-hearted attempted to snag an away goal backfired, when the center of the field opened up once again ahead of Hector Villalba’s stoppage-time strike.

Now, the Red Bulls will be forced to press, and potentially press too much, at home in the second leg in order to make the series competitive.

Despite the shortcomings Sunday, the Red Bulls are confidence the deficit can be made up in New Jersey on Thursday.

“We will come out a little bit differently with the energy and the fight that is going to be needed,” Armas said. “It is pretty what is needed to be done. We are going to go home, and we are going to get it done.”

“Yeah, very similar to the Columbus series,” Davis said. “At home, we are very confident. We love playing at home in front of our fans and we have been great there all year. It is important for us to get a first goal early, and then press for the game. It is going to require absolutely everything from us to get the result.”