By Billy Wood
The New York Red Bulls remain in a playoff spot for the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup, but it wasn’t as straightforward as they would’ve liked it to be.
They suffered their first defeat in eight games against DC United at Audi Field on Wednesday, Oct. 27. The win put DC ahead of the Red Bulls in terms of playoff seeding. DC was able to get all vital three points as they too are pushing for the playoffs.
DC was able to win 1-0 with a ninth-minute goal from Kevin Paredes. Despite losing the game, the Red Bulls were the more aggressive side as they forced DC goalkeeper Bill Hamid to make five saves. The Red Bulls outshot their opponents 17-4 and 5-3 on target.
The Red Bulls knew that in order to get back into playoff contention, they needed to rebound on Saturday, Oct. 30 against Montréal at the Red Bull Arena. It wasn’t going to be easy as Montréal were also chasing a chance at playoffs.
The Red Bulls once again outshot their opponents 15-7 and 5-1 on target. However, despite their attacks, it looked like they were going to be held to a 0-0 draw and drop more vital points in their quest to make their twelfth playoffs.
As the referee added three more minutes in stoppage time, it looked bleak for the Red Bulls. In the first minute of stoppage time, Patryk Klimala crossed the ball across the face of goal, and Caden Clark was able to head it back in front of goal where Fábio was able to head it in. That goal was his sixth of the season and put the Red Bulls back in a playoff spot after they secured a 1-0 win.
The Red Bulls play Atlanta on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at the Red Bull Arena. A win would guarantee them a place in the playoffs with a game to spare. Atlanta is also fighting for a shot at playoffs and is treating their next two games as the finals.