Faced with offseason turmoil and low expectations, the Red Bulls developed a chip on their shoulders – and they rode that attitude all the way to the Supporters’ Shield for the best record in MLS. Now they’re thanking the media and fans for all that fuel, and say keep it coming.
From a fan revolt over the firing of popular coach Mike Petke to dire preseason predictions in the wake of cost-cutting and the departure of stars Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill, there was a distinctly negative vibe around the Red Bulls.
“There’s been a lot of talk about the chip on the shoulder and that kind of stuff,’’ coach Jesse Marsch said Tuesday. “This team and the way that things have gone in the last 12 months has been a unique story within our league, something that’s been fun for people to talk about it.
“I haven’t referenced much to this dialogue or story in the press, but I will say, the more times I see Mike Petke’s name in the press, the more time I see Thierry Henry, Tim Cahill, the more motivation it is for our team. So, keep writing it guys.’’
The media didn’t score any goals and the supporters didn’t make any tackles, but Marsch says it was some studs-up criticism that inspired their Shield run.
At the start of the season, Las Vegas SuperBook installed the Red Bulls at 15-to-1 odds to win MLS Cup, tied for sixth with New York City FC and Toronto FC. Now? They’re 3-to-1, the prohibitive favorites.
At the beginning of the campaign, there were crowdfunded billboards demanding ownership sell the team and decrying the ill-timed firing of the popular Petke (who this week landed an interview for the Chicago Fire job, according to Metro.) A hastily called town hall meeting turned contentious and profane. But victory has won over many – if not all – of those fans.
“Everything from how the fans treated the offseason to the articles that were written about our team, they weren’t happy about it, they didn’t like it,’’ Marsch said. “I’m sure they [the players] had doubts, too. Early on was building confidence and believe in how we play.
“There was a shift here in the environment. But once they realized it was moving in the right direction, they felt they had lot to prove. The more people used certain coaches and names as talking points, the more it motivated them.’’
After riding that motivation to a 60-point season, they await the results of Wednesday’s play-in games – possibly facing Toronto, New England or archrival DC United – before opening the postseason Sunday with the road leg of the Eastern Conference semis. They host the second leg Nov. 8, with a stated goal of MLS Cup or bust.
“For me and the group, the success has built even more hunger in us, made us even more focused on we want to win MLS Cup. The only way to truly honor what we’ve accomplished is to win MLS Cup,’’ Marsch said. “Anything less and we’ll be less than satisfied. We’re going after it. Period.’’