The New York Red Bulls’ push to extend their playoff streak continues Saturday when they host the Columbus Crew in Harrison, N.J.
With six matches left, the Red Bulls (11-11-6, 39 points) are tied with Chicago for the ninth and final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference. The Fire have played one fewer match.
The Red Bulls have made the playoffs an MLS-record 15 consecutive seasons for the longest active streak in North American men’s pro sports.
New York has two advantages in its match against the Crew (12-6-9, 45 points), who have two losses and a tie in the past three matches and are 2-3-2 in the last seven.
The Red Bulls sport a 10-2-2 home record, 4-1-1 in the past six, and captain Emil Forsberg is a big reason for that success. The Swedish midfielder has a goal contribution in five straight home matches and has three career goals versus the Crew in three matches.
He has complemented Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (15 goals) but the Red Bulls lost their last match 1-0 at Charlotte FC on Aug. 24 and coach Sandro Schwarz wants to see an urgency from his club.
“We need every player, every offensive player, we need everyone. … to play forward and to be more hungry, more aggressive in the box to score,” he said.
The Crew are seventh in the East, three points out of fourth with a match in hand. They have been leaking goals in part because defender Mo Farsi (pelvis) has missed the past six matches and midfielder Darlington Nagbe (torso) the past two.
Farsi may be available Saturday for the first match between the teams since the Red Bulls ousted the Crew in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.
“A few of the players talk about, ‘I want to win, I want to win,’ ” Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said of the revenge factor. “Other players say they want to have a good performance and want to do everything to be good. It’s all about the narrative they like to use. For me, it doesn’t change anything. Last year was last year.”
-Field Level Media
