Fansided

New York Red Bulls Stun Sporting KC, Advance in MLS Playoffs

By Zac Wassink

facebooktwitterreddit

The New York Red Bulls have (finally) won their first home playoff game of the Red Bull Arena era.

New York Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips doesn’t know “That’s so Metro.” Wright-Phillips never played a part in the club’s trophy drought that came close to lasting two decades. BWP joined the club in 2013, the year that the Red Bulls ended their run of bad fortune and poor play by winning the Major League Soccer regular season championship and Supporters’ Shield. Wright-Phillips made history in the 2014 campaign by equaling the MLS single-season scoring record of 27 goals, a feat only accomplished by two othersWright-Phillips.

It’s only fitting that Wright-Phillips saved the Red Bulls on Thursday night.

Oct 30, 2014; Harrison, NY, USA; New York Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips (99), forward Thierry Henry (14) and midfielder Dax McCarty (11) celebrate their win against the Sporting KC at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls defeated the Sporting KC 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Wright-Phillips finished off a brace at the death, and the Red Bulls rallied back from a goal behind to stun defending MLS Cup champions Sporting Kansas City 2-1. While the Red Bulls advance in the tournament to face rivals DC United in a home-and-home series, KC are out.

All indications 75 minutes into play were that it was going to be yet another one of those nights for the Red Bulls. Wright-Phillips, captain Thierry Henry, designated player Tim Cahill and fan-favorite Dax McCarty all had clear chances to open the scoring during the match.

All failed, and each miss was more painful than the previous non-tally.

Cahill punted a strike from six yards out that may still be hovering somewhere over New Jersey skies. Henry found himself free and clear into the left portion of the penalty area, where the living legend has buried oh so many goals during his storied career, and he pushed his attempt well wide of the target. Wright-Phillips skied a free header when he easily could have nodded it toward the ground. McCarty was eying an empty goal when his header from just outside of the box landed harmlessly next to the right post.

New York’s nightmare moment came eight minutes after the halftime break. Henry played a not-perfect but seemingly innocent pass to Eric Alexander in the midfield. Alexander’s first touch betrayed him, Benny Feilhaber stole possession and raced down the opposite end of the pitch before tapping a perfect through ball for Dominic Dwyer, and Dwyer made no mistake in smashing his first-touch strike past Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles and into the back of the net.

That would have been all she wrote for the Red Bulls in prior years. New York would have fought and fought…and fought…without finding an equalizer, the final whistle would have blown with the score at 1-0, and New York players would have saluted a Red Bull Arena crowd silenced by a latest heartbreak.

But a weird and unusual event occurred in Harrison, New Jersey on Thursday evening, one unfamiliar to RBNY fans: The Soccer Gods smiled upon the Red Bulls.

New York, to their credit, showed plenty of heart in seeking for an equalizer that never seemed to be looming; not until Henry played a pass for Wright-Phillips in front of goal 13 minutes from time. Wright-Phillips slid a shot as KC and United States Men’s National Team defender Matt Besler attempted to block the attempt, and the ball bounced off of Besler and past goalkeeper Erik Kronberg, the latter being hung out to dry by fate and a deflection.

That wasn’t game on. It was game over, just nobody knew it at the time. A visibly physically gassed KC side never recovered from letting their advantage slip through their fingers, and momentum was all New York’s with extra time approaching.

The banner moment of the season to date for the Red Bulls occurred in the 90th minute. Ambroise Oyongo, subbed on by head coach Mike Petke in the second half, crossed a ball into the KC penalty area that hung into the air

forever

for several seconds. Kronberg took a step as if he was going to leave his line to collect the ball before retreating for reasons that he’ll only know, Besler was left scrambling, and Wright-Phillips had all of the space he needed to flick a header inside of the left post for the winner.

Red Bull Arena playoff curse extinguished. Red Bulls through to the next round. Serve held at home.

One man can change the culture at a club. It happens in professional sports all the time. Cahill did it for the Red Bulls last season, as it was the uncrowned 2013 MLS Most Valuable Player who turned a New York side capable of playing November soccer into one that hoisted the Supporters’ Shield in celebration.

Fans of the Red Bulls who are flying high would do well to remember that DC were better than the Red Bulls in just about every way during the regular season. United won the Eastern Conference title, while New York had to pick up positive results in October to clinch a spot in Thursday’s Wild Card game. The Red Bulls will now have a couple of nights to rest, recover and prepare before hosting DC this coming Sunday. There aren’t many reasons to believe the underdogs aren’t two matches away from elimination;

just like there weren’t many reasons back in February to believe that Wright-Phillips would win the Golden Boot and enter MLS record books in the process, and just like there weren’t many reasons to believe New York would complete the comeback against KC.

The days of “That’s so Metro” were BWP: Before Wright-Phillips.

Perhaps he will prove to be the man who eliminates that phrase forevermore.

More from FanSided

Home/MLS