The Red Bulls have tired legs and miles to go.
Thursday night’s 2-1 comeback victory against Sporting Kansas City at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., prolonged the Red Bulls’ season by at least two more games. Up next is Sunday afternoon’s Eastern Conference semifinal first leg against visiting D.C. United.
“Now we’ve got, what, three days, two and a half days, three days maximum to get ready for D.C.,” Red Bulls Coach Mike Petke said after Bradley Wright-Phillips scored two goals in the game’s final 13 minutes.
Sunday’s game will be the third in eight days for the graying Red Bulls. Last Sunday, Wright-Phillips scored twice (against Kansas City in the final regular-season game) to become the club’s first player to lead the league in goals scored. He also tied Major League Soccer’s single-season record with 27.
During a conference call with reporters on Friday, Petke expanded on his feelings about the quick turnaround: "Obviously guys are tired today but mentally they were very upbeat and very excited about Sunday. There was no talk or complaining that we have to play so quick or anything like that. I think over the last two years you could argue that our schedule has been tough in many stretches, so perhaps they are a little bit used to it, but at the end of the day, we know the task that we have ahead of us — doesn’t matter if we have two days rest or seven days rest — it doesn’t so much change the way we’re going to approach this game, what’s going to change is perhaps making sure that the people that I’m going to put out there are 100 percent physically ready and if not then I’ll have to make an adjustment or two.”
Among the starters in the play-in game against Sporting, six are 30 years old or older: Thierry Henry, 37; Tim Cahill, 34; Ibrahim Sekagya, 33; Jamison Olave, 33; Luis Robles, 30; and Lloyd Sam 30. In addition, Peguy Luyindula, the key substitute who energized the Red Bulls after entering the game in the 65th minute, is 35. And Wright-Phillips is only four months short of turning 30.
Henry, who spent a long time on the trainer’s table after the match receiving treatment on his chronically sore Achilles tendons, tried to put a positive spin on the quick turnaround.
“We did that during the season, sometimes you do Saturday to Saturday and sometimes you do Saturday to Wednesday to Saturday, and we did manage it — not that bad — during the season this year,” he said. “So hopefully we can do that, but it’s playoff time. I’m going to try to rest before playing D.C. on Sunday and you guys all know how difficult it is every time we play those guys, but we’re going to enjoy tonight, and tomorrow is another day.”
D.C. won two of the three regular-season games against the Red Bulls. The second game of the playoff series will be Nov. 8 at R.F.K. Stadium in Washington.
One new wrinkle to the M.L.S. postseason is the adoption of the away-goals rule in the home-and-home series, which will be applied should the teams finish tied on goals scored. “You know I thought about it a lot, I was indifferent about it before, torn, but I think it’s good,” Petke said. “I think it’s good because it definitely brings out a bit more attacking soccer.”
The Red Bulls’ victory erased a winless record (previously 0-4) in the postseason since the club moved into Red Bull Arena in 2010. It also could have been Henry’s final game with the club. The contract of one of the team’s designated players expires at the end of the year and he has not said what he plans to do. Of course, there was the obligatory question about Henry’s status for Petke after the game.
With a long sigh, Petke said: “I have to get it tattooed on my head. I have no clue what Thierry’s going to do. I’m not thinking about it. No, I’m not thinking about that at all. I’ve said it enough already. Thierry, I think, could play for two more years, whether it be here, whether it be back in England, wherever he decides to play. His contract is up, but I don’t know what he’s going to do. Having said that, I guess if I looked deep down inside myself, in a quiet room in yoga class, and I meditate, and I say, ‘Wow, I guess this could be Thierry’s last game,’ then yes, I’m very happy for him.”
Next question.