Sports

Red Bulls hope to end ugly ties

After picking up just three of a possible dozen points on the road, with disappointing draws that felt like losses, the Red Bulls have back-to-back home games, starting tonight Toronto FC at Red Bull Arena. And to a man, they say six points are all that will do.

“We need to start winning,” said midfielder Teemu Tainio. “Every home game is a must-win game. Draws don’t do us any good anymore.”

The Red Bulls are desperate for points, desperate enough that forward Luke Rodgers (plantar fasciitis) and defender Jan Gunnar Solli (hamstring) will try to play through injuries, with forward Thierry Henry back in the lineup after being a last-minute scratch in San Jose with flu-like symptoms.

“We know we need a win,” said Rodgers, who missed three straight league games with an injury that he calls “a nightmare.”

And while the Red Bulls (5-3-10, 25 points) have won just once since April 30 to fall out of first place in the Eastern Conference, Henry said they can still right the ship and reach their goal of an MLS Cup.

“The beauty of it is, in Europe, you might as well go on holiday right now, because the season is over,” Henry said. “But we’re not in Europe, so we still have a chance to qualify for the playoffs and make something happen.”

Henry is likely to play more of a free role as a support striker in a 4-4-1-1 with Dwayne De Rosario traded to D.C. United and Dax McCarty starting as a twin holding midfielder alongside Tainio.

But of deeper concern is the goalkeeping, with Greg Sutton allowing seven goals in two games and getting benched for Bouna Coundoul, who made gaffes in the road ties at Chicago and San Jose. Red Bulls general manager Erik Soler told The Post he expects to complete a deal for a keeper in the next few days and have the new acquisition practicing in a few weeks.

“I don’t know why we keep on giving goals away,” said Henry. “I know it’s not Christmas, so I don’t know why we’re giving gifts away.”

brian.lewis@nypost.com