More eyes turned on Saturday night’s Red Bulls game to see if their fans persisted in their controversial and profane “You suck a–hole” (YSA) chant than to see if the team could knock off first-place Montreal. In an intense, electric atmosphere, the answer to both questions was a resounding hell yes.
The Red Bulls have drawn attention recently for all of the wrong reasons. The team was called out for its listless, lethargic loss in Colorado and its fans chastised for their language, with the three supporter groups — the Empire Supporters Club, Viking Army and Garden State Ultras — even offered $500 each per game to stop chanting “YSA” after the opposing keeper’s goalkicks.
The chant YSA was only performed once last night, and was not as loud as normal.
But the 17,235 on hand were as loud as ever, and two of the three supporter groups unleashed a YSA chant at Troy Perkins in the 53rd minute. As for the game, the Red Bulls were just as energetic, dominating the Impact 4-0 to move into a tie for second in the East.
“We had to respond after the game against Colorado and we did,’’ said Thierry Henry, who had a goal, two assists and gave up his chance on an 88th-minute penalty kick to the struggling Peguy Luyindula, who put it home for his first goal of the season.
“It was very important we wanted to start very strong, which we did, and then we kept on going,” Henry said. “That was the key.’’
The Red Bulls also received goals from Eric Alexander in the 10th minute and Tim Cahill in the 63rd.
“We were better than we were last week. It was a massive game for us — a lot was at stake division-wise,’’ Cahill said. “The mentality was to put right the last game we played, and we felt we did that.’’
The South Ward support urged them on, but if the fans keep flouting orders to cease the YSA chant, which has been going on for years, there could be consequences and repercussions. Real Salt Lake may start banning fans that persist. Last night in the 63rd minute the chant performed by Garden State Ultras and Viking Army was audible, though quieter than normal.
Two members of the Garden State Ultras — who profanely had rejected the club’s cash offer and vowed not to be bought or censored — got taken away early in the first half for setting off smoke bombs. There also is the persistent YSA chant itself that MLS has been looking to eliminate for about a decade.
It should be noted the YSA chant was far from their worst. After Alexander’s goal, they sang a popular song that includes the lyrics “Take them all. Put them up against the wall and shoot ’em.’
But MLS fears the YSA chant specifically will hurt sponsorship and drive away families.
“Absolutely. I’m in favor of whatever it takes [to end YSA],” aid first-time visitor Ken Walleshauser, who drove down from Buffalo with wife Dawn and kids Ben and Jillian, 12 and 8. “It would deter us from coming back.”
“It’s not like they’ve offered the money and now we’re trying to stop YSA,” Viking Army spokesman Jason Corliss said. “We’ve been trying to stop YSA for awhile.’’
Not all fans think it’s right to try to eliminate the YSA chant.
“To censor fans in any sport … it’s pretty tame compared to what’s said in the [European Premier League]. Trying to take that language away from fans, if that precedent is set, who knows what happens down road?’’ said Manville’s Dave Knapp, who held a sign that said You Suck while his sister, Heather Cooperstein, held one that said “A–hole.
“I think YSA is played out,” Cooperstein said. “It’s time to let it go.
“I have 2-year-old twins: This is the only time I get to curse!”
Knapp’s point about the EPL is well-made. Keith Brown, an Empire Supporters Club member since the club’s inception in 1996, spent a dozen years as a police officer in England. His job on Saturdays was to shepherd some of soccer’s rowdiest visiting fans from Victoria Station to the stadium and back.
“We had darts thrown at it, sharp stars, they put marbles down so the horses used to fall over and throw darts at the horses,” Brown said. “It was awful, and I dealt with that. That’s a different era, I never want to see that here.
“But MLS has more things to be concerned about than “you suck a–hole.’’
brian.lewis@nypost.com