After first talking about winning an MLS Cup this season then taking aim at the Supporters’ Shield, now the Red Bulls are in a fight just to reach the playoffs at all. Both coach Hans Backe and GM Erik Soler say it’d be a “huge disappointment” and a “terrible season” if they don’t get there, but they haven’t had their jobs threatened by Austrian ownership if they fail to do so.
“Not reaching the playoffs would be a huge disappointment,’’ said Backe. “But it’s still eight games to go; I don’t like to analyze or speculate before you play these eight games. But of course it would be a huge disappointment, definitely.’’
The Red Bulls, with Designated Players Thierry Henry, Rafa Marquez and Frank Rost, have a huge budget but a bigger problem. At a disappointing 6-6-14, they sit in fifth place in a weak Eastern Conference that they won just a year ago.
Worse, they’re precariously clinging to the final playoff spot. They have 32 points in 26 games, tied with Portland, although they would hold the tiebreaker edge over the expansion Timbers. They’re a point ahead of Chivas USA and D.C., holding a game in hand on the former but United _ red-hot since the Red Bulls traded them Dwayne De Rosario _ having played two fewer games.
“Maybe we can pull something together in the end, and avoid the terrible season,’’ GM Erik Soler told the Post. And in truth, terrible would be kind considering the roster they’ve assembled. But that might reflect more poorly on Backe, even though both Soler and Backe insist they’ve gotten no pressure from the club’s Austrian ownership, or threats with termination should they fail to reach the playoffs.
“I’ve heard nothing,’’ Backe told the Post, not surprised he hasn’t been catching heat from Austria. “No, I think it shows strength in a good way, absolutely. I’m not using any energy on it. I’ve been in the game for a long time, it’s a more important thing to get this team going than using energy to worry on things around it.’’
As unlucky as the Red Bulls in terms of personnel, injury-riddled at the same time their roster was gutted by the Gold Cup, they’ve been that fortunate lately in terms of scoreboard-watching. Columbus, Sporting Kansas City and Houston _ the top three teams in the East _ all lost last weekend, with fourth-place Philadelphia losing yesterday.
“We haven’t been able to figure it out. We’ve lost six games; that’s not crazy. But winning six? That’s crazy. And drawing like 14 is even worse. So we have eight games to figure it out,’’ said Soler. “There’s someone up there that keeps sending us (gift) packages. The weekend was crazy. All the guys in our league lost, so there’s a life-saver for us. But we need to pick it up now.’’
Soler _ who is planning a trip to Austria to go over the status of this season, and present his plans for next _ said he has an open dialogue with Red Bull Salzburg sporting director Heinz Hochhauser, but reports directly to owner Dietrich Mateschitz, who hasn’t given him any reason to question his job status.
„Like anybody else, it’s up to the guy I report to to decide if I’m the right guy to run it or not the right guy,’’ said Soler. “I’m very laid-back about these things. It’s like Hans picking the team: You have to respect that.’’