The Red Bulls backed in to the MLS playoffs last night, but with one game remaining, they tied – with an asterisk – their franchise record for most points in a season.
They have not impressed many, including themselves lately, and another symptom was the encouragement they took from last night’s 0-0 draw with East champ Sporting Kansas City in their home finale in Harrison.
The Red Bulls have won only twice (2-2-4) in their last eight, and only once in their last four (1-2-1) at home, but those issues were subordinated by their berth-clinching, assured when Columbus lost to DC United.
“We’re in. That’s it,” Thierry Henry said afterwards.
“We wanted to get in, and we’re in,” Tim Cahill said. “Points? I didn’t know that.”
They needed 33 games to reach 54 points last night, while the MetroStars reached that figure in a 32-game season in 2000, clearly a superior record. But they can pass that figure Saturday in Philly, and percentages would be a different record than most points in a season, period.
The Red Bulls outplayed KC in the draw, but were unable to snap Sporting’s unbeaten streak, now 11 games (6-0-5) with only five goals against.
“It was one of the few games I can say I’m pleased with,” coach Hans Backe said. “It should have been three, four-nil.
“We set the level we can [reach] for the playoffs.”
Red Bulls keeper Luis Robles had only one second-half save, and Backe said he virtually had the night5 off. The locals had the best chance to score in the 23rd minute, when Kenny Cooper popped an open rebound wide from the right edge.
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Red Bulls wore black armbands to mourn their youth program coach, Michael Jones, murdered in New York Oct. 7.