The 2016 MLS regular season is coming to a close soon, and the New York Red Bulls are close to winning the Eastern Conference as they trail by one point. They are tied New York City FC with 48 points with Toronto FC leading the conference with 49 points. It should also be noted that right behind the three teams is the Philadelphia Union. What makes it more intriguing is that of the next three opponents to face the New York Red Bulls is the Philadelphia Union. They currently stand with 42 points.
It doesn’t matter what sport you are talking about, but the finals weeks of a season are crucial for a team in the hunt for a playoff run. While the Red Bulls will probably run the schedule and do well, that may not be enough. They need to hope that Toronto and NYC do not win out. I don’t think that the Red Bulls need to win out, but they need to hope that Toronto and NYC don’t find the net that often. I guess you can throw Philadelphia into the mix as well, they do have 42 points and are still in the running.
If I am the Red Bulls organization, I would say if you want to win the Eastern Conference then you need to take at least one of the games against Philadelphia as those two games could make or break their season. Obviously, other factors come into play. However, Philadelphia may give the Red Bulls a season with no playoffs, if they can sweep them. If the Red Bulls don’t make the playoffs this season, then I would consider it to be a failed season. They went 11-2 at home which is great. If they can’t make it to the playoffs, then its a failure. So to put it in simply, the two games against the Philadelphia Union are crucial towards them making the playoffs.