The New York Red Bulls are doing enough to contribute to a crowded race at the top of the Eastern Conference — at least when they are the visiting team.
Despite being unable to get three points in a home game, the Red Bulls are in a tight, five-team race and they hope to finally get an elusive home win Wednesday night when they face the Chicago Fire in Harrison, N.J.
The Red Bulls (5-2-4, 19 points) share the same point total as FC Cincinnati and are one point behind CF Montreal, Orlando City and Philadelphia. While their other four competitors for the top spot are a combined 11-7-3 in home games, the Red Bulls are 0-2-3 at home, where only three of their 17 goals have occurred.
“We want this to be the night for three points,” New York midfielder Omir Fernandez said. “Something that we’ve been talking about is starting to win at home. I think that’s been the story for us since the beginning of the season that good teams win at home and make their home a fortress. We have to start on Wednesday night. Everybody’s ready and everybody knows what they have to do to win this game.”
Overall, New York is 3-0-2 in its past five games since a 2-1 home loss to Montreal on April 9.
In their last home game on May 7, Aaron Long scored in the 67th minute to help the Red Bulls to a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers. On Saturday, New York played with 10 men after the 55th minute and rallied for a 1-1 draw at Philadelphia. Luquinhas scored the tying goal in the 66th minute.
New York is facing Chicago (2-5-4, 10 points) for the second time in a little over two weeks. On April 30, the Red Bulls earned a 2-1 win when Patryk Klimala scored his second goal of the match on a penalty kick in the 91st minute.
The loss to the Red Bulls is part of Chicago’s four-game losing streak and a seven-game winless skid (0-5-2).
After falling to New York, Chicago allowed three goals in the opening 36 minutes of its 4-1 loss at Atlanta on May 7. Then it allowed the winning goal in the 85th minute — two minutes after Jhon Duran scored the tying goal — in Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to FC Cincinnati. It also conceded an own goal in the 33rd minute.
“It’s one of those things where we’re going through the rough right now and we’ve just got to find a way to get ourselves out of it,” Chicago coach Ezra Hendrickson said.
–Field Level Media