FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – It’s been a little more than three months since the New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls last squared off – a 2-1 win for the Red Bulls back on August 2 – and the sides which are now set to do battle in the Eastern Conference Championship look decidedly different.
That loss at Red Bull Arena was a potentially devastating blow for the Revs, who saw a halftime lead slip away despite playing with a man advantage for the final 45 minutes. It was the Revolution’s ninth loss in a 10-game stretch and at the time dropped the club into seventh place in the East.
But since that demoralizing setback in New Jersey, the Revs have – to say the least – dramatically changed their fortunes. A six-game unbeaten streak followed and a 9-1-2 finish to the season set up a first-round playoff meeting with the Columbus Crew, which New England beat handily by a 7-3 aggregate.
So, what happened? What are the Revs doing better now than they were back in early August, when they last met the Red Bulls at the end of a lengthy losing streak?
For starters, everything.
“I think we’re more experienced, we’re more cohesive,” said Lee Nguyen, who’s racked up 12 goals and four assists in the 14 games since that last meeting with New York. “Our shape is a lot better now and I think we’re a lot more confident going forward.”
A massive part of that turnaround – although not the only factor – has been the addition of Jermaine Jones. The influential central midfielder joined the Revs a few weeks after that loss to the Red Bulls and his impact, both on and off the field, has been plain for all to see.
“I believe it’s night and day,” said Charlie Davies. “When you add a guy like Jermaine Jones, who’s a World Cup veteran, (who’s played) countless Champions League games and Bundesliga games, that experience alone can turn a team around.
“He’s added that missing piece that we needed to complete the puzzle.”
New York is a different side, as well, though the club’s changes have been more subtle. While the Red Bulls haven’t since added a player with the influence of a Jermaine Jones, they have tweaked their formation and approach to maximize the players they do have on their roster.
A tactical shift to a 4-2-3-1 setup has allowed Dax McCarty and Eric Alexander to anchor the midfield, providing attacking freedom for players like Thierry Henry, Bradley Wright-Phillips and Peguy Luyindula.
“We have a lot of respect for New York,” said Jay Heaps. “I think they’ve got a great balance.”
As is to be expected in a playoff format, New England and New York are the two teams currently playing the best soccer in the Eastern Conference. For both teams, that’s due in part to the changes they’ve made since they last met back in early August.
It’ll make for a unique matchup when the first leg of the Eastern Conference Championship kicks off on Sunday afternoon, and their regular-season meetings will be nothing but a distant memory.
“At the end of the day, it’s two games and you’ve got to win,” said A.J. Soares. “It doesn’t really matter who we are or who we were. Whoever comes out and plays better is going to win the series because both teams are good and both teams can do it.”
