With his goal in the 75th minute Saturday night, Juan Pablo Angel moved into a three-way tie for the MLS Golden Boot and is now within two goals of the New York Red Bulls all-time record for goals scored in a season, set by fellow Colombian international Adolfo Valencia in 2000.
That means little to Angel.
"I'd rather give up all my goals and have us make the playoffs and hopefully win something with the club," he said. "I've never been a player that likes to have glory for myself. I like to have glory for the team."
Glory for the team, especially now that it's September, means three points by any means necessary. And that was the case in a critical 1-0 win for the Red Bulls against the Chicago Fire at Giants Stadium.
Heading into the clash of Eastern Conference rivals, the Red Bulls sat in third place, one point in front of Kansas City and six ahead of fifth-place Columbus. Chicago, which came into the Meadowlands 3-1-1 in their last five games, was gaining some momentum in the East and poised to make a playoff push of its own.
But the Red Bulls separated themselves from the lower half of the East and, at the same time, moved a bit closer to securing a playoff bid of their own.
A year ago, the Red Bulls clinched a playoff berth on the final day of the regular season, finishing with 39 points. After 23 games this season, the Red Bulls have 36 points.
"I would think with a couple more wins we'd be in position to be a playoff team, which is certainly our goal," Red Bulls coach Bruce Arena said. "But it's not going to be easy, it's going to be difficult. You see this time of year, the games are going to be close."
The Red Bulls entered the match having conceded eight goals in their last three games, including a shocking own goal 10 minutes from full time in New England that cost them a valuable road point.
But against a Fire team with a potent attack of Mexican superstar Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Costa Rican international Paulo Wanchope, both players were held largely in check in a much-improved defensive effort.
"I was very pleased with their play tonight," Arena said of the backline. "They limited Chicago's goal scoring opportunities, which is a big plus for us. I think (Clint) Mathis and (Claudio) Reyna did a very good job, all of the guys did."
The key to shutting down Blanco was not allowing him space. When he did touch the ball, the Red Bulls swarmed him, knocking him down.
"The game plan was to stay close to him," Dane Richards said. "If you rough him up, he's going to dive almost every time. Just stay close to him -- that was our job and we did it."
While Chicago's designated player wasn't able to find the back of the net, Angel did, scoring his second consecutive late game-winner at Giants Stadium.
"Juan is an ideal player to have on your team, he brings a work ethic second to none," Arena said. "He produces on game day and he knows how to deal with coaches, players, teammates and press."
What made the win against the Fire even more impressive is that the Red Bulls did it without Jozy Altidore, who scored five goals in four August games. The 17-year-old phenom was sidelined with a lower left leg strain and is listed as day-to-day.
"He's important for us, but I think the guys have to step up," said Angel, who said he's been carrying a strain in his rib cage. "John (Wolyniec), he always works hard for us, he's a handful and Francis (Doe), I think it was a great debut for him at home. He held the ball up well, he looked strong and sharp. I think we have good options."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
