HANOVER, N.J. — When Alexi Lalas was hired to be the general manager of the club formerly known as the MetroStars in 2005, he vowed to help the organization “become the first ‘SuperClub’ to emerge out of MLS.”
A year later, the club was sold and rebranded as the New York Red Bulls, and in 2008 they made their first —and only — appearance in the MLS Cup, where they lost to Columbus Crew SC.
It might have taken an additional 10 years, but have the Red Bulls finally achieved that lofty status? Have they built a dynasty?
Last Sunday, the Red Bulls clinched a third Supporters’ Shield in the last six years. Only two clubs — the LA Galaxy and D.C. United — have lifted the trophy awarded to the team that accrues the most points during the regular season more often; have both done so four times. Crew SC, the Red Bulls opponent in the Eastern Conference Semifinals beginning Sunday (3 pm ET | ESPN – full TV and streaming info), also have three Shield titles.
“What you can’t argue is the team has had big success here in the last so many years, because winning the Supporters’ Shield is a major accomplishment,” RBNY coach Chris Armas said. “That one I don’t think is debatable.”
Over the last six years, the Red Bulls have clearly been the model of consistent regular-season success and in winning the Shield this year, they set a new league record for points in a season (71).
When goalkeeper Luis Robles joined the Red Bulls in 2012, the trophy case was bare, outside of the random Western Conference championship won in that MLS Cup run in 2008. The Red Bulls captain said what can’t be argued is what is being built within the organization.
But a dynasty, it ain’t — not yet.
“In Major League Soccer and American sports, it’s about who holds the trophy at the end,” Robles said. “I know in other leagues it can be said the best team at the end of the regular season is the winner, but those are other leagues. I don’t play in those leagues. I play in Major League Soccer and in Major League Soccer the ultimate champion is the MLS Cup winner.
“If we win three of those in a row and you ask me that question, I’d say absolutely it’s a dynasty.”
Armas said he’s not sure what defines a dynasty, but when he was on the Chicago Fire he said it felt like “every singe year we were either in a final or a conference final.”
Were they a dynasty?
“That’s for others to say,” Armas said. “When you can put up championships like the Galaxy, they have those trophies there, not just one. D.C. United, I feel they put a few on the shelf. I think those teams you can talk about in that way, but I think we’re trying to get there.”
Indeed, the Galaxy have five MLS Cups, D.C. three. Sporting Kansas City, the Houston Dynamo and San Jose Earthquakes have two apiece.
That, according to winger Danny Royer, is how you stamp your place in the history books as a legendary club.
“If you want to be in history, then you’ve got to win the Cup,” Royer said. “We set a great record with the Supporters’ Shield, that’s nice. But if you want to be remembered forever, you’re going to have to win MLS Cup.”
