ORLANDO, Fla. – What were the odds of the No. 7 seed not just reaching, but winning the Eastern Conference Final? Whatever they were, the New York Red Bulls defied them all the way to MLS Cup presented by Audi on Dec. 7.
With Saturday’s 1-0 win at Orlando City SC, RBNY took down their third straight higher-seeded opponent of the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. They’ll look to pull off one more upset at Dignity Health Sports Park against Western Conference champions LA Galaxy in next weekend’s grand finale.
The Red Bulls will be the lowest-ever seed to play for the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, a prize that's eluded the MLS-original club since their 1996 debut.
“Maybe for a lot of people, it’s the biggest surprise now that we are in the MLS Cup final,” Red Bulls head coach Sandro Schwarz told reporters postgame at Inter&Co Stadium.
“To be honest, for me, it’s a very good feeling. But it’s not the biggest surprise.”
Cinderella run
That might be the understatement of the playoffs.
New York entered their Round One Best-of-3 Series against the Columbus Crew as massive underdogs, only to sweep the defending MLS Cup champions in stunning fashion. They then beat Hudson River Derby rivals New York City FC, 2-0, before out-grinding Orlando in a nail-biter of a Conference Final decided by Andrés Reyes’ 47th-minute headed goal.
“It’s clear when you win against the champions from last season, Columbus, that you have more confidence in your quality, your performance, and you believe,” Schwarz said of the club’s surprising run.
“It starts always with the result, but you have to prepare the result very seriously and very professionally.”
Back on the big stage
For playmaker Emil Forsberg, Saturday’s achievement further justified his decision to join New York after nearly a decade German Bundesliga sister side RB Leipzig.
"This is why I came. I said I wanted a challenge, I think it was the perfect challenge for me,” the Swedish Designated Player said in a post-game interview with MLS Season Pass. “I’m so happy we did it. No one actually believed in us, but we did it."
Homegrown John Tolkin, who assisted Reyes’ header, expressed pride in helping his boyhood club reach MLS Cup for just the second time in club history, following their 3-1 loss to the Crew in the 2008 final.
“For me and the guys who grew up in the area, it’s a dream come true,” the 22-year-old left back said. “… This is an incredible moment, this is kind of why we do it. You know, all the s--t we’ve dealt with through the year, the ups and downs."
Tolkin’s perfectly placed free kick to the far post early in the second half allowed Reyes to score the game’s lone goal and move the Red Bulls within 90 minutes of their first title.
“Emil [Forsberg]… said, ‘Put this on goal, smack it in there’ and I was like ‘Hell yeah,’” he said. “And Andrés is a dog. He’s been huge for us all year, especially in these playoffs.
“To see it go in the net was super cool. Yeah man, that was a good play.”
Galaxy in the way
Now, one final challenge awaits vs. an LA Galaxy side looking for a record sixth MLS Cup.
Can the Red Bulls, known for their high-intensity style, handle arguably the league’s most dangerous attack? The G's are led by the Killa P’s of Riqui Puig, Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil, along with Dejan Joveljić, who scored the game-winner in their 1-0 Western Conference Final victory over Seattle Sounders FC.
“The physicality has been what we’re about. When we can bring that to the table, we’ve proven that it’s very hard for teams to fight through that,” Tolkin said. “… Everybody picks up that energy. We’re gonna need that next weekend.”
Schwarz, who joined RBNY this season after a long career managing in the Bundesliga, knows what these types of finals entail.
"Sure, it’s pressure. We need also pressure when you want to bring the best performance, the best quality of the whole group. It’s not possible without pressure, to be honest," Schwarz said. "And that’s good, it’s the reason why we’re working so hard every day.
"Now we are in the MLS Cup final," he said. "Today’s the day more to enjoy. Tomorrow, we start to work hard for next weekend.”
