HANOVER, N.J. — The New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC have had parallel starts to their 2018 seasons.
They were two of five MLS teams to compete in the Concacaf Champions League, which started in February, and both made deep runs — the Red Bulls reached the semifinals and Toronto FC made it to the final with both being ousted by Chivas de Guadalajara.
However, the teams have had vastly different starts in league play. Like the Colorado Rapids and Seattle Sounders FC, Toronto FC has struggled mightily in the first half of the season. All three teams are below the playoff line in their respective conferences with Toronto FC sitting in 10th in the East with 15 points.
Conversely, the Red Bulls and FC Dallas haven’t missed a beat. They’ve both racked up 29 points in their first 15 games. It could be argued the Red Bulls’ start has been more impressive because they made a deeper CCL run than FC Dallas, who were knocked out by Panama’s Tauro FC in the Round of 16.
In addition, the Red Bulls defeated FC Dallas, 3-0, last Saturday at Red Bull Arena and head into Sunday’s clash with TFC at BMO Field with just one loss in their last nine league games.
“I think we were very cautious in the beginning of the year on playing time for different guys and we sacrificed league play at certain moments to really rotate the lineup,” Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch said after training Friday. “With my experience here and the demands we put on our players for the way we play, there’s three things: We like fresh legs to be on the field, we’re always trying to avoid injuries because we know that’s a way to put your season in jeopardy and we love to give guys opportunities.”
The Red Bulls have been relatively injury-free and have gotten strong performances when rotating their roster. The same hasn’t been true of Toronto FC, which has been dealing with a bevy of injuries in the first few months of the season, which has put players in unfamiliar positions.
“It’s been unfortunate for them, but for me I was really happy and proud of the way our team dealt with the beginning of the year and how different guys, when given opportunities, showed well,” Marsch said. “I think it continues to show the value of what’s going on with this club from a player perspective and a management perspective. We’re in a good way.”
Goalkeeper Luis Robles credits the Red Bulls front office for assembling a roster that has been able to deal with the rigors of competing on multiple fronts and Marsch for instilling confidence in a relatively young group.
“I said it time and again, the front office and the leadership of this organization has done a great job of crafting a roster that not only can handle the brunt of the season when it’s the dog days of summer, but when we need to rotate through competitions,” Robles said. “And you look at the confidence that our coaches put on players, whether they’re inexperienced or experienced. It’s that sort of confidence that they allow within the locker room and within the group that manifests itself into results on the field.”