A year removed from a Round One defeat to FC Cincinnati – at Red Bull Arena no less – the New York Red Bulls have a chance at revenge in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The Supporters’ Shield winners await the victor of Wednesday's single-elimination Eastern Conference Wild Card match, where the No. 8 Red Bulls host No. 9 Charlotte FC (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
And while Cincy would clearly be the favorite, Red Bulls head coach Troy Lesesne said they’ll be in for a fight from whichever team prevails at Red Bull Arena.
“I would say that whoever wins this match between the two of us, it's going to be a really, really difficult opponent for Cincinnati, whoever progresses,” Lesesne said in his MD-1 media availability Tuesday afternoon.
“Both teams are in really good form right now and that feeling of having to fight for something and make it into the playoffs builds a lot of resiliency and a lot of toughness, and that's what you need to get into the playoffs and then make a run into the playoffs.”
Lesesne was impressed with his team’s performance in a playoff primer – a dramatic 1-0 Decision Day win at Nashville SC courtesy of John Tolkin’s stoppage-time penalty kick that booked the Red Bulls' MLS-record 14th consecutive trip to the big dance.
“We had the benefit of feeling what a playoff match felt like the other night, the time was running out – we had to make decisions as a staff about who to bring on and it's nil-nil, but really we're down in the situation. We have to win. And that type of circumstance and scenario is potentially what we're going to see in terms of the urgency that we have to create to either go and win the game or try to protect the lead,” Lesesne said.
“I'm really happy that we were able to experience that and what that felt like and I can say that we stayed calm in that moment and we tried to make the best decisions that would help us get a result. That's what we're gonna have to do tomorrow night.”
The Red Bulls went 4W-1L-2D down the regular-season stretch, winning their last three games – including a 2-1 victory at Cincinnati's TQL Stadium when that club celebrated the Shield in a post-match ceremony – to dramatically push above the playoff line.
Charlotte FC also had to make a difficult climb, losing just twice in their final 11 matches (4W-2L-5D). Their Decision Day result, a 1-0 home victory over Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF, proved their playoff mettle.
“The form that they're in right now we definitely are aware of and we respect and I think it's so interesting both teams over the course of the last seven, eight matches, if you just took those seven or eight matches, I think we would be towards the top of our conference and Charlotte would be right there as well,” Lesesne said.
“And that's what it took for both teams to get into this position after not being above the playoff line for a lot of the season for both of us. And the way that they've gone about it is really true to their style of play. I really respect how they set their team up and how they have a clear identity.”
