



This piece is part of our “State of the Team” series, previewing each MLS squad ahead of the 2020 season. Read the other teams’ stories here.



Ever since Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill left the club following the 2014 season, the New York Red Bulls have consistently been asked to overachieve.



Their parent organization, Red Bull GmbH, doesn’t give New York the same level of resources that it provides to its teams in Austria and Germany. For the last five years, the club has eschewed big stars and high payrolls, instead turning to its academy, USL team, a select group of mostly low-cost internationals and, above all else, its unique system of play to drive success.



For the most part, the strategy has worked. The club won the Supporters’ Shield under first-year head coach Jesse Marsch in 2015 and ended the 2016 season tied for the most points in the league. Homegrown star Tyler Adams led them to the all-time MLS...