
Who they are: One of the original MLS franchises—launched as the MetroStars—the Red Bulls have had many strong seasons, but have never taken home an MLS Cup championship. Their home field, Red Bull Arena, is a soccer-specific stadium whose metal stands and intimate scale make for a loud environment during big games.

Faces of the franchise: Prolific goal-scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips, who owns the MLS single-season scoring record and has won the league’s Golden Boot in two of the past three seasons, has played for the Red Bulls since 2013. Long Island’s own Mike Grella is also a fan favorite.

Key addition: Truth be told, the Red Bulls didn’t make a big-time addition this offseason—the departure of longtime midfielder Dax McCarty was more of a headline. As far as changes go, fans may be watching closely to see how Felipe and Sean Davis adjust to expanded roles in his absence.

Fan clubs:Empire Supporters Club, which you can find on gamedays in section 101; Viking Army, which commandeers section 102.

Local supporters’ bar: There are plenty of NYC bars where you can join fans; one is Queens’ Bar 43.

Random bit of trivia: Five former franchise coaches also led national teams to the World Cup: Carlos Quieroz (Portugal), Carlos Alberto Parreira (Brazil), Bora Milutinovic (Mexico, Costa Rica, United States, Nigeria, China), Bruce Arena (United States) and Bob Bradley (United States).

Match-day practicalities: Take a PATH train to the Harrison stop from either the World Trade Center Transportation Hub or via Newark Penn Station (which you can get to from NYC’s Penn Station). Ticket prices per match are generally $30–85.