By Richard Greco | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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Saed Hindash | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

New York Red Bulls? More like New Jersey

We all know that they're called the New York Red Bulls, but the truth is they've got some serious Jersey roots, especially this year.

Sure, their home in Harrison is close to New York and having N.Y. in front of your name supposedly has more cache (right, Jets & Giants?), but this year's Red Bulls squad has some native Jersey talent that's contributing to this season's historic run (more on that in a sec) - and there's plenty of upside, too.

With that in mind, we're going to take a look at the six N.J. natives that are part of the Red Bulls' big 2018 season as well as its United Soccer League Red Bulls II squad.

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History in the making

The Red Bulls have been in Harrison since 2010. Why is this year such a big deal? Before we get to the Jersey talent, let's look at this special season.

Following its win over Atlanta on Sept. 30, New York tallied its 19th win of the season, a new club record that surpassed the previous record of 18 set in 2015.

The Red Bulls also tallied a franchise season-high 62 team points. New York's previous best was 60 points set in 2015.

The Red Bulls have clinched a top-two seed in the Eastern Conference to earn a first-round playoff bye and a home match in the second leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

They've won 13 games at home, which tied the club single-season record for home wins. New York also tallied 13 home wins in 2016. They can surpass the record in its season finale vs. Orlando City on Oct. 28.

New York has recorded 13 league shutouts to tie the 2010 club record.

Earlier this summer Bradley Wright-Phillips became the fastest player in MLS history to reach 100 goals, breaking Taylor Twellman's record.

BWP is one goal away from becoming the first player in MLS history to record three 20+ goal seasons in their MLS career.

Captain Luis Robles recorded two saves versus Atlanta for a single-season franchise-best 12th clean sheet.

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Alex Remnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Sean Davis, Midfielder

Hometown: Holmdel

Age: 25

2018 stats: 30 games played, 28 games started, 0 goals, 8 assists

Note: The homegrown player has been in the Red Bulls' system since playing for its U-18 squad and joined the Red Bulls II squad in 2015 after playing four years at Duke University. He made his MLS debut in 2015 and has been a pretty regular face in the locker room ever since, increasing his role every season.

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In his words

On playing for the hometown team: "The best part of it for me is being able to share my experiences with my family and my friends. They're a great support system. I get to experience the highs and lows with them. It's a good feeling because I know how much they've helped me growing up here. I know for me to be able to play professionally in front of them is a dream come true."

On picking college over going straight to the pros: "There was a little bit of talk about me going pro out of high school. I took an honest look at myself as a person and as a player and knew I wasn't ready. Also my parents are really big on academics. It made sense for me to go to college and take things from there. Honestly, I think it's the best decision I've ever made. I had a great three and a half years at Duke. I was able to get my degree, all while improving as a soccer player and growing up."

On regular season success: "2015 was a great year (Red Bulls won the Supporters' Shield). I wasn't playing too much, but I was on the bench so that was really cool. Everything was so new to me so I really enjoyed it. As things progressed, we've gotten to this point this season and it's been great. We've set a record in points and wins. It's been a really strong regular season and we still have two games to go before the playoffs. I think the most important thing is to continue to hit our stride and evolving so we're ready for whatever is thrown at us come playoff time."

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Derrick Etienne Jr., Forward/Midfielder

Hometown: Paterson

Age: 21

2018 stats: 28 games played, 8 games stated, 4 goals, 1 assist, 15 shots on goal

Note: Etienne Jr. is yet another home grown player that has come to fruition for the Red Bulls. He has been with the Red Bulls for quite some time and joined the Academy as a U-14 player. After progressing through the Academy ranks, he played for the University of Virginia. He played a season for Red Bulls II before making his MLS debut in 2016. He only played one game that year before establishing himself as a pro player in 2017.

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Alex Remnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Connor Lade, Defender

Hometown: Morristown

Age: 28

2018 stats: 20 games played, 14 games started, 0 goals, 1 assist

Note: Lade has been a homegrown player for the Red Bulls since 2011 and has been one of the faces of this team since breaking out as a rookie in 2012. He finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting that year. Injuries have plagued him in his career, but when healthy, he is an everyday player. He played four years of college soccer at St. John's.

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In his words

On playing for the hometown team: "It's amazing. I grew up watching this team back when they were playing in Giants Stadium. I really grew up with this team. It's really an honor to be playing with them. Not many people get to play in their hometown. For me having my family close and my friends at every game is really special. I don't take it for granted."

On tenure with Red Bulls: "I've worked really hard over my career to build consistency. There's been a lot of turnover with the club and I'm honored that they kept me on. I'm coming every day and training hard. I try to be a good guy around the locker room. I try to be helpful to the young guys who come in and be consistent in my role. Whenever I get a chance on the field, I try to make the most of it."

On translating regular season success to the post season: "Obviously we've had a lot of success over the years, but have fallen short of that ultimate goal. We've won two Supporters' Shields, but at the end of the day, we've had really good chances to make runs at the MLS Cup and US Open Cup, but have fallen short. We know that we have a team that is battle-tested. We know what to expect going into the playoffs. We have a very good mindset. We're staying hungry."

On battling through injuries: "Through my career, it's been a little bit of a roller coaster. I've battled some injuries here and there. Obviously the one in 2016 was the major one. For me, it helped having a great group of teammates around me and guys who have gone through it before. We have an incredible training staff and an incredible coaching staff that was so supportive. They were always checking up on me. In those times of injury and when you're in-and-out of the team, it's hard. You can go into some really dark places. They did a great job keeping my head on track. My family was incredible. Everyone in my life was so supportive. That made it easy for me to keep my head down, plug away and know that I'd come back stronger."

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Courtesy of N.Y. Red Bulls

Evan Louro, Goalkeeper

Hometown: South River

Age: 22

2018 stats: 0 MLS appearances. In USL: 26 games played, 26 starts, 3 clean sheets

Note: Cracking a starting lineup as a goalkeeper is not an easy task, but Louro could have a bright future with the Red Bulls once Luis Robles (34 years old) is done doing his thing. He will have to earn the starting job over current backup Ryan Meara (27 years old). Louro signed as homegrown player in 2017 and has been in the Red Bulls academy since 2008. He was a three-year starter at Michigan and as a sophomore posted 1.05 goals against to finish second in program history.

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In his words

On playing in New Jersey: "It's been great. I started RDS (Regional Developmental School) when I was like eight so it's been a long time. Being in and around this club and learning the core values from the ground up since I was that young has been interesting, especially in this most recent period. (Former coach) Jesse (Marsch) really helped install a good philosophy and foundation. With Chris (Armas), it's been a seamless transition."

On playing in the Red Bulls system for so long: "Honestly it makes the transition really easy. When I went away to college and came back, there wasn't much of a learning curve. That's what I think is a huge benefit. You know what they want out of you and you don't have to worry about anything else."

What he learned at Michigan: "If you ask anybody, I'm a pretty confident guy. I went into college pretty confident. What I learned the most there was just growing up. In Academy kids are 17-18 years old tops. Over there, you're playing against grown men. That was a big learning part for me and helped me transition into faster and stronger soccer."

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Courtesy of N.Y. Red Bulls

Kevin Politz, Defender

Hometown: Morganville

Age: 22

2018 stats: 0 MLS appearances. In USL: 20 games played, 17 games started, 1,616 minutes played, 71 clearances, 49 interceptions

Note: Politz is yet another homegrown player that helped the Red Bulls Academy win the U.S. Soccer Academy National Championship in 2012 and 2013. He played four years as a center back for Wake Forest. His 2018 season in the USL with Red Bulls II is pretty encouraging because he is logging huge minutes and has been subbed off just once.

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In his words

On playing for the hometown team: "It's awesome. It's a dream come true really. I grew up playing for the Academy too. Being a homegrown player for the club is amazing."

On being a homegrown player: "I'm really blessed to be part of a great organization. They really care about the young players and giving people chances. They are all about development. It's an awesome place to be."

On logging minutes with Red Bulls II: "It's huge. They really put resources into Red Bulls II and they really are focused on the development. They really care about the USL team. They follow all the games. They're always watching and giving feedback. Getting minutes and learning about the style is great going forward."

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Courtesy of N.Y. Red Bulls

Brian White, Forward

Hometown: Flemington

Age: 22

2018 stats: MLS: 4 games played, 2 games started, 1 goal. USL: 23 games played, 16 games started, 8 goals, 5 assists

Note: White spent the summer of 2017 competing for the Red Bulls' Premier Development League after graduating from Duke University, where he led the team with 10 goals in his senior year. He was drafted by the Red Bulls in the 2018 MLS Superdraft and signed a contract with Red Bulls II in March. He made his MLS debut on August 18 and scored his first goal on August 29. He is the first player in USL and MLS history to record a goal, an assist and a save in the same match. He did that with Red Bulls II on July 13.

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In his words

On his goal, assist, save game: "I was playing forward, where I got my goal and assist. Evan (Louro) got his second yellow and was sent off. We had just put in another forward, and wanted to keep our backline together and fresh legs up top so I went in goal."

On his first MLS goal: "That was my first start and my first goal. Being able to play in front of all my friends and family made it a great moment. I knew exactly where they were in the stands. Once I scored I was right there in front of them."

On playing for the hometown team: "It's cool. Being from Jersey, I don't want to leave. I love New Jersey, I love New York. I love being around my friends and family all the time. Being here and having them all around is great for me."

On getting chances in MLS and USL: "Anytime that you get a chance to move up to another level and challenge yourself is a great opportunity. Any chance I get to go into a game in the MLS, I try to take it head on and try to do the best I can. Whatever I learn from those situations and those moments, especially with those players, I try to bring it with me to the USL and improve my game there."

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Alex Remnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Red Bulls' philosophy of 'homegrown'

Even before Chris Armas (pictured) was named head coach on July 6, he was very familiar with the Red Bulls turn to the youth movement. He served as an assistant coach under former head Jesse Marsch, who focused on preparing homegrown players to excel at the MLS level. This year's Red Bulls roster features nine homegrown players from Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.

A homegrown player is one that a club grooms in its own development academy. In 2008, the MLS created a homegrown player rule, which allowed clubs to sign players from their development academies directly to MLS rosters, instead of having to go through the MLS SuperDraft.

The Red Bulls' development academies allow them to instill their style of play in prospects from a very young age. They start with their speed game and work their way up to their tactics, as players grow older. This allows players to try out the Red Bulls' system as well as for management to see where/if they fit in.

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From Armas

On keeping homegrown talent: "Our philosophy is to invest in young players and develop young players. So much goes into that. It's a style of play. It's a way of living. It's values of what goes into the person. There's so much that goes into what makes a complete player. So much of it is off the field too. We get players that come through that understand the culture, the way of working and the way of treating people as well as the tactics, it's really important. We bring out young players that are fearless and attack. They go after it.""

On translating regular season to the postseason: "There's a fine line between winning and losing in the playoffs. It's a game of inches. It's a post that goes in. It's a post that goes out. It's being ready and prepared for every set piece. It's every throw-in. Truly every play can make the difference. Right now, the way Major League Soccer has it structured, it's a very even playing field - one home game, one away. There's not a lot of room for error. For us, we've had major success during the regular season and even before we got here. Now it's about are you physically ready to go? Are you fresh? Are you fit? Are you healthy? Tactically do you have a plan and do you execute it? Mentally how do you deal with the pressure of the next step? We're going to try to get that right. We love that we're in a spot to go for it again. We're not afraid to fail and we're going to go after it."

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Richard Greco covers soccer for NJ Advance Media and may be reached at rgreco@njadvancemedia.com . Follow him on Twitter @Richard_V_Greco. Find NJ.com on Facebook.