The New York Red Bulls are in the midst of decade-long run that has included three Supporters’ Shields, five seasons in which they finished top of the Eastern Conference, and nine straight playoff appearances. It’s a record that suggests a club built on consistency. But for this franchise, it hasn’t always been that way.



Dating back to when they entered MLS as the MetroStars in 1996, the Red Bulls have been an organization with a roller coaster-like trajectory; one with multiple near-misses at being relevant.



Even in the planning stages of MLS, there was no denying that the New York market would have to house one of the 10 original franchises. After all, this was an area that had been home to the Cosmos of the old NASL, a team that was a phenomenon at a time when soccer phenomenons in the United States were unheard of. The Cosmos signed the likes of Pele, Giorgio Chinaglia and Franz Beckenbauer. It sold out stadiums and spent big, winning five NASL...