by RUSS McKENZIE

SEASON TOTALS:



Record: 18-10-6 (60 pts, 1st Overall)

Playoffs: Eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals by a 2-1 Aggregate Score

Top Scorer: Bradley Wright-Phillips (17)

Top Assists: Sacha Kljestan (14)

IN A NUTSHELL:

The 2015 season did not start out on a good foot in Harrison. Things seemed dire with the club firing a beloved coach, enduring fan protests, navigating a seemingly misguided new direction in order to cut payroll, and dealing with some season ticket holders demanding refunds.

However, with a new commitment to attractive soccer, and a fresh philosophy on the field and in the front office, the New York Red Bulls pressed their way to the top of the table (literally and figuratively), earning the Supporters Shield for the second time in three years while breaking multiple club records on their way to what could arguably be the best season in club history.

Despite being tagged as one of the favorites to win MLS Cup, however, New York fell short of their intended goal, once again bowing out in the Eastern Conference Finals.

TWO THINGS THAT WENT RIGHT:



Jesse Marsch: In January, new sporting director Ali Curtis fired local folk hero head coach Mike Petke after the two most successful back-to-back seasons in club history, yielding the reins over to Jesse Marsch. Despite his coaching ties to Bob Bradley, the hiring was incredibly controversial. After all, Marsch’s head coaching experience was minimal and his success to that point paled in comparison to Petke. After a town hall with a crowd that seemed more interested in lynching than talking it out, Marsch led his troops to the most successful season since its inception. Instead of the plodding counter attacking football of years past, Marsch turned the Red Bulls into a tactically eloquent attacking machine, while making sure that every single player in the group bought into a two way style. The result was the most wins in club history (18), the club’s second Supporters Shield in three years, one game away from MLS Cup Final, and a berth in CONCACAF Champions League. The Development Engine has started up: One of Curtis’ first acts in his new position was to announce that the Red Bulls would be creating a USL side. Although not wildly attended, the Red Bulls development machine has begun to bear fruit. One shining example of this is midfielder Sean Davis, who scored a brace in a friendly vs Premier League champion Chelsea FC. Players like Derrick Etienne were able to develop their skills in real game situations. In fact, a report from Goal.com stated that the Red Bulls may sign up to four homegrown players – a nod to their developmental commitments. It also provided senior team regulars Anatole Abang, Anthony Wallace, Karl Ouimette, and Roy Miller a place to stay game fit while they waited for minutes. As MLS clubs make their way to a building teams from within, this dramatic shift in philosophy mirrors clubs like FC Dallas and even LA Galaxy, and could represent a departure from the club’s history of roster and front office demolition every 2-3 years.

TWO THINGS THAT WENT WRONG



The US Open Cup: As schedule details emerged for the summer, it became apparent that the Red Bulls were getting into a tough situation, forced to play a US Open Cup match and a International Champions Cup match the day after. Instead of conceding home field advantage, New York played a impromptu midweek match at 4pm on July 21st. It’s hard to say that the result would have been different had the Philly Union cooperated with moving the match to a more favorable time, but the Red Bulls’ Open Cup came to an abrupt end on that sultry, humid Tuesday afternoon after the Red Bulls’ lackluster play, and gamesmanship by Philadelphia ruled the day. The Final Frame: During the season, it seemed that Marsch had control of when to make substitutions, when to play more defensively, and when to pull out the stops. In a season where he earned Coach of the Year honors for rarely making a misstep, it’s almost tragic for Marsch to be outcoached in the Eastern Conference Finals. That is, however, what happened. In the first leg of the Eastern Conference Finals, Gregg Berhalter and the Columbus Crew used the Red Bulls’ high press against them. The result was Marsch’s troops dropping into a 2-nil aggregate hole, and Marsch second guessing his tactical choices. In the second leg, the Red Bulls arguably waited too long to throw the kitchen sink at the Crew. When they finally did, in the 80th minute, it made the Crew look vulnerable, and yielded one goal. The Red Bulls needed two to force extra time. Time, however, was not on their side. The Red Bulls season came to another sudden end, with Marsch being out coached in the final frame.

EoS Red Bulls Player of the Year

With so many high points this season, it’s hard to pick out a single player of the year. The Red Bulls had the Goalkeeper of the Year in Luis Robles, an excellent follow up season by the 2014 Golden Boot winner and 2015’s club leading scorer, Bradley Wright-Phillips and an outstanding year for new club captain Dax McCarty.

However, it was one unlikely, unsung hero that earns the plaudits from EoS this year.

New York native Mike Grella was likely on his last chance to be a professional footballer. He had multiple chances in Europe and the lower leagues, but never hung on at any club for long. He came home to New York, had opportunities with both the New York Cosmos of the NASL and the MLS newcomers NYCFC, but both clubs chose to pass on the 28-year-old. He came into Red Bulls camp in preseason and impressed Jesse Marsch enough to keep him around. It was assumed that he would provide depth and split the time on the wing with Sal Zizzo.

With Zizzo injured, it fell to Grella to prove that he was Starting XI material. In 33 appearances in a Red Bulls kit, he scored nine goals, three assists, and quickly became a fan favorite. His shiftiness on the ball made opposing defenses miss often, and created space for his teammates on the way to a story that even Hollywood couldn’t write.

In short, Grella was the missing ingredient in a Red Bull attack that smothered opposing defenses with multiple looks at goal. Without him, the team would have been imbalanced; struggling to find a provider on the left with the workrate and tenacity necessary to excel in the Marsch system. For his total contributions, Grella was the quiet key to an impressive Red Bull offense this season.

MATCH OF THE YEAR



In no other match was the new philosophy of the New York Red Bulls on display than the third meeting of the year between their noisy, and expensive neighbors, NYCFC.

In the 3-1 victory, American born and MLS raised midfielder Dax McCarty outplayed his European pedigree counterpart Andrea Pirlo. American born Mike Grella, on a $65k per year contract, nutmegged multi-millionaire Frank Lampard. And the legendary David Villa was frustrated for yet another 90 minutes by teenager Matt Miazga on the way to a convincing 2-0 victory in which City was never really dangerous.

LOOKING AHEAD



There are multiple reasons the Red Bulls should hold their heads high. They accomplished what most considered to be highly unlikely under arguably the toughest of circumstances. They have an identity, a style, and proved to be extremely difficult to play against regardless of the situation.

Curtis and Marsch have successfully hung on to their core players with 9 of 11 regulars locked in for next season. Their development programs are beginning to bear fruit, allowing the Red Bulls to go into 2016 unafraid of the multi-competition schedule that awaits them.

In short, this team has stumbled onto an identity; one that has been embraced by their Austrian ownership — and one that will guide the club for another year in Harrison.