The New York Red Bulls are heading to their first MLS Cup since 2008 -- and just the second in club history -- but that pressure doesn’t seem to be getting to first-year Head Coach Sandro Schwarz.
“We just have to read the game very quickly and then have a very good reaction to their ball position from their No. 10, striker, winger and players,” Schwarz said. “This is our job to find the best solution. That's my job with my assistant coaches to find the best solution for Saturday.”
Schwarz has led the team through an incredible run through the playoffs, upsetting the reigning MLS Cup champs at home, knocking them out on penalties at Red Bull Arena, taking down their crosstown rivals at Citi Field and booting a tough Orlando City side out of contention in their home stadium.
Led by Emil Forsberg, also in his debut season with the club, the Red Bulls have put in nearly perfect matches to get to the final game of the 2024 MLS season, kicking off Saturday, December 7 in Carson, California.
Alongside Forsberg, Lewis Morgan has shined -- coming off an career-threatening injury -- leading the team in goals scored and winning the league’s Comeback Player of the Year honors.
“There's a lot left to go,” Morgan said. “It's all well and good being the finalist, but it really counts for nothing if you don't win it.”
New York has benefited from strong defensive efforts - with centerbacks Sean Nealis, Andrés Reyes and Noah Eile combining to all just two goals scored during the postseason run. Carlos Coronel has been an absolute brick wall in goal, making 19 saves so far during the postseason.
These experienced players have also seen massive performances from some of the younger players on the team, including Daniel Edelman, John Tolkin, Cameron Harper and Peter Stroud -- all in their early 20s.
“It's good to have experience in our roster, in our starting lineup, but the most important part is to have the quality and to have the behavior, the right mentality, the right energy every day and to work hard,” Schwarz said. “It's good that we have these characters with experience but that we also have this kind of behavior and mentality with our young players. It's a good mix now to have these and hopefully we can see this on Saturday from the starting lineup.”
The Red Bulls are doing this all with the second-youngest average age of starters across the league this season.
“It's not important if he is 16, 17, 23 or 32, but it's important when we kick off … on Saturday, that you have to be ready,” Schwarz said. “Each position has to be ready and it doesn't matter, then, the age of the player.”
Morgan knows that the Galaxy present a tough challenge -- especially having to play it at Dignity Health Sports Park.
“For me, it doesn't really matter where it is: It’s playoff football,” Morgan said. “Like you just said, [we’ve recorded three] clean sheets. It's not the regular season. These games are more cagey. You go one-nil up like we have done, we defend a little bit deeper maybe and we're relying on the guys at the back and there have been massive performances.”
New York will have support en masse when the match kicks off at 4 PM ET on Saturday, with hundreds of tickets for supporters being paid for by the team’s front office, as well as the entire organization’s employees there to cheer them on.
“I think that translates well sometimes in playing away from home if you can get your nose out in front and try and upset [the flow of the match], and then potentially use the crowd and use the anxiety in the stands to your benefit, which is something that I think we've done well,” Morgan said. “On the flip side, we know we’re going to a hostile environment where you don't want to give them something to shout about too soon. I don't think it really matters where the game is. Of course, we would have liked to have been at home, but I'm not too picky.”
