Red Bulls seeking to change painfully familiar postseason script

Lewis Morgan had to watch nan postseason from nan sideline past twelvemonth arsenic nan Red Bulls recovered themselves facing a acquainted fate. 

The Red Bulls person made nan MLS postseason for 14 consecutive seasons, but for nan past 5 years nan nine has grounded to make it retired of nan first round.

Last year, Morgan watched while he nursed a number of injuries that incapacitated him astir each season. 

This clip around, Morgan will beryllium important to nan Red Bulls’ hopes of advancing erstwhile they unfastened their bid against nan Columbus Crew connected Tuesday.

Lewis Morgan (R.) and Emil Forsberg observe during nan Red Bulls-Toronto FC lucifer connected Oct. 2, 2024. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

“What we play for each twelvemonth is nan playoffs,” Morgan told The Post by phone. “Just really excited connected a individual level to compete against nan apical teams successful nan state and effort to beryllium really successful this twelvemonth arsenic a group. We’ve evidently sewage a reliable task successful beforehand of america pinch Columbus.” 

He added: “It’s nan astir breathtaking portion of nan twelvemonth and I’m happy that I’m connected nan different broadside of it now, playing successful nan crippled alternatively than watching.” 

Morgan wasn’t joking erstwhile he mentioned nan situation that Columbus poses. In a convention successful which Inter Miami went ligament to ligament astatine nan apical of nan table, Columbus vanished not acold down pinch 66 points successful convention play, and nan Crew mislaid conscionable 2 games complete nan last 2 months of nan season. 

The Crew scored nan second-most goals during nan regular play and allowed conscionable 40 goals to opposing teams this year. 

That intends location will beryllium plentifulness of unit connected Morgan, on pinch nan team’s offseason addition, Emil Forsberg. The brace person been 2 of nan biggest difference-makers for nan Red Bulls, accounting for 22 of nan team’s 55 regular-season goals. 

“They tin make nan difference, this is clear. This is nan value of Emil and besides nan value of Lewis Morgan,” Red Bulls coach Sandro Schwarz said. “You request these kinds of players past successful these moments to beryllium fresh and past to make nan difference. In immoderate moments, make nan first walk to people hopefully, but besides to defend.” 

Morgan is expecting nan crippled to beryllium played a small spot much conservatively arsenic teams effort to limit their mistakes successful nan postseason, but hopes to spot nan Red Bulls play pinch “freedom” and “take risks.” 

“We’re not going to spell location and conscionable survive,” Morgan said. “I deliberation we play our champion erstwhile we’re trying to beryllium aggressive.” 

An awesome playoff showing would only adhd to nan 13-goal play that Morgan put up for nan Red Bulls this year. It earned him a motion arsenic a finalist for MLS Comeback Player of nan Year. 

Sandro Schwarz looks connected during nan Red Bulls-Crew crippled connected Oct. 19, 2024. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

“It’s ever bully to get immoderate individual nickname and of course, it’s not imaginable without nan aesculapian squad and my teammates arsenic well,” he said of nan nomination. 

The Crew defeated nan Red Bulls successful nan Oct. 19 regular-season finale, which is judge to springiness nan New York broadside immoderate other jump. 

But Schwarz isn’t trying to usage nan Red Bulls’ playoff shortcomings of nan past to effort to motivate nan existent squad. 

“The main information is to win,” he said. “This is nan main attraction and main motivation. Not to deliberation astir what happened successful nan past and these years before. This is now nan main focus, nan main information and to beryllium fresh against a beardown squad for Tuesday.”