Red Bulls try to play spoiler in Utah
New York returns to scene of club's biggest victory
On Wednesday, Rio Tinto Stadium will be the closest the Red Bulls will get to the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs with RSL desperate for three points to remain in the postseason race.
"They have to win this game," Red Bulls goalkeeper Danny Cepero said. "Their sense of urgency will be parallel to what it was last year. It's going to be very much a playoff atmosphere."
Cepero was in goal last season, surviving a furious RSL onslaught in the biggest victory of his young career. But the 24-year-old said he hasn't sat down to watch the tape of that game, or any others from last year's remarkable MLS Cup run.
"It's tough for me to rehash the past and get into a full 90 minutes of a game I've played because I already have it in my head," Cepero said.
He also said he hasn't flashed back in the days leading up to his return to Sandy.
"I haven't really given much thought to stuff that happened last year," Cepero said. "It's a new season and a lot of these guys weren't there with us. It's more about focusing on the now and doing what we can with the team here."
For Cepero that means finishing the dismal 2009 season strong.
"These two games give us a chance to achieve some closure on the season," Cepero said. "If we could put these last two games with the last few we've played and get six points out of two games it will allow us close out this season, finish strong and carry that momentum through the offseason."
A win on Wednesday would also snap an MLS-record 26-game winless streak that dates back to May 10, 2008 for the Red Bulls. A home game against Toronto FC will close out the season, which means the Red Bulls' road woes would extend to the 2010 season and they'd be the third team in league history to go winless away from home for the entire season.
"Especially with the season we've been having and our lack of success, you want any monkeys that we have on our backs off for the start of next year," Cepero said. "We need to get three points on the road. We've been pretty close the last few games on the road."
Cepero will start in goal for the Red Bulls with Bouna Coundoul called into the Senegalese national team for a friendly against South Korea. Without an available backup, the Red Bulls signed Caleb Patterson-Sewell to a one-game contract, citing extreme hardship. Patterson-Sewell didn't see any first-team action for New York last year, but had a 0.53 goals against average and had 10 clean sheets for the Carolina RailHawks of the United Soccer Leagues First Division.
The Red Bulls will also be without Kevin Goldthwaite (adductor surgery) and John Wolyniec (ankle surgery), while Jorge Rojas (knee hyperextension) and Juan Pablo Angel (ankle sprain) are questionable.
New York, though, heads into the game unbeaten in 10 all-time meetings against RSL.
"They're very good going forward, very attack-minded players, very creative," Cepero said of Real Salt Lake. "If you could frustrate them long enough over the course of a game, you'll get your chances and if you're able to hold on you'll have success."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
