Harrison, NJ – Following the 0-1 (aggregate) loss in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, the New York Red Bulls have no choice but to regroup. Captain Luis Robles and head coach Jesse Marsch have this group face disappointment when reaching the highest level. After the match, defender Tim Parker, Robles, and Marsch all recognized that, despite elimination, there is plenty of football left to be played in 2018.
“I think it’s got to create hunger. I think the opportunity to win a trophy earlier on in the year in a competition like this is great. I think it creates hunger for the guys and a lot of guys are disappointed that we didn’t get to move on. Obviously, you’ve got to take this with a grain of salt and move forward and look forward to MLS play. We’ve got a long season ahead of us there and, obviously, we want to win stuff there as well,” Parker said in postgame.
Luis Robles: “It’s Very Old”
Captain and goalkeeper Luis Robles has been with the Red Bulls since 2012 and has shared the team’s past disappointments. “It’s very old. Brad [Wright-Phillips] sits next to me, and he’s sat next to me since 2013, and tonight he just says, ‘hey we’ve got to stop having this feeling’.” Players, coaches, staff, and fans have felt the sting for so long. RBNY is still the only original MLS team to have never won the MLS Cup. RBNY has earned two Supporter’s Shields in the past 6 years, but no other hardware. They reached the 2017 Open Cup final, only to fall to Sporting Kansas City. Deep playoff runs have become standard for the club. The cry of “That’s so Metro” still resounds. But there is no time to wallow in the loss. “[W]e’re in the beginning of the season and we need to somehow get over this because we have to regroup and we have a lot to play for in 2018,” Robles pointed out in his post-match interview Tuesday night.
Jesse Marsch: “This Feels Different”
The Red Bulls soundly defeated CD Olimpia and Club Tijuana before facing CD Guadalajara in the Champions League semi-finals. But with no goals in either leg, RBNY was caught just short. “Yeah, this one for me is very different” said coach Jesse Marsch following the match at Red Bull Arena. “[In] other games, I always felt like our team was waiting to disappoint themselves, give something away and this team didn’t give anything away, and they went after it…” With a total of 20 shots on goal, there was no lack of opportunity for the team. “We’ve got to now take this confidence and momentum and take it into the season and make sure that we really launch ourselves in a good way here for the next couple months.”
The New York Red Bulls take on the Montreal Impact this Saturday at Red Bull Arena.
