Leading a MLS team to a Supporters’ Shield title is no easy task.
Doing that in your first year as head coach of the team is something else entirely.
On Tuesday, the league recognized Jesse Marsch as 2015 MLS Coach of the Year. Marsch helped the New York Red Bulls secure a franchise-best 18 wins during the regular season en route to winning the Supporters’ Shield.
Marsch replaced Mike Petke as Red Bulls head coach in January, a surprising change that made his arrival an unpopular one among Red Bulls fans. However, his high-pressure system worked wonders throughout the season, and the criticism eventually transformed into admiration.
The Red Bulls ended the campaign as the league’s highest-scoring team with 62 goals, but the defense also performed extremely well. Luis Robles, who has already been named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, helped the Red Bulls end the season with the fewest goals allowed in the Eastern Conference.
Marsch is the first coach in Red Bulls club history to win the award.
FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja finished second in the voting, while Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson finished third.
What did you think of Marsch’s performance this season? Which coach do you think should have won it?
Share your thoughts below.
It was never about result this year. It was about character and RBNY lost me as a fan. Left the fan group a couple weeks back. The team lost a very vocal ground level supporter who meets thousands of people every year.
Your choice, I suppose, but you may be unlikely ever to find another team to support over the long term. I agree that it was harsh for Petke, but it is very hard to argue that it was a mistake to replace him with Marsch. Why did you wait until “a couple weeks back” to leave whatever fan group to which you belonged? Anyway, I wish you well in finding a club with the right kind of character.
Sounds like you weren’t much of a supporter anyway. A supporter sticks with his team, through bad management, good years, and bad years.
Absolute dunces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpj96hv5euw
^ That isn’t passion. That’s idiocy.
True.
I strongly disagree, not that I had anything to do with that meeting, but I that think it motivated the team. It certainly didn’t have a detrimental effect, and if it had, that would have been the franchise’s fault for calling the meeting at all.
Old School,
Answer a simple question. What if Red Bulls fire Marsh at the end of the season? If supporters were disappointed, furious, outraged,….would you call them idiots? Fools?
I think your question is a fair one, but only if you also assume that RBNY was going to have to undergo massive roster turnover and lose its best player, and that Marsch had not had to integrate new players into the team, had been able to rely on that one player, and had not shown any significant ability to adjust tactics or personnel. Mike Petke is a legend, but I think the results have borne out that Marsch is a much better coach for this team at this time.
Brain Guy,
We don’t have to assume anything. First,…if you think it would be easy to manage a team with Henry you are kidding yourself. Maybe you should ask Jason Kreis if it is easy to manage aging stars with massive egos. Second,…the core of the team,…Robles, McCarty, Sam and BWP were in place. Furthermore, Perinelle, Zubar and Miazga were all part of the squad. I wouldn’t say adding Klestjian, Martins, Grella and Lawrence was an overhaul.
Listen,…I am happy for Marsh and the club. But people are making a bit much out of what was accomplished this season. BTW, the Red Bulls are certainly not the first team to succeed without big money “stars” — Houston, San Jose come to mind.
Lastly,…I would like to ask Marsh about ‘first five minutes, last five minutes’ of a game. Seems like he was outclassed by Berhalter in Columbus. I’m not convinced he is the tactician everyone is making him out to be.
Not complaing because Marsch deserves it based on the regular season but it’s now crunch time and Berhalter just outcoached him.
Well deserved. Not many of us RBNY fans were happy when Petke was fired but in hindsight it was absolutely the right move. This team lost Henry, Cahill, Olave etc. and still won the Supporters Shield and are alive (barely) for MLS Cup. All while playing a far more attractive and fun to watch style. He deserves a ton of credit. I didn’t think he could do it but he proved me (and many others) dead wrong.
He has been amazing.
OP too.