Photo by Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports

 By RYAN TOLMICH

The New York Red Bulls’ tortured history has been highly publicized, but few teams have tormented the club quite like the New England Revolution.

Having suffered postseason elimination at the hands of the Revs in 2003, 2005 and 2007, the Red Bulls are all too familiar with suffering through disappointment at the hands of their northern rivals.

Refusing to embrace the underdog cliche, Red Bulls head coach Mike Petke believes that Sunday’s first leg will just be the first iteration of a big-time battle between the two sides.

“New England has been there. They’ve been to MLS Cup four times and fell short, which should be extra motivation for them,” Petke said. “However, at the end of the day, it’s two teams that play similar systems, not exact but similar, two teams that ended the season on strong notes and it’s going to be a good battle.”

Part of those similarities comes in shape, with both teams employing two holding midfielders and a lone striker up top. Revolution head coach Jay Heaps pointed out just how important that shape is to the Red Bulls’ success, as Petke’s side is constructed to attack quickly through a plethora of weapons, including Thierry Henry.

“I have so much respect for Thierry Henry and a very good New York team, and they’ve got players in a lot of different places that can beat you,” Heaps said. “You’ve got Thierry on one side, Lloyd Sam on the other. Peguy (Luyindula) is playing excellent right now, and of course Bradley Wright-Phillips and there’s a lot of work coming out of (Eric) Alexander and Dax McCarty.

“If you were just to look at Henry, you’d be missing the entire group. I think the entire team is dangerous across the board,” Heaps added. “That said, you have to know where Henry is at all times. I think it goes with the balance of who’s supposed to cover him in what situations and making sure that that’s communicated across the backline and into the midfield.”

That Revs midfield group will be led by MVP candidate Lee Nguyen and summer arrival Jermaine Jones, who has sparked a streak of 11 wins in 13 games. Henry was quick to point to the impact Jones in particular has had on the Revs, citing how the U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder has opened the door for a more attacking Nguyen.

“No disrespect to anyone that played there before, but since Jermaine Jones arrived, he changed the team, period,” Henry said. “He allows everybody else to go forward a bit more. He’s the guy that tries to stop the play, he’s the guy that wants the ball, he’s the guy that will get into you, and therefore, it leads them to be better. When you play with a guy like Jermaine Jones, it allows you to go forward a bit more, and since he’s arrived there, they’ve been a better team.”

Despite the focus on Nguyen and Jones, captain Jose Goncalves insists that the Revs, like the Red Bulls, are a team built around collective strength. The defender pointed out that both sides have their fair share of attacking weapons, which will make Sunday’s opener all the more interesting.

“Like we approach every game, I think for us, it’s not only one player,” Goncalves said. “They work as a team and, like us, they’ve arrived as a team. It’s going to be a team battle and I think the team that plays the best soccer and will fight for each other will win.

“We have Lee, we have Jermaine, we have Charlie Davies, all of whom can win a game with their quality. What’s most important is that we focus on the team and focus a lot on ourselves.”

Petke insists that the Red Bulls remain focused on themselves, too, as the team is working hard to focus on holding serve in the club’s home game Sunday.

“Our goal right now is Sunday at 1:30. We’re not looking at the second leg,” Petke said. “We’re not looking at MLS Cup. We’re looking at this Sunday solely, and if we take care of business there, then we have our eyes on the final game. As somebody who has been a part of it for so long, it’s a great thing.”

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