New York Red Bulls Aim to Draw Level in East with Match Against Columbus Crew 2
Oct 16, 2016; Harrison, NJ, USA; New York Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips (99) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against Columbus Crew during second half at Red Bull Arena. The New York Red Bulls defeated Columbus Crew 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Come tomorrow, the New York Red Bulls could be level on points with Columbus Crew after the two sides meet at the Red Bulls Arena.

  • New York Red Bulls (3-1-3, 10 pts)
  • Columbus Crew (4-1-2, 13 pts)
  • MLS, Sat., Apr. 22, 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey

The New York Red Bulls could draw level on points with Columbus Crew with a victory over the Eastern Conference leaders at the Red Bulls Arena on Saturday. The Red Bulls currently lie seventh in the standings, but just three points behind their opponents.

They will seek a second straight victory after a 2-0 win over D.C United last Sunday which ended their four-game winless streak in which they found the back of the net just twice.

“I think the last two games have been good and so now it’s key to keep building on that,” said Red Bulls manager Jesse Marsch. “After a good result, it’s not like we’re overly excited,” he added. “It’s about making sure every day we continue to get a little bit better.”

However, Marsch feels that Columbus Crew will provide a difficult test for his side when the two clubs clash on Saturday.

“They’ll keep us on our toes,” Marsch said before he praised the Crew’s good passing and stated that they are “dangerous on crosses.”

Last season’s two meetings between the 2015 MLS Cup runners-up and the Red Bulls produced a draw in Columbus before the Red Bulls edged out a 3-2 victory in Harrison towards the end of the season.

The Red Bulls have not lost to Columbus at home since October 2014 and have not conceded a single goal at the Red Bulls Arena in two victories and a draw this season. Meanwhile, the Crew have won just once on the road this campaign as they earned a victory over D.C United, but fell 3-1 to Houston and 1-0 to the Chicago Fire.

The Harrison-based side head into the clash 3-1-3 while Columbus maintains a 4-1-2 record.

Alexander Puri is eighteen years of age and currently resides in Manhattan, where he has lived for his entire life. He plans to pursue media studies when he attends Boston University as a freshman this September. Alexander is a passionate soccer fan and supports Juventus, Liverpool FC, and NYCFC. He watches these clubs play on a regular basis and has written multiple articles about all three teams. He normally spends his weekends watching the English Premier League before participating in pickup-soccer games in numerous fields throughout the city. Outside of sports, Alexander takes great interest to science fiction and fantasy franchises and often reads comics and watches films of such genres. For any inquires, you can reach him at [email protected]