The New York Red Bulls and CF Montreal sit just outside of the cut line for the Eastern Conference playoffs.
At least they do for now.
Both teams are one point behind D.C. United for the final playoff spot. They are seeking to improve their standing in the crowded race Saturday afternoon when CF Montreal visits the Red Bulls in Harrison, N.J.
Montreal (11-10-10, 43 points) and New York (12-12-7, 43 points) trail D.C. United (13-14-5, 44 points), who host Columbus in a match that kicks off approximately 3 1/2 hours after the start of the contest in Red Bull Arena. Columbus also is in the mix as it sits three points behind D.C., and also factoring in is the Atlanta United, who enter Saturday night’s match against Toronto in sixth and three points ahead of New York and Montreal.
Montreal heads into its final road game with three straight draws and 3-3-3 in its past nine matches. Last Saturday in Toronto, Montreal allowed the tying goal to Jozy Altidore on a free kick in stoppage time after Sunusi Ibrahim scored in the 55th minute.
Montreal is heading into the second meeting with the Red Bulls after a win over Forge of the Canadian Premier League in the semifinals of the Canadian Championship in Hamilton, Ontario.
“The match on Saturday is in the past,” Montreal coach Wilfried Nancy said. “We saw with the team what we could have done better to have that victory.”
The Red Bulls have allowed the second-fewest goals in the Eastern Conference and are eyeing their 12th straight playoff berth.
They were 6-0-2 in an eight-game unbeaten streak that featured five shutouts and five one-goal victories. The streak was stopped with Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to D.C. United in Washington when New York gave up a goal in the ninth minute and only five of its 18 shots were on target.
“We generated a lot of good chances,” Red Bulls captain Sean Davis said. “We challenged their goalkeeper. We put ourselves in some really good spots, but we didn’t do enough to put those chances away. We weren’t ruthless enough. At this point in the season, the statistics might say one thing and there was a lot that we controlled, but it’s all about the three points.”
Montreal won the first meeting when Victor Wanyama scored on a penalty kick eight minutes into stoppage time for a 2-1 home win on Aug. 14.
After Saturday, both teams have two games remaining.
Montreal ends the season with home against the eliminated Houston Dynamo and Orlando City, which began this weekend fifth in the East. New York ends with a home game against Atlanta and a visit to Nashville SC, which currently holds second place in the East.
–Field Level Media
