Eastern Conference final preview: New England Revolution vs. New York Red Bulls
New York has the league's top regular-season scorer, but no team has recorded more goals in the MLS playoffs than the New England Revolution.
Without their best defender, the Red Bulls face an even bigger challenge trying to prevent the Revolution from ending an 11-match road winless streak to their rivals Sunday in the first leg of the Eastern Conference finals.
In the midst of an 11-1-1 stretch, New England outscored Columbus 7-3 to win the aggregate two-leg semifinal series and reach the conference finals for the first time since its run of six straight appearances ended in 2007. Lee Nguyen, whose 18 regular-season goals were fourth in MLS and nine fewer than Bradley Wright-Phillips' record-tying 27 for New York, had two in that series and has at least one in six consecutive matches.
"I think the way football is played now, is that you need everybody being able to put pressure on, and I feel like it starts with the front runners," forward Teal Bunbury told MLS' official website.
"If we could put pressure on their back line then it causes them to make mistakes."
The task for the Red Bulls is to contain Nguyen and the Revs without defender Roy Miller. The veteran left back will miss the entire series after being sent off by picking up two yellow cards in the second leg of New York's 3-2 aggregate semifinal series victory over D.C. United.
Since the start of the 2010 season, only star Thierry Henry has played more minutes for the Red Bulls than Miller.
"It's massive, it's massive," said Henry, who continues to contemplate retirement at the conclusion of the postseason. "That's not the type of player you want to lose. He's been great for us."
New York coach Mike Petke is expected to replace Miller with 23-year-old Ambroise Oyongo, who has started 11 of the 16 MLS matches he's played this season.
"We have a young guy like Oyongo who has proved to be ready and capable to play in that position," Petke said. "So we're OK."
While that remains to be seen, Miller's absence provides New England with a good opportunity to end an 0-5-6 road stretch to New York that dates to a 1-0 victory July 14, 2007.
"It's a tough place to get a result, but it's a two-legged series," Nguyen said. "I think the main thing with this (two-game) system is, when we go into New York, we have to get a result. Win or tie, I think that's the main thing - getting a result and knowing that you're going to have a chance in the second leg."
Charlie Davies, who has two playoff goals, scored the only one New England recorded while losing both regular-reason meetings with New York. Wright-Phillips had one of the Red Bulls' four goals during the season series, and has three in three playoff contests.
Henry has assisted on four of the five postseason goals for New York, which makes its first conference finals appearance since 2008.
"I feel like as long as we continue to play our brand of soccer, I like our chances regardless," New York goalkeeper Luis Robles said.
Meeting in the playoffs for the first time since 2007, New England won each of the three previous postseason series with New York.
The Revs host the final leg Nov. 29.