Red Bulls hoping homegrown talent can reverse playoff failures

The New York Red Bulls and patience have become necessary bedfellows. Fortunately, the club appears to have an abundance of it.

Despite being destined for a ninth straight playoff appearance this year - a mark that would sit just one back of the all-time record - New York has developed an unenviable knack for coming up short in the postseason.

The Red Bulls, who were a founding party of the North American top flight under the MetroStars moniker in 1996, boast the fifth-best regular-season record in MLS history, a pair of Supporters' Shields, and have finished atop the Eastern Conference on five occasions. They are one of the league's preeminent brands, a desired destination for European stars like Thierry Henry, and have averaged over 18,000 fans across the last nine seasons.

Still, the franchise has reached just one MLS Cup final - falling to the Columbus Crew in the 2008 installment - and has lost 17 of the 24 playoff series that it's contested.

But even with all of those postseason failures, the Red Bulls are staying true to their ethos of putting an emphasis on the promotion of youth.

From 2015 to 2017, New York increased its usage of homegrown players from 3,992 minutes (2015), to 4,098 (2016), to 7,810 last season.

This year, the Red Bulls are second only to Real Salt Lake for minutes from academy grads, with 30 percent going to recruits from MLS youth clubs. And they lead the way with 17 percent of minutes coming from products of their USL affiliate, New York Red Bulls II (RBNY II).

New York has also given the fewest minutes of any club this season to players brought in from outside the league, (42 percent versus the league average of 55 percent), and the fourth-lowest number of minutes to players acquired by way of a trade.

That patience with regards to in-house talent mirrors the club's patience in awaiting playoff success.

"We've been building this thing for a few years now and I think we're continuing to get better every year," former Red Bulls star Sacha Kljestan - who's since moved on to Orlando City SC - offered after the club was bounced from the playoffs last year by eventual champion Toronto FC. "It's unfortunate that we haven't been able to reach our ultimate goal of the MLS Cup yet, but I think the future is very bright within our club."

Ex-Red Bulls manager Jesse Marsch - who was replaced in July by his former assistant, Chris Armas - echoed Kljestan's remarks after last year's elimination. "Lot of bright young players in that group that will have to think about how they fit in into what we're doing here," Marsch said. "(RBNY II head coach) John Wolyniec and his staff have done a great job."

Wolyniec's efforts with the 2016 USL Cup champion RBNY II speak to a focus on developing talent internally, as does the recent appointment of Armas, who's been privy to the progression of youth at the club in his role as an assistant since 2015.

So too did the hiring of David Longwell as director of the Red Bulls Academy in August 2017. Previously the academy director at Orlando SC following a successful 15-year spell in charge of one of Scotland's most reputable incubators for young footballers, St. Mirren, Longwell was hired to oversee the development of players from the Under-12 team through the Under-18, along with the Premier Development League Under-23 side.

"David’s experience in building youth platforms, both with St. Mirren and here in the U.S., makes him an excellent fit to lead our efforts in finding and developing the best talents in our area," Red Bulls sporting director Denis Hamlett said when Longwell was brought aboard.

Six-time capped U.S. international and current Red Bulls star Tyler Adams has become the face of an academy that's previously entertained the likes of Timothy Weah, Jozy Altidore, Matt Miazga, Tim Howard, and Juan Agudelo. In three seasons with New York's MLS offering, Adams, 19, has risen to prominence courtesy of a versatile skill set that's seen the right-footer play as a defensive midfielder, at both full-back positions, on the wings, and in an advanced central-midfield role. Adams, like Connor Lade, Sean Davis, Alex Muyl, and Derrick Etienne, has played a role in New York's success this season following progression from the club's academy. Other players, like French duo Florian Valot and Vincent Bezecourt and influential defender Aaron Long, also enjoyed spells with RBNY II before carving out a niche with the MLS side.

It would be unfair to attribute all of the Red Bulls' exploits this season to homegrown players, as foreign recruits Bradley Wright-Phillips, Kaku Gamarra, and Daniel Royer have chipped in with a combined 28 goals and 17 assists.

Armas and Co. will need both their foreign recruits and their homegrown talents to step up in Wednesday's Rivalry Week derby against New York City FC - a possible playoff preview. The Red Bulls sit second in the Eastern Conference on 48 points, just three adrift of Atlanta United and one up on NYCFC courtesy of a stellar home record that's witnessed 28 points collected in just a dozen matches. That standing is largely a product of the strides that many homegrown players have made alongside the team's established stars.

"I think, across the board, every young guy that the club has put their faith in has rewarded the club with their performances and with their attitude. I'm proud of every one of them," midfield general Davis said in November.

A maiden MLS championship would be the ultimate reward for a side that's prioritized internal growth and patience.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)