Harrison, NJ – Red Bull New York will be hoping to clinch a postseason berth on Saturday when the club welcomes the New England Revolution to Red Bull Arena.
New York, which enters the weekend atop the overall MLS table with 52 points, needs just one point to clinch a spot in the playoffs, but it could even secure a postseason berth with a loss and the right combination of other results.
After picking up a point at CenturyLink Field in an impressive 1-1 draw with Seattle Sounders FC last weekend, the Red Bulls will have their sights set on all three points against the Revs.
"For me, like I said to the boys, 'Every week it's all about three points. We just concentrate on the next game,'" said Tim Cahill. "We're going to prepare this whole week for next game at home and see what happens, because all we can affect is ourselves. The only way we lose games is when we give them away."
New York will welcome Thierry Henry back to the fold. The Frenchman was absent from the club's trip to Seattle, as was his preferred strike partner in Bradley Wright-Phillips.
Red Bulls head coach Mike Petke confirmed that Wright-Phillips will miss Saturday's tussle with New England, but the home side should be fine considering how well Peguy Luyindula deputized for the English striker.
"The insertion of Peguy into the lineup tonight was strictly because he's very good at holding the ball and he has great vision," Petke said. "We knew that if we could get him the ball past the midfield line, then he turns and goes, that we could be dangerous. I thought he did great."
New England comes into the match on the back of a 1-1 home draw with the Houston Dynamo. The Revs have four games remaining on the schedule as they look to close the one-point gap on the Philadelphia Union, the club that currently occupies the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 42 points.
"We have four games left that we have to get points in," said Revolution head coach Jay Heaps. "There is no question in my mind; it's going to be a tough road."
Including Saturday's tilt with New York, three of New England's last four contests come away from home. They will need to improve upon their 4-6-4 road record if they hope to sneak into the postseason.
"We just have to take each game as it is. We've got to get maximum points in just about every game and we'll talk about it as the week goes on," said Revolution midfielder Scott Caldwell. "I think we have to just think of it as another game, you can't think of it as away from home or home. You just have to go out and perform."
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