Where we left off last year
2023 season: 43 points, 8th in the Eastern Conference
Last year was a weird one for the Red Bulls. I guess that's what you get when you're named after an energy drink...
After sneaking into the playoffs in one of the East’s wildcard spots and topping Charlotte FC to make their way into the first round, the New York Red Bulls’ 2023 season ended at the hands (or, rather, the feet) of FC Cincinnati.
Their big offseason signing, DP forward Dante Vanzeir, struggled with injuries and missed a chunk of the season with a suspension after using racist language. Manager Gerhard Struber was gone by May, replaced by Troy Lesesne until the end of the season. On the field, RBNY had the fifth-best expected goal differential in the league during the regular season, according to FBref, indicating that they did a good job of consistently creating more chances than their opponents.
Regardless, they struggled to find the back of the net, scoring fewer goals than all but four other MLS teams during the regular season.
What changed in the offseason
Notable arrivals:
- Sandro Schwarz, manager: The 45-year-old German was hired as the team’s new manager over the offseason. Schwarz has coached at Mainz, Dynamo Moscow, and Hertha Berlin and will continue to prioritize the classic up-tempo, vertical, pressing approach that RBNY love so much.
- Emil Forsberg, AM: The Red Bulls get a quality attacking midfielder in Forsberg, who joins as a DP. The 32-year-old clearly isn’t at his peak, but was playing productive minutes for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League before his move to the New York branch. He will give RBNY more bang for their buck in the final third, whether he’s playing as a pure No. 10 or setting up shop in one of the halfspaces.
- Noah Eile, CB: A tall, lanky, right-footed center back, Eile still has plenty of developing to do. Moving from Sweden to a higher-quality league in MLS will be an adjustment, but the 21-year-old won’t need to be thrust into action right away if he’s not ready with Sean Nealis and Andres Reyes returning.
