August 10, 2008 - I was beyond excited.
I was part of a summer recreational soccer group, which made me realize at the age of 13 at the time that I can hopefully be a professional soccer player in the future. Seeing legendary players such as Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry and Kaka on a weekly basis were a dream. Even seeing young studs at that time such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were a treat.
Out of all the sports, soccer was my first love and is now something I watch and study and read about and love as much as possible. And by the way, I never made the soccer team when I tried out in high school, but I'm fine looking back on it now.
As for for the soccer group, it was a bunch of kids, me and three coaches and supervisors. We all packed inside a school bus and headed out to the old Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Where the New York Giants, New York Jets, and even the New York Cosmos played - was where the New York Red Bulls held there MLS games for some time. And I was taking a bus ride there to watch them play, for the very first time.
I miss that Meadowlands Stadium. I wasn't born for when group stage games of the 1994 World Cup were held and I never watched the Giants play there, although I considered myself a die-hard fan of them, and still do. Heading over there to watch a soccer game was a dream come true, and as soon as I stepped out of the bus, I looked up and smiled, I even pinched myself.
Heading inside, I always remembered this tunnel as you walk into the stadium and onto your seats. Narrow and dark, you can hear your echoes and all the noise from people around you. As I got to my seat, I looked at everything around me - the high seats, the huge HESS logo on top, and section of DC United fans sitting high above - the opponent for the Red Bulls on this occasion.
There are two things to realize here, first off, Major League Soccer is a fantastic league, and both the Red Bulls (named the MetroStars from 1996-2006) and DC United were two clubs that started when the MLS first began in the mid-1990s. So, in short, these teams absolutely hate each other, their rivalry is among the best in the league - playoff battles, battles on the pitch and packed stadiums with hot atmospheres make these games great for soccer. It sort of explains why I hate them so much.
Second, when MLS opened, there weren't "soccer-specified" stadiums in place for teams to play in. It explains why the MetroStars/Red Bulls played in the Meadowlands until Red Bull Arena was built in Harrison, NJ in 2010. It also explains why DC United played at the old RFK Stadium in Washington until their new stadium, Audi Field, is set to be built in 2018.
The Meadowlands stadium wasn't packed for this game, but there was an atmosphere, one you can immerse yourself in and feel as if you can influence the team to push on for a win. The game kicked off, my eyes glued to the field like cats staring down bowls of milk. The opening goal - a header by DC United and MLS legend Jaime Moreno - would be countered by four unanswered New York goals. A sensational free-kick goal by MLS and Red Bulls legend Juan Pablo Angel was the pick of the bunch. 4-1, the Red Bulls victorious in the Meadowlands, and I instantly became a fan and fell in love with this club.
It occurred to me over the course of 90 minutes how heated this rivalry was. Looking up on the second level above were a section of DC United fans, grouped together in a square-like fashion. And every time the Red Bulls scored, me and a friend would look at the pack of United fans, and kiss the Red Bulls logo, which angered them.
The bus ride home was smooth but also left me feeling a bit disappointed, because I didn't know when I was going to be back again. As for the rest of this 2008 season, there was history to be made at the final hurdle.
November 23, 2008 - it was here, the MLS Cup final - a trophy awarded to the winning team at the conclusion of the post-season - in Columbus between the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls.
As it turns out, for the winner, this game would mark the first championship in either club's history.
As the video above shows, the Red Bulls lost, I was devastated and New York hasn't been to an MLS Cup final since.
In the years that followed, an uprising occurred. The club signed former Arsenal and modern soccer legend Thierry Henry, followed by new head coach Hans Backe and a new stadium, as previously mentioned, in 2010. The signing of Mexican legend Rafael Marquez followed suit and suddenly the club finished first in the Eastern Conference. However, the club would be eliminated by the San Jose Earthquakes in playoffs.
The next two seasons followed in the same pattern, even with new additions such as Dax McCarty, Tim Cahill and Luis Robles. Both times making the playoffs, both times ending in disappointment. Eliminated by both the LA Galaxy (the eventual champions in 2011) and rivals DC United in 2012, the latter still gets to me to this day.
If only Kenny Cooper scored that penalty, that heartbreak left me in deep sadness for some time.
The 2013 season brought more change as Backe was replaced by then-assistant coach and former Red Bulls player Mike Petke. As a fan, I was excited because I knew that the team was good enough to make the playoffs again, but I had no idea how good this team was, and the final day of the season gave a clear answer.
October 27, 2013 - the day stands forever as one of my favorite memories as a fan of the Red Bulls.
The team was in first place overall in the MLS, and against the Chicago Fire, the team had another shot of making history and winning their first ever trophy. The Supporters' Shield - a trophy given to the team with the most points at the end of the regular season. All they had to do was beat the Fire, and they'd clinched the trophy. They did, at home, in a performance worthy of winning any trophy. The Red Bulls would end the season on 59 points, one more than runner-up Sporting Kansas City.
As a fan, I nearly had tears in my eyes but I wish I could've cried those tears of joy. Seeing them win that trophy, everyone from the players to the coaches to even fans such as myself deserved it. I can still hear myself screaming after every goal as if I played. It's a game that I'll never forget.
But for all the fun and jubilation of winning the Shield, there was still one last hurdle - winning the MLS Cup. This time, against the Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
November 6, 2013 - a day after my 17th birthday, everything was set for a memorable night at Red Bull Arena. It was the 2nd leg of the Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Houston Dynamo and I had tickets to the game with my dad and his brother.
To this day, it's the greatest atmosphere at Red Bull Arena that I've ever experienced. The white rally towels upon walking up the steps that read "Run With Us" in red lettering with the team logo above. I can still see them twirling, and after striker Bradley Wright-Phillips netted the opening goal, I thought to myself that this was going to happen, "we're going to advance because we've been the best team all season long".
But it wasn't to be, a Dynamo goal in extra-time killed dreams and broke New York hearts. The boos and jeers rang loud after the final whistle, everyone supporting the boys in white thought they were screwed, including me. It was worst I've felt as a fan since the playoff loss against DC United. My head was down from the time I walked out of the stadium to the time I got back in the car for the ride home. It was also the quietest car ride I've ever been in.
All I thought to myself that offseason was, "how can this get better?" and "how can this team take the next step forward?".
So, as 2014 season rolled along I was just hoping for a better ending. And although the Red Bulls squeaked by to make the playoffs, they had uncovered a gem in the process, by the name of Bradley Wright-Phillips.
The 27 goals, as shown as the clip above, were tied for the most in a regular season in MLS history. He had emerged rapidly, and became the new talismanic figure of the team. Along with playmakers Henry, Cahill, Lloyd Sam, midfield general Dax McCarty and excellent goalkeeper Luis Robles - the team was set for a deep run to possibly win it all. As a fan, I thought 2014 was going to be the year, though in the end, like all the years previous, it wasn't.
After eliminating DC United in the Eastern Conference Semis, the stage was set to face off against the upstart New England Revolution. It would become one of the best two-legged playoff series of the decade.
We lost, 4-3 on aggregate. The latest heartbreak had me staring into the television, disappointed again, I had started to feel immune to this. But yet, after all this, I was still a fan, still cheering after everything, because that's what being a fan is all about.
Which is part of the reason I took the departure of head coach Mike Petke so hard. Here was a guy who played for the club and led them to their first ever trophy, along with back-to-back playoff appearances in his two-year stint. I felt that he was the guy to lead us into the promise land, and then he was dismissed, fired, relieved of his duties. Then Henry retired and Cahill left and suddenly I didn't know how next season would play out. I feared they would miss the playoff to be honest.
The 2015 season brought a new coach in Jesse Marsch, who I was very critical of and a new rival in the form of New York City Football Club. I instantly hated them with a passion. Here's a club who brought in modern legends such as David Villa, Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo, looking to win a trophy immediately. All while playing their home games at Yankee Stadium.
As a Red Bulls fan, I never wanted to lose to them, I just couldn't picture it. So in the opening season between the two clubs, the Red Bulls swept the season series. It made me satisfied to see the Empire State Building light up in red colors.
The season as a whole made me even more satisfied, a new up-tempo, high press playing style, with new addition Sacha Kljestan being a creative force, the team surprised everyone and ended the regular season on a high.
Supporters' Shield winners once again, with a 2-1 victory, against the Chicago Fire, this time in Chicago. I smiled as the great commentator Steve Cangialosi perfectly sums up "this season that began with hatred and vitriol in a Town Hall meeting, ends with ecstasy and the Supporters' Shield in Chicago".
I even attended the season finale against another rival, the Philadelphia Union, where I witnessed history. In the 4-1 rout, the opening goal scored by Mike Grella came in the opening seven seconds of the game. It was the fastest goal in MLS history.
It was now playoff time, and after eliminating DC United again (I love writing that phrase), it was time to face the Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference Finals. Yes, the same Columbus Crew team that won the 2008 MLS Cup against them.
And if you thought, like I thought, that things would be different this time around, then we're both wrong. We lost, 2-1 on aggregate, another season ending in disappointment. However, there was much to be happy about for the 2016 season.
And during that 2016 season, one moment stood out above the rest.
May 21, 2016 - it was tied for the biggest margin of victory in an MLS game in league history. #NYisRED
I remember this like it was yesterday, I was at work, listening to the game on the radio and my face was wide and full of smiles from ear to ear. I'd never experienced anything like it, it was incredible. 7-0, siete-a-cero, it became a new favorite memory for me.
By the time the playoffs rolled around, I had a suspicion that maybe, just maybe this may just be a case of luck finally coming on our side. Nope, in fact, it was as if luck laughed at us as we got bounced out of the playoffs again, this time by the Montreal Impact, who had never beaten the Red Bulls in Red Bull Arena before. And yes, again, it happened on November 6th, the day after my birthday.
But if there's something to admire about this club, it's that even after all the heartbreaks, the club still fought to the last minute. The fans still sang and cheered them on through it all and there was no quit from anyone on the field. That's what fans appreciate and adore about this team.
I love this club, I will always love this club, I will run with this club forever. As long as I'm breathing, I will always love and be proud to be a New York Red Bulls fan.
