Scotland international Lewis Morgan experienced a bittersweet weekend in the MLS, as his New York Red Bulls secured a league-record 15th consecutive playoff spot, despite suffering a heavy 5-1 defeat to New York City FC in the Hudson River Derby.
Although the Red Bulls qualified for the playoffs, the result did little to ease the frustration of their fans. The team has been winless in the league since July 20, and Morgan himself has gone six games without scoring. The anger from supporters was palpable after the crushing loss.
Touted as one of America’s biggest rivalries, the match saw the home side fall 2-0 within the first seven minutes at Red Bull Arena due to defensive mistakes, with Maxi Moralez and Alonso Martinez capitalizing early. Dante Vanzeir pulled one back on the half-hour mark, but further goals from Andrés Perea, Tavyron Grey, and Martinez’s second sealed a dominant win for NYCFC on their rival’s turf.
Despite dropping to sixth place in the MLS standings, the Red Bulls clinched a playoff spot after Toronto’s 1-1 draw with bottom-placed Chicago Fire. However, the playoff qualification did little to calm the fans, who expressed their discontent by displaying a “not good enough” banner during the second half. Under-pressure manager Sandro Schwarz acknowledged that the supporters had every right to be upset.
“We’re very disappointed,” admitted Sandro Schwarz. “About the result, about the mistakes, about the behavior because it’s a derby. We are very angry about that. I can understand the supporters. We lost a big game and a derby, but we didn’t lose the whole season. This is very important for us as a team to remember.”
Some pundits in the U.S. have questioned the team’s mindset, suggesting that their young squad might be struggling to handle the pressure in big games. At 27, Lewis Morgan will be looked upon to lead the team out of their winless streak, given his experience. “For me, it’s more about how we handle the situation and the pressure,” Schwarz explained. “How we feel in some moments now before the game, maybe big games like this. This is what we have to analyze and develop for our next game.”
Morgan, reintroduced to the Scotland squad by Steve Clarke after impressive performances for New York Red Bulls earlier in the season, has netted 12 goals in 26 games this year. He has also come off the bench in four of Scotland’s last six matches. Morgan is expected to be called up for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Portugal next month, with an official squad announcement anticipated this week.
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