Despite their name, the New York Red Bulls and their predecessor, the MetroStars, have called the Garden Saate home since their first season. The year was 1996 and the New York/New Jersey MetroStars were one of the 10 original teams in Major League Soccer. The MetroStars dropped the New York/New Jersey identification after two years. They played their home games in Giants Stadium through 2009. In 2006, the team was purchased by the Austrian company that makes Red Bull and renamed the New York Red Bulls. They moved to their current home, Red Bull Arena in Harrison, in 2010.
The core of the original 1996 MetroStars was made up of New Jerseyans Tab Ramos, Peter Vermes (right) and Tony Meola, as well as Roberto Donadoni, a veteran midfielder signed from AC Milan. The MetroStars failed to live up to high expectations, losing more often than they lost in their first decade, including a meager 7-win campaign in 1999. The 2000 team featured two new superstars, Lothar Matthaus and Clint Mathis. Mathis was a goal-scoring machine, netting five in one game that season. The club finished first in the Eastern Division that year but lost in the semifinals of the playoffs.
There were flashes of hope during the ensuing seasons. In 2001, Tim Howard was named MLS Keeper of the Year and Rodrigo Faria was Rookie of the Year. In 2003, the MetroStars made it to the final of the US Open Cup, an in-season tournament that date back nearly a century. In 2004, midfielder Amado Guevara (left) tied for the league lead in scoring with 10 goals and 10assists, and was named MLS MVP.
After the team became the Red Bulls their fortunes shifted. In 2006, they defeated German club Bayern Munich in a friendly match. In 2007, Premier League star Juan Pablo Angel joined the club and led them on an inspired playoff run the following season. The Red Bulls defeated the Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake to reach the MLS Cup Final against the Columbus Crew. The game was tied 1–1 in the second half but the Crew netted two goals to win, 3–1.
The 2009 season was a disaster, with the Red Bulls going winless on the road. However, they righted the ship in 2010 after moving into their sparkling new arena. French superstar Thierry Henry joined the club in July and the team won the East, improving from 31 points to 51 points—an MLS record. The Red Bulls enjoyed their finest regular season in 2013. They won the Supporters Shield with the league’s best record under new coach Michael Petke. During his paying days with the team, Petke had established the franchise record by appearing in 169 games. Goalkeeper Luis Robles would break this record a few years later.
In 2014, Henry tied the team record with 14 assists and Bradley Wright-Phillips (right) tied the MLS record with 27 goals. In 2015, under new coach Jesse Marsch, the Red Bulls won the second Supporters’ Shield in franchise history, finishing with an MLS-best 60 points. In 2016, they finished atop the MLS East for the third time in four seasons—and tied a record with a 7–0 shutout of New York City FC—but were bounced out of the playoffs. In 2017, the Red Bulls reached the final of the US Open for the second time, but lost again. In 2018, the club made it to the semifinal round of the CONCACAF Champions tournament before falling to Chivas by the slimmest of margins.
During the 2018 season, Wright-Phillips netted his 100th goal for the team and became the fastest player in MLS history to reach the triple-digit plateau. He also became the first player to notch three 20-goal seasons. The Red Bulls finished with 71 points to cop the Supporter’s Shield for the third time, but playoff disappointment followed yet again. The team went into rapid-rebuild mode in the 2020’s and cobbled together a lineup good enough to win its first 5 road games in 2022. Despite a so-so record at home, they made the MLS playoffs for the 13th year in a row to tie a league record. Heading into 2023, the Red Bulls signed Belgian superstar Dante Vanzeir.
INDIVIDUAL HONORS
MLS MVP
Amado Guevara • 2004
MLS GOLDEN BOOT
Amado Guevara • 2004
Bradley Wright-Phillips • 2014 & 2016
MLS KEEPER OF THE YEAR
Tim Howard • 2001
Luis Robles • 2015
MLS DEFENDER OF THE YEAR
Aaron Long • 2018 (right)
MLS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Rodrigo Faria • 2001
MLS COACH OF THE YEAR
Jesse Marsch • 2015