October 16 is a climactic day for the New York Red Bulls. RBNY plays Columbus Crew at Red Bull Arena, hoping to finish its regular-season home schedule with a win and position the team for high seeding in the upcoming MLS playoffs. NYRB II, the reserve team, will follow with the USL Eastern Conference final, against Louisville City: the game that will decide if the II team gets to play for USL Cup this season.
Toward the end of the NYRB II game, a few miles away from Harrison, a former New York Red Bull will be focused on a different goal: not finishing the year with a trophy, but positioning his team to have something to look forward to in 2017.