At training on the Friday before their 2016 MLS regular-season finale against Philadelphia Union, the New York Red Bulls were mostly focused on the immediate task: closing out the season with a strong statement about the team's readiness for the playoffs.
But there was also time to look ahead. Way ahead to next year's 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. RBNY has known it is in the CCL knockout rounds for about a month now, and it had no game to play in the tournament's final set of group stage matches. But those matches would determine who the Red Bulls would be playing when the competition starts up again in February, and Jesse Marsch had an eye on the mid-week CCL fixtures.