The key thing that imperceptive observers misunderstand about the New York Red Bulls is that the club is not defined by sweeping the floor of the standings. Outside the two historical aberrations of 1999 and 2009, New York is a consistently successful team, one of the best in Major League Soccer. What should partially define the club in the mind of both fan and journalist is the disappointment of falling short in the playoffs every year regardless of heavily favored or underdog status.
The 2020 season was an underwhelming exercise in drudgery. Following the offseason release of several foundational veterans, the club slogged through a season derailed by a pandemic, fired an ill-fitting manager, and managed to drift into an engorged playoff field on the wings of an interim appointment.