Uruguayan Felipe Carballo, one of the figures of New York Red Bulls, said this Wednesday that Lionel Messi’s surprise dismissal from Inter Miami opens up a lot of ‘playoffs’. MLS Cup.
“I think the fact that Inter Miami is not the main candidate (for the MLS Cup) motivates all the teams, not just us,” he said in a video call organized by MLS.
“We know that Inter Miami and Columbus Crew, who were the toughest rivals in our conference, are both out, and then the possibilities open up and we all have a chance to win, which is what we all want,” he added. .
Carballo and the Red Bulls square off this Saturday in the semifinals Este en la MLS In the New York derby with New York City.
The Red Bulls (seventh in the East) defeated defending MLS Cup and League Cup champions Columbus Crew in the first round, 0-1 against Carballo and 2-2 (5-4). in penalties ) in that best-of-three series.
Beginning with the conference semifinals, the rest of the playoffs are played in a single game with home advantage for the team with the best classification, in this case New York City (sixth).
“Format, maybe by changing, it’s a little unfair to talk because it’s a game and after finishing in seventh place, I think we’ll only play at home if it’s against Atlanta (eighth). It’s difficult for us, but “at the same time, we’re sorry for not finishing so high in the rankings. That’s the price to pay,” reflected the midfielder.
Carballo said this New York fight is enjoyed with the same passion as any other derby in the world.
“It’s something everybody wants to play, everybody wants to win,” he said.
Additionally, Carballo will have someone he knows on the opposing team, as Uruguayan Santiago Rodriguez is one of New York City’s most important and talented players.
“We stayed in touch because we played together at the Nationals, we’re friends.” commented before declining With a smile that made a joke or a bet about the outcome of Saturday’s game.
The winner of New York’s head-to-head will face Orlando City (fourth) in the Eastern final and Atlanta United (eighth), the semi-finalist who knocked out Inter Miami.
