Yesterday, Chris Armas’s time as head coach of the New York Red Bulls came to an end. It’s the first time the organization has fired a head coach in the middle of the season since the team’s disastrous 2009 campaign — making it the first time since moving to Red Bull Arena that such an event has taken place.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I’ve been thinking about how Armas’s time at the helm of the club has compared to the three other coaches who have guided the team since Red Bull Arena opened its doors. Initially, I found myself thinking about Armas in comparison to his predecessor, Jesse Marsch, whose use of the phrase “Energy Drink Soccer” to describe his team’s approach went from “Did he really say that?” to unexpectedly resonant. But to compare all four coaches in the Red Bull Arena era puts some elements of Armas’s time running the club in sharp relief.
Hans Backe’s time as manager lasted for three seasons, from 2010 to 2012. And while Backe’s approach to coaching included a few bizarre flourishes, including his penchant for not making many substitutions, his time with the club at least offered a sense of stability. Let’s not forget that the 2009 Red Bulls season was something of a trainwreck. The team finished dead last in the league. Under Backe, the team established themselves as a perennial playoff qualifier…
