RBNY Fan: Montreal Vs. NY Red Bulls Preview, Prediction

The New York Red Bulls have not been kind to Montreal Impact during the expansion side's first season in Major League Soccer. New York followed a 5-2 victory over Montreal that occurred at Red Bull Arena back in March with a 2-1 win in Montreal on May 19. A lot has changed for both sides in the past two months. Now Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Dane Richards scored the game-winner the last time these two teams met, and that match took place at Olympic Stadium. The Impact have largely enjoyed life at Stade Saputo, notching wins against both Houston Dynamo and Columbus Crew at their new home. Saturday night's contest won't be a gimme for the best team in the MLS East, but the Red Bulls did get some good news on Friday regarding the fitness of several players.

3 thoughts heading into Montreal vs. New York: Weekly "who will play?" section

This section isn't nearly as depressing for Red Bulls fans as it has been for the past couple of months. Head coach Hans Backe told reporters on Friday that rookie goalkeeper Ryan Meara and defenders Heath Pearce and Jan Gunnar Solli will be available this weekend. It is not yet known if any or all of those players will be in New York's starting eleven. Bill Gaudette has done just fine in Meara's absence, so rushing the youngster back if he isn't quite 100 percent would be unnecessary and unwise. While both Brandon Barklage and Rafa Marquez are set to miss this match because of injuries, Backe could have either Pearce or Solli on the bench at kickoff thanks to Connor Lade, Wilman Conde, Markus Holgersson and Roy Miller.

New York captain Thierry Henry is an interesting subject when it comes to this match. Backe did what he could to squash any idea of Henry not participating in Saturday's game, but it must be noted that Henry played for nearly an hour during Wednesday's All-Star Game, and he also played in all three of New York's MLS games last week. He may have missed a month because of a hamstring injury earlier in the season, but the fact remains that Henry, who spent last winter on loan at Arsenal, hasn't had a full offseason in well over a year, and he's also likely to start when New York host Tottenham Hotspur on July 31.

The guy is going to need a break sometime.

3 thoughts heading into Montreal vs. New York: The Cahill factor

The Red Bulls made news earlier this week when they, as had been expected for awhile, announced that Tim Cahill will be joining the club. Cahill won't be available this weekend, but that doesn't mean he won't have any impact on the contest. As has been pointed out by several others when discussing that move, Cahill's arrival will mean that somebody will have to take a (likely somewhat) permanent spot on the bench. Saturday's game won't just be about the result for non-defenders and for players not named Thierry Henry.

It's possible that Backe could choose to break up the trio of Henry, Sebastien Le Toux and Kenny Cooper. Dax McCarty, who has been a team MVP candidate since becoming starting CDM, has been rumored to be the player who will be relegated to the bench, as has Joel Lindpere. Saturday evening's contest will offer one final opportunity for such players to prove that they belong in the team's starting eleven.

Make it count.

3 thoughts heading into Montreal vs. New York: Prediction

Montreal have played better in their inaugural season than some predicted, but let's not kid ourselves here. Barring a surprising amount of favorable results over the next several months, the Impact are going to finish the 2012 campaign out of the top five in the conference standings. The Red Bulls, on the other hand, appeared to be true title contenders even before signing Cahill. Those past two victories over Montreal weren't flukes. New York are a better team, end of story.

The better team doesn't always win a match, of course, and the Red Bulls will need to continue their current run of form in order to return across the border with all three points. Assuming that Pearce does return to the lineup and provide a boost to the team's back line, I just can't see Montreal lighting up the scoreboard. New York win via a familiar 2-1 scoreline, completing the season sweep.