New York Red Bulls (Formerly the NY/NJ MetroStars)

1994 On June 15th, the MLS committee decided that NY/NJ would be a location for one of their first teams. Later that month, the World Cup visited the United States, and played in Giants Stadium. The stadium hosted seven games where over 525,000 spectators were in attendance. In November, the NY/NJ Venue Executive Director for the World Cup, Charlie Stillitano, was named both Vice President and General Manager of the NY/NJ Team. The team was first known as the Empire Soccer Club.

1995 The original ten teams of the MLS were determined and approved to begin play the following year. The Empire Soccer Club, in August, hosted the Parmalat Cup. The tournament involved four teams, including the U.S. National Team, and drew nearly 80,000 people for the two-day affair. In October, Major League Soccer held its unveiling for their new league. The event, known as "MLS Unveiled", introduced team nicknames and uniforms as well as franchise players. During this event, it was announced that the NY/NJ club would be known as the MetroStars and their first player would be Tab Ramos, both a member of the U.S. World Cup team and native of New Jersey.

1996 In January, the MetroStars hired Eddie Firmani, former coach of the New York Cosmos, to become the first Head Coach of the team. They also announced the acquisition of Tony Meola, U.S World Cup goalkeeper and team captain. In February, the team announced the signing of A.C Milan midfielder and Italian league star Roberto Donadoni. This news was considered some of the team's most exciting in its brief history. On April 13th, the MetroStars and the Los Angeles Galaxy played their first game in MLS history at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The home crowd of 69,250 saw the Galaxy defeat the MetroStars with a score of 2-1. The first goal in team history was scored by Giovanni Saverese. Later in the season, Firmani resigned as coach of the team and was replaced by Portuguese coaching legend, Carlos Queiroz. The MetroStars finished the season with a record of 15-15. After reaching their first ever playoffs, they were defeated by the D.C United in a best-of-three series 2-1. At the end of the season, Queiroz left the team to coach a team in the Japanese League. Filling the coaching vacancy was the coach of the World Cup Champion Brazilian team, Carlos Alberto Parreira.

1997 At the start of the season the MetroStars announced plans to convert Giants Stadium into a natural grass arena. After finishing the season 13-17 and without making the playoffs, the MetroStars lost one of their key players, Roberto Donadoni, to the Italian League. They also lost their Head Coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, as he accepted a head coaching job for the Saudi Arabian World Cup Team.

1998 The MetroStars promptly hired Alfonso Mondelo, the former head coach of the Long Island Rough Riders, to fill the position. To add to the preseason acquisitions, the MetroStars acquired defender Alexi Lalas from the New England Revolution in the first three-team trade in MLS history. At the end of the season, the MetroStars endured a six-game losing streak and finished with a 15-17 record. As a result, former U.S and Mexico coach Bora Milutinovic replaced Mondelo as head coach. The MetroStars ended the season reaching the Playoffs, but were defeated by the Columbus Crew in the opening round. Milutinovic became the fifth head coach in three seasons for the MetroStars.

1999 The MetroStars decided that it was time to rebuild the team with youth. This decision caused the trading of Giovanni Saverese, one of the team's leaders, to the New England Revolution for Raul Diaz Arce. Diaz Arce was then traded to the San Jose Clash in return for a player to be named later. The MetroStars continued their rebuilding philosophy by trading away goalkeeper Tony Meola and defender Alexi Lalas to Kansas City in return for Mark Chung and goalkeeper Mike Ammann. In August, MLS signed German star Lothar Matthaus and allocated him to the MetroStars for the 2000 season. The club finished the season with the worst record in history winning only seven out of thirty-two games. At the end of the year, head coach Bora Milutinovic agreed to step down from his position. A month later, the team named Octavio Zambrano their new head coach. While with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Zambrano posted the best winning percentage in MLS history (.684).

2000 In a complete turnaround from their previous season (7-32), the MetroStars finished the regular season with a 17-12-3 record solidifying first place in the Eastern Division as well as home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Their "Worst-to-First" season was a result of outstanding play by nearly all of those who were a part of the team. Led by Clint Mathis and Adolfo Valencia, the MetroStars began their quest for the MLS Cup against the Dallas Burn. In a best-of-three series, NY/NJ were able to advance past the Burn after winning the first two games. In the MLS semifinals, the MetroStars took on the Chicago Fire, an MLS finalist from the previous year. In yet another best-of-three series, the MetroStars were able to challenge the Fire until the final moments of Game Three, when Chicago was able to score the series-winning goal in the 88th minute of the game. Looking towards the 2001 season, the MetroStars have improved their team defense with the additions of Pedro Alvarez and U.S. National Team member Richie Williams. As a result, the NY/NJ MetroStars appear to be ready to take the next step towards the MLS Cup by reaching the MLS final.

2001 The MetroStars' season can best be described as a roller-coaster ride when one considers the ups and downs with which they were forced to deal. After beginning the season as the team to beat in the East, the Metros lost all-star Clint Mathis for the season. However, other players stepped in to lead a team that would display great resiliency. Upon clinching another playoff berth with a record of 13-10-3, the MetroStars looked to continue their success in the playoffs against the Los Angeles Galaxy. After a 1-1 tie in Game One and a decisive 4-1 win in Game Two, the Metros needed only a tie in regulation of Game Three to advance to the semifinals. However, after losing Game Three by a score of 3-2, the MLS rules dictate that the teams must play a series overtime. As a result of extreme heat, a few of the MetroStars' key players were unable to take part. As a result, a Mauricio Cienfuegos goal eight minutes into the series tiebreaker clinched a berth in the MLS Cup semifinals for the Los Angeles Galaxy at the Rose Bowl, thus ending the MetroStars season.

2002 The MetroStars finished up the 2002 season with a disappointing 11-15-2 record. Missing the playoffs for the third time in seven years, the MetroStars came in fourth in the Eastern Conference, just behind the Chicago Fire. Despite a losing season, the MetroStars claimed many tough victories, defeating their eastern rival, and MLS Cup finalist New England Revolution, in three out of four season match-ups. Striker Rodrigo Faria led the team this season with 12 goals, 2 of which were game-winning scores, while Andy Williams led the team in assists with 13. Goalkeeper Tim Howard, recipient of the Aquafina Goalkeeper of the Year Award, put up a League-high 140 saves, averaging more than 5 per game.

2003 The NY/NJ MetroStars finished the 2003 season with a record of 11-10-9 and faced the New England Revolution in the fist round of the MLS Cup playoffs. Unfortunately, New England Revolution defeated the MetroStars 3-1 in the aggregate goal series. The NY/NJ MetroStars will now prepare for the MLS Superdraft to build on their successful 2003 campaign. Because of their success, the 'Red and Black' have high expectations for next year.

2004 Lead by midfielder Amado Guevara, who was tied for first in MLS in scoring (30 points), the MetroStars finished the regular season with a record of 11-12-7. Throughout the regular season, the MetroStars led the league in scoring and finished third in the Eastern Conference standings behind the Columbus Crew and D.C. United. The MetroStars advanced to the MLS Playoffs for the second-straight year but were unable to continue their scoring success in the postseason. The MetroStars faced D.C. United in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and lost both games by an aggregate score of 4-0.

2005 2005 was an up-and-down season for the MetroStars as the team scrambled to make the playoffs with some late-season heroics before bowing out in the first round to the New England Revolution by a 3-2 cumulative score. The MetroStars finished with a respectable 12-9-11 record, highlighted by a 2-0-1 finish to the season under interim head coach Mo Johnson. Johnson took the realm on October 4th following the dismissal of head coach Bob Bradley who had been unable to get the team playing up to their potential.

The comeback in the final three games of the year was symbolic of the season as a whole, as the young MetroStars staged several memorable comebacks before eventually clinching their playoff birth with a resounding 2-0 defeat over Chivas USA in their final match of the year. The victory over Chivas, which was good enough to get the MetroStars back to the postseason by a single point in the standings, featured solid performances from several star players whom the MetroStars hope will return next year. 37-year old French-national Youri Djorkaeff had an outstanding year for the club, recording 10 goals and 7 assists, and gave the MetroStars some of his best efforts down the stretch in key victories. The MetroStars hope that Djorkaeff, along with 2004 MLS MVP Amado Guevara, will return next season. Guevara led the team in goals with 11, to which he added 11 assists in leading the team in scoring during the 2005 campaign. No less crucial to the team’s success over the year; however, was local hero Tony Meola who made countless stunning saves as goalkeeper to keep the MetroStars alive in pivotal matches. If the team can bring back some of its core players while continuing to foster a young but talented team and make some off-season acquisitions on defense, the prospects for next season will be promising.

2006 The 2006 New York Red Bulls season was marked by change and excitement for the future. Approximately one month prior to the season opener, Red Bull Company Ltd. purchased the NY/NJ Metrostars and subsequently changed the name to the New York Red Bulls. In addition to the change in ownership, the coaching staff was revamped as well. Former US National team coach Bruce Arenas was hired to replace interim coach Richie Williams midway through the season and led the team to a 5-7-4 record and berth to the MLS playoffs.

The Red Bulls finished the season with a record of 9-11-12 for a total of 39 points, which was good enough to capture the eighth and final playoff spot for the MLS Cup. Mid-fielder Amado Guevara, the team’s MVP and the MLS player of the month in October, led the team in goals (8), including a hat trick in the last game of the season that vaulted the Red Bulls into the playoffs. Guevara and mid-fielder Seth Stammler tied for the team lead in assists with five each. This season also saw the emergence of some of the Red Bulls younger players such as 17-year-old Josmer “Jozy” Altidore who appeared in seven games and scored three goals. Altidore’s energy was a significant component of the Red Bulls late-season push towards the playoffs.

The Red Bulls faced the D.C. United, the top team in the MLS, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The opening round series was a home-and-home-series where the highest aggregate goal scoring team advances. Despite an energized team performance by the Red Bulls, United proved strong, winning the first game 1-0 and tying the second game 1-1 for an aggregate score of 2-1.