One year after making a run to the MLS Cup title game, the New York Red Bulls need a strong finish just to make the Eastern Conference playoffs.

New York (11-12-7, 40 points), which lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy in the championship game, enters Saturday night’s match at last-place CF Montreal (5-16-9, 24 points) two points behind the ninth-place Chicago Fire for the final playoff spot. Chicago still has five matches remaining compared to four for the Red Bulls.

That makes Saturday’s contest at Montreal pretty much a must-win. New York’s final three matches are all against teams in the top seven in the Eastern standings: rival New York City FC, FC Cincinnati and the Columbus Crew.

The Red Bulls are just 1-10-4 on the road this season, the worst away mark in the East. Only the Galaxy (0-9-7) have fewer road wins.

New York is 0-2-1 in its last three matches and comes in off a 2-1 loss at Portland last weekend. Emil Forsberg scored the tying goal in the 70th minute but Antony netted the game-winner for the Timbers just three minutes later.

“At the end, we lost — on the road — again,” Red Bulls coach Sandro Schwarz said. “Now we have four games to go. The energy level we need, every time, every time.”

Montreal is in a four-way battle with Toronto FC, Atlanta United and D.C. United to avoid finishing in the East cellar. Montreal, which comes in off a 2-0 loss to St. Louis City, has managed just 11 points in 15 home games (2-8-5).

“The second goal killed us a bit,” Montreal coach Marco Donadel said of a Marcel Hartel goal in the 55th minute. “We were ready to do three substitutions and push a bit more but when we went down 2-0 it became more difficult.”

New York won the first meeting against Montreal on April 26, a 1-0 decision following a goal by defender Noah Eile in the 67th minute. Carlos Coronel made five saves in the win.

–Field Level Media