Petke Apologizes, But Is It Enough?

After the train wreck that was the 3-2 loss to Chivas USA, Mike Petke was interviewed by MSG. He had a very specific message to those who had managed to not change the channel by that point.

Yes, Petke apologized for the New York Red Bulls' performance. You can tell how much he truly cares about the team, because what other kind of coach would ever do this? However, the issue really is, why was the apology needed? The Red Bulls have been a listless team since beating Sporting Kansas City 3-2 back on August 3rd. They've only managed one point out of nine in their last three games; losing 2-0 to 8th in the East Columbus Crew, drawing with 3rd place Philadelphia Union 0-0 at home, and now losing 3-2 to 2nd to last in MLS Chivas USA on the road.

For weeks now, we've been hearing nothing but excuses, about how the team should be playing better. With 8 games to go, and New York only 3 points clear of 6th place Houston Dynamo (5 points from 7th place Chicago Fire), there is no more room for excuses, and no more room for performances like the one on Sunday. Before the Chivas game, I wrote that it was a must win. Now, the D.C. United match just becomes that much more important. The time for excuses, and apologizes, is over, and Mike Petke needs to right the ship ASAP.