1990 World Cup player Peter Vermes was named the first team captain, but it was the previously unknown Venezuelan Giovanni Savarese who became the Metros' first breakthrough star.

[11] This report set off an immediately positive reaction which was quickly crushed after the MetroStars revealed that they had not actually drafted well-known Brazilian players Juninho Paulista and Túlio Costa, as people had assumed.

Former Juventus defender Nicola Caricola inadvertently flipped a cross into his own net in the dying minutes to hand New England a 1–0 win in front of 46,000 fans.

Hoping to light a spark under the floundering club in 2000, the MetroStars dropped a bombshell by acquiring German international player Lothar Matthäus from Bayern Munich.

In 2003 the club hired new manager Bob Bradley, a New Jersey native known for winning multiple titles as an assistant with D.C. United and head coach with the Chicago Fire.

On March 9, 2006, it was announced that Austrian energy drink conglomerate Red Bull GmbH had purchased the club,[19][20][21] and as part of their sponsorship, they would also completely re-brand the franchise, changing the name, colors, and logo, a move which drew mixed reactions.

[24] During the 2006 season, Red Bull fired Johnston and hired Bruce Arena, a Brooklyn native who had recently left the head coaching role with the United States national team.

[30] Though they were the last team to qualify for the playoffs in the 2008 season, the Red Bulls made an impressive run, defeating two-time defending champions Houston Dynamo 4–1 on aggregate.

After the preliminary exit from the Champions League, many fans were disappointed by Osorio's rigid tactical style, while others wanted then-Sporting Director Jeff Agoos fired.

Not long after Backe was confirmed as coach, he started to release many players signed by Osorio including Jorge Rojas, Danny Cepero, Carlos Johnson, and Walter García, while midfielder Matthew Mbuta's contract was not picked up for the 2010 season.

However the season also began with a cloud of controversy after the club fired longtime assistant coaches Richie Williams and Des McAleenan for undisclosed contract violations during training camp.

The Red Bulls opened the 2011 season sluggishly, with Henry's quiet goalscoring form and issues with set piece defending leading to a slew of winless streaks.

[39] Backe earned additional criticism during this period when he stated he had not been aware that he would lose so many players to summer international tournaments including the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Backe was retained for the 2012 season and Red Bull signed Australian World Cup and Premier League veteran Tim Cahill as a designated player in July.

Mike Petke, the Red Bulls' most capped player and Backe's assistant, was placed in charge of soccer operations in the interim until a replacement for could be found.

Tension between the fans and the front office came to a head at a hectic town hall featuring Curtis, Marsch, goalkeeper Luis Robles and emcee and sportswriter Frank Isola.

The Red Bulls won their second Supporter's Shield, qualifying for the 2015 MLS playoffs and reaching the Eastern Conference Final where they were ultimately defeated by the Columbus Crew.

The league campaign was mixed, with a sixth-place conference finish and a resounding 4–0 win over former captain McCarty's Chicago Fire to start the postseason, but what followed was a quarterfinal exit to Toronto FC despite Wright-Phillips scoring his 100th goal for the club in all competitions in a victorious second leg.

New York made their best showing to date in continental competition the next year in the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League, which they had qualified for with their regular season efforts in 2016, with the group stage having been eliminated.

[66] In the return leg, new designated player and record signing Kaku scored on his debut off the bench as the Red Bulls won 3-1 for a 5–1 victory in the tie in Harrison.

[89][90] With Long returning from injury and made captain following Davis' departure, New York began the 2022 season tying an MLS record set by the 1998 Los Angeles Galaxy, winning their first five league games on the road.

[102] The Red Bulls spent a reported $5.3 million to sign forward Dante Vanzeir from Belgian side Union SG as a designated player.

Red Bulls beat Charlotte FC 5–2 in the Wild Card round, led by a free kick goal by Tolkin and a hat trick for Elias Manoel, the first in the club's postseason history.

[126] Academy product Julian Hall became the club's youngest-ever goal scorer and the league's second youngest on June 19, 2024, getting an equalizer against CF Montréal 16 years and 87 days old.

[127] Despite poor form in the second half of the 2024 season and in the 2024 Leagues Cup, the Red Bulls qualified for the playoffs, extending their record consecutive postseasons streak to 15 years.

The first MLS league game took place in the new venue on March 27, 2010, with a 1–0 win over the Chicago Fire, the lone goal coming from Estonian international Joel Lindpere.

In the past, the Red Bulls led a nomadic existence, making use of several other training grounds before finishing construction of the Hanover facility: A variety of supporters clubs and groups have grown around the team since its inaugural year.

[167][168][169] Although initially regarded as a manufactured rivalry with little of the traditional banter apparent between long-time local rivals,[170] the first meetings between the teams displayed an increasing level of animosity between the two sides.

[189] He was replaced by former Seattle Sounders FC academy director Gary Lewis, with a plan to transition the reserve side into the newly created MLS Next Pro in 2023.

[194] The club has produced five players from its academy (Sean Davis, Connor Lade, John Tolkin, Alex Muyl and Omir Fernandez) to play at least 100 matches in all competitions for the MLS side.