THE NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION advanced to MLS Cup following a hard-fought 4-3 aggregate victory over the New York Red Bulls. Saturday’s second leg was a wild 2-2 draw that featured end-to-end action either team could have won.

New England has been runner up in MLS Cup four times but has never won the coveted trophy. While the Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders are considered the best teams in the league, New England has emerged as a force since the August arrival of Jermaine Jones and head coach Jay Heaps has his team playing with grit and determination.

As for the Red Bulls, it was yet another disappointing end to a season and no one knows what the team will look like next year or what the vision of the ownership group at the moment. It remains a franchise clouded in mystery.

Here are my thoughts on the game.

The Intensity was incredible

There were some terrific individual moments but it wasn’t the best played game on a team level, as blown chances and bad turnovers featured prominently. But the intensity was tremendous and it made the game extremely entertaining. There are times when you watch a game and you can sense through the crowd and players that it is an important game. It doesn’t always happen in MLS but it did throughout this series. It showed what MLS can become and it is very encouraging.

New York and Boston are two American cities known bringing passion to sports at an incredible level. Unfortunately their MLS teams have historically been subpar with neither having ever won an MLS Cup. Maybe one day in the not too distant future, a New York—New England rivalry can begin to take hold in the region.

Chris Tierney was the hero

Lee Nguyen certainly deserves strong consideration for MLS MVP. American World Cup hero Jermaine Jones has been one the most significant midseason acquisitions in league history. Charlie Davies is playing at a level he hasn’t shown since a car crash in 2009 devastated his career and hurt the U.S. team’s chances at the 2010 World Cup.

But as great as all three of those players have been in recent months for the Revolution, Chris Tierney was the hero of the game. Both of Davies’ goals were set up by Tierney and it was his terrific pinpoint cross in the second half that was the difference.

Tierney, 28, is a native of Wellesley, Massachusetts, and has played his entire professional career with the Revolution. Few would have expected Tierney to play such a pivotal role, but to win a title teams need to receive contributions from all over the roster. On Saturday, Tierney was the man.

What now, Red Bulls?

Major changes are in store for the Red Bulls. Thierry Henry has likely played his last game in MLS. Tim Cahill struggled this year and is likely on his way out. Other members of the team’s core—such as Péguy Luyindula, Ibrahim Sekagya, and Jamison Olave—are past their prime. If this team wants to compete, it will require quite an overhaul.

But what makes this matter even more puzzling is the status of the Red Bull ownership which has made no secret of its desire to cut costs. There have also been reports of the group’s desire to sell the club and there are frustrations among the supporters over the club balking at forming a USL Pro team to better develop young players.

So how the team goes about rebuilding at a time when ownership’s heart is questionable will be one of the key stories to watch in the off season. With local competition arriving on the scene with NYCFC starting up in 2015, the Red Bulls are in a decidedly dicey situation.

Brian Sciaretta is an American Soccer Now columnist and an ASN 100 panelist. Follow him on Twitter.