A playoff-like test for Union in regular-season finale

It was an interesting revelation by Union team manager Peter Nowak. After Saturday's 1-1 draw with Toronto, which clinched a Major League Soccer playoff berth for the Union, Nowak talked about how difficult it is to play for him.

"They have a hard time with me; I know this," he said of his players.

Really?

"They struggle with the running and the lifting."

How tough is Nowak?

After the regular season ended last year, the team continued to practice, a stipulation that somehow was allowed in the collective bargaining agreement.

If the players think Nowak has been tough, does anybody expect him to tone things down now that the Union are headed toward their first playoff berth in their second MLS season?

One regular-season game remains, but the Union will be treating it like a playoff. Then again, Nowak wanted every game to be treated this way, so in his mind nothing is different.

Of course, it is different in that so much is at stake when the Union visit the New York Red Bulls in Thursday's 8 p.m. regular-season finale at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.

So many playoff permutations are still possible. The Union could clinch one of the top three spots in the Eastern Conference and avoid the dreaded wild-card round with a win. Other situations could enable the Union to clinch one of the top three spots, but all would leave it in someone else's hands. Plus the Union are tied with Sporting Kansas City for first place in the East, with each team having one game to play.

The Red Bulls are in the running for the 10th and final MLS playoff spot. Though four teams entered Wednesday's competition in contention for the wild card, the Red Bulls can clinch Thursday if they beat the Union.

So both teams will be going all-out, as much as they can. New York, for instance, will miss 14-goal scorer Thierry Henry, out after receiving a red card in Saturday's 2-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City.

The memory of clinching a playoff berth and wearing those white MLS playoff shirts on Saturday is long gone in the Union locker room.

The Union, Nowak conceded, didn't play particularly well Saturday, but he didn't need to point this out.

Nowak suggested that this young team was a little tight.

Now there are no excuses. The playoff berth is clinched, and a first-round bye is well within reach. Then the Union can try to make a serious push in the postseason.

There is no doubt that Thursday's game will have a playoff feel.

While the two teams have something big to earn with a win, MLS hopes that this develops into a big rivalry, due to their proximity.

Several busloads of Union fans will travel up the New Jersey Turnpike for the game, which will be televised on ESPN2. The players certainly understand that this is much more than just the final regular-season game.

Sebastien Le Toux, who has scored 10 goals in the last 12 games, says this game is just as big for the Union as it is for the Red Bulls. And he plans to soak in the atmosphere.

"It's a great stadium to play in and we will have a lot of fans there with us," Le Toux said. "It will be on ESPN, so we want to play well and show that we deserve to be in the playoffs."

Actually, the Union have shown in 33 games that they deserve to be in the playoffs. What they show in the 34th game may indicate how well they will fare when the second season begins.

or @sjnard on Twitter.