The Red Bulls completed a worst-to-first story that even coach Hans Backe had called impossible last night, followed one of the worst seasons in MLS history by clinching the regular-season Eastern Conference title.

And it was fitting that Dane Richards opened the scoring in their 2-0 victory over New England; poetic justice because the speedy Jamaican winger’s personal growth has mirrored that of his team. Persona non grata among many fans last year, they celebrated the red-hot Richards’ fifth goal in the last seven games.

“I just wanted to go out there and be positive, try to help win the (regular-season) Eastern Conference; and we accomplished that. Now we’re looking forward to the playoffs,” said Richards, who put the Red Bulls on the board in the 17th minute.

“We couldn’t do worse than last year. Just come in, work hard and we did it. It’s not over yet; hopefully we have (four) more games left and we go all the way…It can happen; now we’ve seen it happen. We’re really confident right now and we’ll try and be conference champ.”

They had also gone worst-to-first in 2000, topping the Eastern Conference standings that season as well. Last night they pulled a repeat with a direct attack, spearheaded by Richards as a one-man counter.

“With a player with that pace, normally those players are not the technically best ones,” Backe said. “(But) the last six weeks, it’s more the understanding in his attacking game, to time his runs, when to run behind, when to come short. And of course the distribution from the midfield has been much, much better.”

Midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy won the ball about 30 yards in front of goal, and made a soft touch pass to Juan Pablo Angel. The captain turned quickly, looked up and played a perfect ball into space down the right flank.

Richards had acres of open space to run, defender Cory Gibbs couldn’t close him down, and Richards blistered a shot across the box and over keeper Bobby Shuttleworth for the opening score. It was his fifth tally, all in his final seven league tilts, and sixth in his last eight games including a score for Jamaica.

“He basically turned his season around in the last six, seven, eight games and he scored another great cracker of a goal,” Angel said. “He has a great commodity which is the speed. In the end of the day, if you have it you will always be a threat. But he’s finding the spaces, finding places on the field that are giving him an opportunity to get in behind teams.”

That’s exactly what Richards did last night, unlocking New England’s defense in the 17th minute. He soaked in the applause from the 15,866 at Red Bull Arena, a sweet scene for a player who had taken a beating on message boards and chat rooms. But his turnaround has been so complete, his play so much more intelligent, they have had no choice but to be won over.

“Absolutely (it’s great to see),” said fan favorite Mike Petke. “I view it as this: The times they were hard on me and let me know when I did not play well were some of my best memories, because I’m a New Yorker and I expect that from them. It helped motivate me and it was done out of love because they just want us to win.

“I’m very happy for Dane. He’s had an unbelievable year and I see that he’s turned a corner when he’s not relying just on his speed; he has so many tools in his back pocket and it’s great.”

Richards’ burgeoning confidence is plain to see, unrecognizable as the player who _ like many of his teammates _ was so beaten-down in last year’s debacle. Their 10-win vault from 5-19-6 to 15-9-6 tied their 2000 mark as the biggest improvement in league history.

“The team is really confident right now. We just need to go out there and be consistent,” said Richards. “Trust me, when you’re winning. Confidence will come. Last year I don’t know who was confident on the team. Just keep winning and it habit. It’s turned into a habit now, and we just want to continue.”

If it does, it’s an auspicious sign for the Red Bulls. The team’s only run to the MLS Cup finals came two years ago, and Richards was the single-biggest catalyst, with a hand in all three goals of a 3-0 upset over top-seeded Houston in the road leg of the Western Conference semis. They know full well how vital his pace will be if they want to get back to this year’s MLS Cup.

“It’s important. We need him to be at this level right now; this is where we will need him. His game is coming together and we are delighted to have him not just scoring goals but playing well,” Angel said. “This is where it all counts, and he’s been playing really well, scoring goals and he’s being a threat every game.”

Check out the postgame comments above, and let us know what you think? Is Richards the most improved player you’ve seen this year? Can he repeat his playoff heroics of their last postseason run? Holla at us…