The New York Red Bulls, just six weeks removed from their appearance in the Eastern Conference final, have contributed to the recent drama in the Empire State. Their latest transactions, coupled with the Frank Lampard confusion—which is now resolved, per ESPN FC—are the reasons the city still isn't a top market in MLS.

League commissioner Don Garber has aspirations of New York being one of the major markets in MLS, as suggested by Brian Sciaretta of American Soccer Now. However, their inconsistency has left Garber’s wish unfulfilled. 

The Red Bulls' sacking of head coach Mike Petke was an odd decision. Petke guided New York to the 2013 Supporters' Shield, which is their only trophy under the new ownership.

Sporting director Ali Curtis, who was hired just before the holidays, took full responsibility for the move, per MLSSoccer.com. When Curtis unveiled Jesse Marsch as Petke's replacement, the ex-forward claimed that he has "a vision" for the Red Bulls.

The problem is that New York haven't had a lot of continuity, and that starts with the coach. Marsch is the 15th hire in team history and the eighth since Red Bull became the owners in 2006.

It's ludicrous for New York to have nearly twice as many head coaches as the other original franchises. Squad chemistry is tough to achieve when the players hear a new voice almost every year on average.

Chopping and changing the team and coach rarely lead to success on the pitch, and the Red Bulls haven't done themselves any favors in that regard.

The Los Angeles Galaxy went through a tumultuous spell up until 2008, when Bruce Arena was hired. The Galaxy have since won three MLS Cups in the last four years.

It helps that L.A. brought in a proven coach who had success in D.C. and U.S. men's national team experience. However, there are a few young, talented tacticians in the league, such as Oscar Pareja and Jason Kreis.

New York City FC haven't been a stand-up organization when it comes to the Frank Lampard situation.

This past summer, Lampard was unveiled as a designated player by the club. However, it turned out that the ex-Chelsea midfielder had a "commitment" to signing with NYCFC, as The Guardian's Jamie Jackson pointed out. The 36-year-old was really under contract with City Football Group, which own the team along with Manchester City.

Lampard is coming to New York in July as expected, but the damage has been done.

NYCFC are a new team and are competing for exposure in the largest city in America. Signing a player of Lampard's caliber is going to attract some interest, but deceiving the public is going to lead to an emptier Yankee Stadium.

The club's signing of Mix Diskerud, per the team's official website, is a positive PR move. Diskerud is a midfielder who can drive forward and help the attack, much like Lampard. However, it's not enough to counter what's transpired with the ex-England international.

New York's counterparts in Seattle, Portland, Kansas City and L.A. are all bigger soccer markets at this point, especially Seattle and Portland.

Portland announced their 68th consecutive sellout in their final regular-season game against Real Salt Lake on Oct. 17, which is an exceptional streak. It's also home to one of the best and loudest atmospheres in MLS.

The Timbers haven't won as many trophies as the Red Bulls, but they are in good hands with owner Merritt Paulson and head coach Caleb Porter. They should improve this season after narrowly missing the playoffs in 2014.

A few hours north of the Rose City, the Sounders continue to dominate the league in attendance. They have also won four U.S. Open Cups and a Supporters' Shield.

Sporting Kansas City's resurgence over the last few years has been extraordinary as well. The club announced their 50th straight sellout last season, which is a far cry to their days at Arrowhead Stadium, and that has led to success on the pitch. SKC won a U.S. Open Cup and an MLS Cup within a year of each other.

The Galaxy have the aforementioned three MLS Cups in four years and five overall.

These four teams are exceeding expectations. On the other hand, New York have done everything in their power to prevent themselves from achieving major-market status, which they should have done by now.

If both clubs don't change their tactics soon, the only thing "major" about New York will be the population.

Peter Galindo covers MLS and U.S. soccer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @pgalindo16.

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