MLS NEXT Pro Playoff Preview: Red Bulls II vs. Chicago Fire II

On Sunday at 1:00 p.m., the New York Red Bulls II will host the Chicago Fire II in the first round of the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs. After an incredible inaugural season, the Baby Bulls finished fourth in the Eastern Conference, but that didn’t earn them the right to choose their opponent in the first round.

The new MLS NEXT Pro playoff format gives the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in each conference the ability to choose their first-round opponent from the teams who finished fourth through seventh. As it happened, No. 2 New England Revolution II chose No. 7 Philadelphia Union II while No. 3 Columbus Crew II chose No. 5 Orlando City II.

As a result, the fourth-seeded Red Bulls II get to play fifth-seed Fire II who they defeated in both games they faced them in during the regular season. This could be seen as lucky for a Bulls II squad managed by former Red Bull player Ibrahim Sekagya, because they had Chicago’s number throughout the season, including when they won a 5-4 goal fest in August. However, that other matchup was a narrow 1-0 affair which means that the Fire II will be no pushover.

Matching up with the Fire II

The Red Bulls II and the Fire II met twice during the regular season and both times the Baby Bulls emerged victorious. On Apr. 30, the Red Bulls II and Fire II held each other scoreless in regulation, before the Red Bulls II prevailed on penalties 3:0. That day, veteran goalkeeper AJ Marcucci stood on his head to help the Red Bulls II win the shootout, but he won’t be able to do the same on Saturday. Marcucci is out for the season which has given the chance to Alan Rutkowski to take over his goal.

By the end of the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season, the Fire II had finished in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The Fire finished with 43 points which was eight points behind the Red Bulls II. As a team, Chicago scored 54 goals during the regular season while the Red Bulls II scored 53. Both teams have strong offenses however, the biggest difference between these teams throughout the regular season was defense. This is because the Red Bulls II allowed just 36 goals (fourth fewest in MLS NEXT Pro) while the Fire II allowed 46. This may seem like a clear-cut advantage for Coach Sekagya’s team heading into the first-round playoff matchup against the Fire II, but not so fast.

The Red Bulls II’s Goalkeeping Situation

Throughout their inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season, the Red Bulls II benefitted from the play of their starting goalkeeper, AJ Marcucci. However, they lost him for the season when he injured his hamstring on Aug. 14. Marcucci was on his way to a stellar season before his injury, earning seven clean sheets in 20 starts. Although AJ Marcucci was a big reason why the Red Bulls II finished fourth in the Eastern Conference this year, they will have to play the upcoming playoff game without him.

As a result of Marcucci’s season-ending injury, the Red Bulls II are left with two goalkeepers, Will Meyer and Alan Rutkowski. Meyer started two games in August including Aug. 27 against the Fire II, where he conceded five goals and since that start, Coach Sekagya has decided to start Rutkowski, instead. Rutkowski, a 16-year-old product of the Red Bull Academy, has outplayed Meyer in his seven MLS NEXT Pro starts by earning three clean sheets in seven matches.

Although Rutkowski was in the net for Red Bulls II’s most recent, 3-1 loss against the Union II, he is going to start Sunday. The fact that he held Crown Legacy FC who scored the second-most goals in MLS NEXT Pro this season to one goal on Sept. 10, speaks volumes about how much better he has played this season than Meyer and that means he should be Ibrahim Sekagya’s first-choice to keep the Fire II’s offense in check in tomorrow’s first round playoff game.

Red Bulls II Head Coach Speaks

It would be easy for Ibrahim Sekagya and his players to be satisfied already with what they accomplished during the regular season. After the Red Bulls II struggled in the United Soccer League (USL) Championship for several years, they joined MLS NEXT Pro this year and finished with the sixth-most points in the overall standings.

However, they may not have accomplished that, if Ibrahim Kasule hadn’t transferred into the Red Bulls organization this offseason. The 18-year-old midfielder was signed by the Red Bulls from a Ugandan club at the end of March and has gone on to have a season that few could have imagined.

Kasule finished his first NEXT Pro season with 15 goals, which tied a Red Bulls II club record for the most goals in a single season. Along the way, he held a streak of scoring a goal in seven straight games, which broke an MLS NEXT Pro record. He has been the catalyst on the 2023 Red Bulls II and Sekagya discussed how his top goal scorer achieved what he did this season.

“From the beginning, everyone who came in knew we tried to start from zero because they didn’t know how our style of play [would be] this was the most important [thing] but we knew… that he has all the tools what we need was the player the way he is the smart is a good player. I think there is a lot of still a lot from him that is still developing. I think he shows from the beginning where he is… But the most important [thing] is the team. The team playing as a team [helped Kasule] to achieve that. That’s so important. Everyone was happy for him. But as I said from the beginning, I think it was the start of him and I think he chose not just him, the team helped him to achieve what is able to do in the league and now it’s going to be the next step of him growing up more, this is where I will look at him.”

Ibrahim Sekagya RBNY2 Head Coach

However, the Red Bulls II head coach Ibrahim Sekagya also told reporters that he doesn’t want the team to stray from the habits that have helped them have a successful regular season, just because they are now in the playoffs.

“We know Chicago and what they’re good at, but we’re going to treat them as always. This is a team which we know exactly what they are good at, and this is what we have to understand on the day. But as I said from the beginning, we don’t change us. We’re going to stick to what we do, as Red Bull with our style of play [and it] doesn’t change because of this game…this is the focus now. The league is done and now another season is starting. We feel like there are four games left and then we start on Sunday.”

Ibrahim Sekagya RBNY2 Head Coach

Kick-off for tomorrow’s playoff game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The Red Bulls II will be looking to continue their season and avoid an upset against the Fire II.