Previewing the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference Semi

Regular Season Records

New York Red Bulls II 14-8-6 (4th in East)

New England Revolution II 14-6-8 (2nd in East)

‘So, we meet again’ is the refrain that the New York Red Bulls II and New England Revolution II may say to themselves when they take the field at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Friday night at 7:00 pm for a single-elimination conference semifinal match.

These two MLS NEXT Pro clubs met three times during the 2023 regular season and the Red Bulls II won each time. But this time, much more is at stake, which is an opportunity to play in the Eastern Conference Final. Both teams earned the right to be here because they had very strong seasons, but what’s the context behind each team?

This year was the first in MLS NEXT Pro for the Red Bulls II, who joined after spending seven seasons in the United Soccer League Championship (USL). In the club’s inaugural season in the USL, they won the USL Championship Cup in grand fashion. That Baby Bulls squad that was managed by John Wolyniec crushed the Swope Park Rangers 5-1 at Red Bull Arena back in October of 2016. Now, seven years later, the club is being managed by Ibrahim Sekagya, who was an assistant coach on Wolyniec’s staff and played for the Red Bulls MLS team from 2013-14. ‘Coach Ibes’ team will be seeking to bring a second championship title to the RBNY organization which has succeeded where their first team could not.

During the press conference after the Red Bulls II’s first-round win, Sekagya told reporters that he told his players before they began this playoff run “we have another four finals”, surely a bold statement given that this is the club’s first season in this new league with a lot of talented opponents in it, but that is the Red Bull way. Sekagya’s team have taken care of the first round but now they have to get past a Revolution II team that will be looking to defeat them for the first time this year, in the playoffs.

What are Red Bulls II’s Strengths?

Its safe to say that the amount of success that Red Bulls II as a team and some of their players had, came as a little bit of a surprise. One advantage Red Bull have is there are players with MLS experience who start for them like Wiki Carmona, however they also have starters such as Copeland Berkley, who is 17 years old but has made 15 starts for the team this season at right back. The team’s newest additions: Julian Hall and Alan Rutkowski are 15 and 16 respectively.

Hall has had a whirlwind of a last few weeks. The 15-year-old from Manhattan signed a three and a-half-year contract with the New York Red Bulls in early September. The midfielder made his MLS debut one week ago, before being subbed into the second half of the Red Bulls II’s first-round playoff game on Saturday. All in all, he’s handled the literal ups and downs of being a 15-year-old prospect with aplomb and is now logging significant minutes for the Red Bulls II on their playoff run.

Rutkowski will be the man between the sticks on Friday for the Baby Bulls and he’s earned it. The Eastern Conference quarterfinal game was the 16-year-old goalkeeper’s eighth start, and he came close to earning his fourth clean sheet. The only goal that he conceded was a free kick taken from 18 yards away.

However, by far the biggest addition that has been made to the Red Bulls II this season has been Ibrahim Kasule. After leading the team with 15 goals during the regular season and tying a club record, the superstar forward scored a brace for the third time this year in the quarterfinal match, while adding an assist. This means he is the Baby Bulls’ greatest offensive weapon heading into Friday’s match and it also means that the Revs II will make it part of their gameplan to stop him from scoring.

The Revolution II’s Strengths

We already know that the Baby Bulls did very well against the Revs II this season. Out of the three times they met, two were very close matches which is what I think Friday will be. Even though the Red Bulls II scored four goals against the Revs goalkeeper Jacob Jackson in their match in June, they only managed one goal in the 95th minute of the match when they last met on August 6.

Then in the penalty shootout that followed, Jackson saved three out of the six penalties that New York took. He stopped O’Vonte Mullings, Davi Alexandre and Frank Ssebufu and Mullings and Ssebufu will almost certainly be playing tomorrow. The one big negative for the Red Bulls II is that they won their last meeting with the Revs II because of AJ Marcucci. Marcucci was their starting goalkeeper throughout the regular season until he suffered a season-ending injury the week after this game on Aug. 14. so, if this semifinal goes to penalties, the Red Bulls II won’t have Marcucci to rely on, but they will have Rutkowski who has three clean sheets in eight appearances this year.

As for New England’s forward group, that’s a bit tricky because they changed their formation to a 3-4-3 after using a 4-3-3 against the Red Bulls II in August. One constant for them this year has been who they’ve started at striker and that is Jordan Adebayo-Smith. Adebayo-Smith played for the Red Bulls II last season and struggled, but this year has regained his confidence.

Adebayo-Smith scored the only goal that the Revs II got against the Red Bulls II in their last regular season meeting. In that last matchup, the Revs II got on the board first when a long ball played into the Red Bulls II’s defensive half, was picked up by Patrick Leal and he dribbled past Davi Alexandre into the 18-yard box before crossing to Smith who scored a header, after beating Matt Nocita to the back-post.

The Red Bulls II will be looking to avoid one of these defensive lapses during the match tonight as they pursue their quest to make it to their first conference final as an MLS NEXT Pro club.

Kick-off is 7:00 PM and the match will be available on APPLE + TV with the MLS Season Pass.