Red Bulls 2 selected and ready to face Chicago Fire 2

Red Bulls 2 is hosting the Conference Semi-Finals match

East Hanover, NJ- Red Bulls 2 of MLS Next Pro is preparing for a big Semi-final matchup in the Eastern Conference as they selected their opponents in the Windy City side of the Chicago Fire 2 at the MSU Soccer Park in Montclair, NJ. This will be a big matchup for this Red Bulls side, as they have had their challenges against them.

Regular season matchups

In three matches in the regular season, Red Bulls 2 earned a three-to-two win at MSU Soccer Park on Sunday, April 6th. But when they made the trip to Seat Geek Stadium, it was the Fire burning down the Red Bulls with a nine-to-two destruction on Sunday, July 27th. In their final match back at MSU Soccer Park, a one-goal win was all the two sides needed on Sunday, August 24th.

Does Fire 2 Play like Fire 1

When MLS Clubs have a second team, they usually play the same way the first team plays, but sometimes you have a head coach who can make a few tweaks to make that second team better. Head Coach Michael Bradley is well aware of what’s in front of him against the Fire’s second team.

“They’re a good team. They have good players. They have good ideas about how they want to play football and how they want to try to put the game on their terms, score goals, and be dangerous. So it’s a team that we have a lot of respect for. Obviously, the game there in Bridgeview was disappointing, from our standpoint, really disappointing.

It was obviously a game where a hot day went down to 10 men early. But that was a day that we learned a lot. We learned a lot about ourselves and tried to really use it as a way to improve and take the right steps from there. And so I think we were able to do that. And then obviously, in the game at our place, a few weeks, months later, we felt like we played a good, solid game.

Scored the goal on the set piece in the second half. So again, it’s a good team. It’s a team that we know is going to be ready to test us at our highest level, and we’re excited by the challenge,” said Bradley

Roald Mitchell has looked better since the injury

Since his injury on April 14th against these same Chicago Fire 2 side back in 2024, Mitchell’s return in June was a welcome sight. Since then, he’s played well and has been a part of the five goals to one win against the Carolina Core in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

“We’re all really excited for Roald (Mitchell). Obviously, he had the tough injury. His first real week back in training coincided with my first week here in June. And so I’ve been able to see the way that he has built himself back up and gotten himself sharper and fitter.

And now, whether it’s training with the first team or in the moments when he’s with us, he has continued to improve and get stronger and fitter and sharper, and that part is great to see. Everybody at the club is really excited for him. Roald has really, really good quality, so we keep trying to push him forward.”

This coaching staff has prepared them well for the playoffs

All this hard work just to get to this level in the playoffs is very important, and the hard work the coaching staff has been doing has a lot to do with putting these players in a position to get the necessary result. From Ibrahim Segkaya to Michael Bradley, it feels like this coaching change; they haven’t missed a beat.

“I think a lot of it goes into training every day. I think the training is really well structured, and our style is really clear to how we want to play in games. Ibra (Sekagya) and Michael (Bradley) have done a really good job of preparing us for every game, and when we go out, we have a clear picture of what we want to achieve,” said Adri Mehmeti.

Michael Bradley remembers Amado Guevara

When Michael Bradley began his playing career back in the 2005 MetroStars season, his father Bob Bradley was the head coach, and he transferred over Honduran international creative midfielder Amado Guevara. While Michael played and started in 30 of the 32 games in that season. His only goal with the club was on the road at Chivas-USA at the Dignity Health Sports Park.

But he remembers those fond times in the two seasons at the Mighty Metros, as these two became opponents in last week’s Quarterfinal matchup in the 2025 MLS Next Pro Playoffs. Guevara is the assistant coach to former Jamaican International Donovan Ricketts at the Carolina Core.

“Football has incredible ways of making stories— a small world, it’s a close-knit world. The number of times you cross paths and recross paths with players and coaches and different people along the way, that part is still special. Amado was a great teammate as a young player on that MetroStars team. He was a role model.

As the years have gone on, he and I have become friends. When we beat Costa Rica in the last game of World Cup qualifying in 2009, that allowed Amado and Honduras to qualify for the World Cup themselves. That game for us actually didn’t mean anything; we were already qualified.

But we played and competed and did everything we could, first for ourselves because we wanted to finish qualifying in the best possible way. But in the process, that also allowed Amado to go to the World Cup. So I know for him that’s something that he and his family will always remember. Whenever we see each other, it’s always good to give him a big hug and catch up and always wish him all the best,” said Bradley

New York Red Bulls News:

• Red Bulls II Dominate Carolina Core, 5-1, Advance to Eastern Conference Semifinals
• Red Bulls II starts their run in the MLS Next Pro Playoffs against Carolina Core
• Red Bulls Season Finale ends with a loss at Columbus

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