Whippany, NJ- The championship final of MLS Next Pro is here. For the second time in the history of the two team from the New York Red Bulls, they will host a championship final at Red Bull Arena/Sports Illustrated Stadium for the second time in the club’s history, facing the Colorado Rapids 2 for the championship.
Michael Bradley is ready for the Final
When former U.S. Men’s National Team International Midfielder Michael Bradley took the job as Head Coach this past June, to gave Ibrahim Sekagya a promotion to join the first team’s coaching staff. From that point on, Bradley found a way to keep the momentum going and capture first place in the Eastern Conference.
But no one expected Bradley’s early head coaching career to put this team into a possible championship trajectory. The destruction of the Carolina Core in the Quarterfinals, the extra time victory against the Chicago Fire 2, and then the gutty comeback win from Roald Mitchell’s brace to knock out Philadelphia Union 2 to get into this championship final. This start has been amazing.
“When I walked into this building on the first day, I was just so excited about the part of now getting to as a young coach, be on the field every day with a really talented group of players. And sure, we talked about how well they had started the season, about how we were going to continue to challenge ourselves to play from the front of the pack.
When I came in, the group had just beaten Chattanooga at home and was in first place. And so we talked about the excitement and the challenge now of being the team that everybody else was chasing. But ultimately, when the work starts, you don’t think about the end very often. You think about it just every single day, trying to chip away at things, and trying to take the idea that you have in your head of what the team is, what the team can be, and just keep going with it all in that direction.
And so it’s been a really fun group to work with. All the players are so into it, and they have taken a lot of the ideas, really, really well. And so it’s been a fun five months. We’re excited now to have the opportunity one more time this year to play a big game at home, in a great stadium, in front of our fans, and see if we can finish the year where, ultimately, everybody wants to finish,” said Michael Bradley
Facing the Colorado Rapids 2 in the Final
As we all know, in MLS Next Pr,o all matches are played within your own conference. Not a single match was played against a Western Conference team until they got to the championship final. So this will make scouting and watching tape very demanding on the coaching staff to see what they can do to break down the Rapids 2 side.
“They know what they are, and they know the type of game they want, and they know the things that they’re good at, and so there’s no doubt that in certain moments they’re going to win balls and look to run and look to go fast in transition.
It’s not a team that necessarily cares about having the ball for long amounts of time, but it’s a team that is athletic and physical, the team that has speed, and it’s a team again, that in terms of against the ball, chasing and really trying to go, come after you, and then win it.
So we have a big respect for them. They’ve had a really good season. And so we’ve spent a good time this week as a staff and with the players as well, making sure that everybody understands what kind of game we’re going to get.”
Just stay the course and play their brand of football
As they are ready for the MLS Next Pro Championship Final, this team has shown that they are capable of playing their style on the pitch every match they have on the schedule. There is a strong level of confidence coming from this Red Bulls 2 team, and they know what’s coming in front of them with the Rapids 2 flying across the country.
“I’d say the most important part of this game is just playing our football. And being a Red Bull team, that’s the most important. Because now we’re representing the East, and we’re representing New York especially. So we know what we’ve got to do, and we’re just going to play our football,” Said Matthew Dos Santos
The danger man is Diop
The biggest threat right now to Red Bulls 2’s Championship Title hopes is the attempt to slow down, or stop their opponents’ top goal scorer, Mamdou Billo Diop. This season, he has scored 14 goals in MLS Next Pro as the Rapids 2 top goalscorer. It’s a big task for this team to stop him and their opponents.
“I’d say the way we’ve been defensively has been really good, and we’ve gotten a lot better throughout the season. So I’d say just continue what we’ve been doing, and our back line’s been strong throughout the regular season and the playoffs, so we’re just going to continue that.”
Mirroring what the 2016 team did
When these MLS Two teams were constructed, MLS and the United Soccer Leagues had an agreement to allow these academy teams to join their top league. It started in 2015, when the LA Galaxy 2 side went to the final and lost to the Rochester Raging Rhinos. But in the second season, it was Red Bulls 2 that won it over another MLS 2 side in Sporting Kansas City’s Swope Park Rangers.
We remember Tyler Adams, Aaron Long, Derrick Etienne Jr., Sean Davis, Brandon Allen, Ryan Meara, Florian Valot, and many others who had a fabulous season and lifted the USL Cup. You wonder what it could mean for this side, mirroring what that 2016 side did then.
“Yes, it’s special to just look back at that and be able to compare ourselves and look at the guys who have played there in that special moment in that stadium.”
Michael Bradley earned his first win at Sports Illustrated Stadium
When the club moved their Eastern Conference Final match from MSU Soccer Park at Motclair State University to Sports Illustrated Stadium, it reminded me of that 2016 championship run when the two team played all their home games in Harrison, before creating the soccer park at MSU. For Michael Bradley, he earned his first win at the Stadium and now has a chance to get his second win.
You wonder what his thoughts are when he played there as a visiting player for Toronto FC, but once as a home player for a World Cup Qualifier as a member of the U.S. Men’s National Team against Costa Rica.
“For me, it’s one of the absolute best stadiums in the country. A bunch of us were talking this week. I mean, obviously, we had a great crowd against Philadelphia. It was by no means full, or necessarily close to full, but the few 1000 people that came into that stadium and this stadium itself. When we scored, the noise and the atmosphere were incredible.
And everybody, the players, everybody inside the club, felt that. And so again, for me, it’s especially growing up in New Jersey. I can remember going to watch MetroStars games in that first year or two at the old Giants Stadium. And now you know whether it was with the national team, whether it was with any of the club teams that I played for, now coaching. To be able to play a part in Sports Illustrated Stadium. That part is special,” said Bradley
So at 7 PM Eastern – 4 PM Pacific on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, the New York Red Bulls 2 will host the Colorado Rapids 2 at Sports Illustrated Stadium for the right to be the champions of the MLS Next Pro League, as the future of both clubs will be on display.
New York Red Bulls News:
- Red Bulls 2 Getting Ready for Big Eastern Conference Finals against Union 2
- Red Bulls II Advance to MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference Final with Thrilling 5-3 Victory Over Chicago Fire FC II
- Red Bulls 2 selected and ready to face Chicago Fire 2
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