New York Red Bulls II will host Birmingham Legion FC on Friday, May 27. Kickoff at MSU Soccer Park is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET with coverage available on ESPN+.
Match Notes
Reunited – Friday’s match will mark the first meeting between New York and Birmingham since the 2019 season. In the only two meetings between the clubs, the home side has taken each match. Red Bulls II won 5-0 in the only match at MSU Soccer Park.
Home Sweet Home – New York will play three of its next four matches at home, including the next two. It will also play its only match of the season at Red Bull Arena on Thursday, June 2.
Young Guys Making an Impact – Red Bulls II has two players among the ten youngest in USL Championship to appear in a match this season. Those two, Sam Williams and Curtis Ofori, account for 33 percent of the group’s total minutes.
Training Quotes
“We like Jeremy [Rafanello] in a lot of positions. He adds a lot of quality to the group just behind the strikers. We feel that it is a really solid position for him right now, playing in between the two lines gives him opportunities to face forwards. In terms of leadership and the quality on the ball, he has all the attributes we’re looking for.” – Gary Lewis
“We have good chemistry within the whole squad, there aren’t groups, everybody’s all connected with each other. It’s good when you give out information, people listen, and they take it in. It’s very easy.” – Jeremy Rafanello
Important Numbers
25 – Sam Williams is 25 minutes away from surpassing his total from the 2021 season. If he does on Friday, he will have reached that in six fewer matches.
50 – Jeremy Rafanello is one appearance away from 50 for his USL Championship career. His 49 rank second on the team only behind Adam Najem (73).
89 – Juan Castillo is 89 minutes away from 1,000 for the season, which would make him the first player to surpass that mark for Red Bulls II this season.
