MONTCLAIR, NJ (March 21, 2024) - New York Red Bulls II advance to the second round of the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after defeating Hudson Valley Hammers last night, 5-1, at MSU Soccer Park.
Having just played three days prior, New York Red Bulls II were in for a quick turnaround for last night’s match. However, there were clearly no signs of slowing down for New York as they were dominant from the start in Montclair.
Red Bulls II were on the front foot from the beginning of the match, causing Hudson Valley’s defensive line plenty of issues early. This led directly to Mohammed Sofo being taken down on a breakaway chance, which led to Hudson Valley being issued a red card with over 75 minutes left in the match.
From there on, it was all New York.
After multiple shots on net, Red Bulls II found their breakthrough. Forward Mohammed Sofo dribbled past two Hudson Valley defenders and played a perfect ball across the goal mouth to find midfielder Dylan Sullivan to take a 1-0 lead. The goal was Sullivan’s first with the club, coming against a team established and run by his family in former New York Red Bulls product and United States Men’s National Team captain, Tyler Adams.
Right before the second half whistle, New York would strike again. After a shot from outside of the box from midfielder Aiden Jarvis, the Hudson Valley goalkeeper was forced to create a rebound opportunity for Mohammed Sofo, who buried the loose ball into the back of the net.
The second half was more of the same for Red Bulls II, with shot after shot on an already depleted Hudson Valley defense.
In the 62nd minute, another scramble around the net left the ball at the foot of Aiden Jarvis, who dribbled inside and ripped a shot into the bottom right corner of the net for his first goal with the club.
Hudson Valley would grab one back in the 79th minute, but it would not be enough as New York continued their scoring spree.
After being subbed on for his debut in the 69th minute, Malian midfielder Malick Dembele would join the offensive party just thirteen minutes later. Midfielder Steven Sserwadda collected a loose ball in the middle of the box and played a perfect pass to find a wide open Dembele, who would slot the ball away for his first goal with the club.
That would not be all for New York, as the team put the exclamation point on the match in stoppage time. After a rocket of a shot from defender Juan Mina, midfielder Ibrahim Kasule collected his first goal of 2024 by putting away the loose ball and registering New York’s fifth of the match.
The club earned their first victory in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play, but that would not be the only milestone throughout the course of the match.
New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Aidan Stokes made his first career appearance for the club, recording five saves throughout the contest. 14-year-old Red Bulls Academy midfielder Adri Mehmeti also made his debut for the club after being subbed on in the 69th minute.
New York will stay at home for their next MLS NEXT Pro match against Inter Miami CF II. Kickoff at MSU Soccer Park is scheduled for 5:00 P.M. ET. Coverage will be on mlsnextpro.com, the New York Red Bulls app and NewYorkRedBulls.com.
