MONTCLAIR, N.J. (May 22, 2023) - New York Red Bulls II (4-2-3, 17 pts.) defeated Inter Miami CF II (3-5-1, 10 pts.) 1-0 on Sunday at MSU Soccer Park to close out the club’s three match homestand.
New York came into the match on a roll, having just defeated New York City FC II in the first New York Derby in MLS NEXT Pro by a score of 2-0. Before yesterday’s match, the club was tied for the league lead in clean sheets with four and looked to continue their incredible defensive form.
At kickoff, the two squads traded opportunities, but Miami was able to get the first high quality chance of the match in the fifth minute. A loose ball in front of the net that found the foot of a Miami forward was no match for A.J. Marcucci, who made a terrific save right away in his first match back from injury.
After the stop from Marcucci, Red Bulls II used that energy to find some chances in the final third. Forwards Frank Ssebufu and Oladayo Thomas created opportunities and eventually struck first in the 20th minute.
The play originated from a Miami clearance that was pressured by defender Copeland Berkley, forcing a turnover around midfield. Ronald Donkor scooped up the loose ball and quickly found Frank Ssebufu in the middle of the field. Ssebufu turned and immediately found Oladayo Thomas making a run behind the Miami defense. Thomas skillfully placed the ball at the far post past the keeper’s hand to find the back of the net and give New York the lead with his second goal of the season.
The opportunities did not end there, with New York spending a majority of the half in the opposing end. However, New York was unable to add to their lead and maintained the 1-0 score going into halftime.
The highlight for New York in the second half was the defense and goalkeeping, which has been the key to the club’s success all season long. Even with substitutions, the back line was able to stop any threat of a Miami attack, no matter the combination of defenders for New York. Yostin Salinas, Davi Alexandre, Copeland Berkley, Jayden Reid, O’Vonte Mullings, and Juan Gutierrez all put in great shifts to maintain the clean sheet and secure the victory for Red Bulls II.
New York had chances on the offensive end, including an Ibrahim Kasule shot that had to be cleared on the goal line by a Miami defender, but the second half saw no additional scoring for either club.
With the victory, New York collected its second-straight victory and has earned a result in five of its last six matches with a 4-1-1 record. Red Bulls II recorded its second consecutive clean sheet and fifth in its last six matches. The club’s five clean sheets are tied with Columbus Crew 2 and Earthquakes II for the league lead. New York has allowed seven goals this season, which is tied for fourth-fewest in MLS NEXT Pro.
Goalkeeper AJ Marcucci recorded his league-leading fourth clean sheet of the season and the eighth of his professional career. The third-year goalkeeper moved into a tie with Rafael Diaz for third in club history for clean sheets.
New York has a quick turnaround on the road, facing Huntsville City FC at Joe Davis Stadium on Friday, May 26th. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET with coverage available on MLS Season Pass with Apple TV, the New York Red Bulls app, and NewYorkRedBulls.com.
Scoring Summary:
- NY - Oladayo Thomas 2 (Ssebufu) 20’
Misconduct Summary
- NY - Davi Alexandre (caution, foul) 14’
- NY - Yostin Salinas (caution, dissent) 21’
- NY - Jayden Reid (caution, delay of game) 86’
- NY - Oladayo Thomas (caution, dissent) 88’
New York Red Bulls II: AJ Marcucci; O’Vonte Mullings (Jayden Reid, 31’), Yostin Salinas, Davi Alexandre (Juan Gutierrez, 63’), Copeland Berkley (Dija, 63’), Amos Shapiro-Thompson, Erick Ruiz, Ibrahim Kasule, Ronald Donkor (Ricardo Gorday, 63’, Bento Estrela, 80’), Frank Ssebufu, Oladayo Thomas
Unused Subs: Alan Rutkowski, Aiden Jarvis, Julian Hall
TOTAL SHOTS: 14 ; SHOTS ON GOAL: 2 ; FOULS: 19 ; POSSESSION: 34.7 ; CORNER KICKS: 6 ; SAVES: 4
Inter Miami CF II: Owen Finnerty; Cesar Abadia-Reda, Tyler Hall (Farid Sar-Sar, 46’), Modesto Mendez, Nykolas Sessock, Cameron Johnson, Abel Caputo, Ricardo Montenegro, Miles Perkovich (Lucas Meek, 61’), Lorenzo D’Agostini (Bryan Destin, 61’), Braxton Taghvai-Najib (Lawson Sunderland, 46’)
Unused Subs: Brett Kaminski, Gabriel Velez, Tye Barton
TOTAL SHOTS: 8 ; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 ; FOULS: 10 ; POSSESSION: 65.3 ; CORNER KICKS: 0 ; SAVES: 0
