MONTCLAIR, N.J. (April 15, 2024) - New York Red Bulls II (3-0-2 13 pts.) earn a second point in the league standings after an intense, 5-5, battle against Chicago Fire FC II (1-0-3 8 pts.) at MSU Soccer Park. New York came out on top in the shootout, 4-3.
Red Bulls II came into yesterday’s match at the top of the Eastern Conference and were looking to add to their early lead in the standings against an impressive Chicago side.
New York would strike early, thanks to an eventual barrage from forward Roald Mitchell. Starting in the 4th minute, defender Jair Collahuazo played a beautiful long ball from midfield to Mitchell, who dinked one over the goalkeeper’s head to open the match’s scoring.
As would be a trend in the first half, Mitchell would strike again just six minutes later. After drawing a penalty kick, the Montclair, N.J., native calmly placed it away to double New York’s lead.
Twelve minutes later, Mitchell would make history after finding the back of the net for a third time. The forward converted yet another penalty to secure his first professional hat-trick, which was the fastest to start a match in MLS NEXT Pro history just 18 minutes in.
The scoring spree for Roald would not end there, as the 21-year-old would cap off his record-breaking first half performance with a highlight reel goal. Defender Aidan O’Connor started things off by playing a perfect ball to Mitchell, who shook off a Chicago defender and made a slick move past the goalkeeper to place an easy finish into the open net.
Mitchell’s four goals tied the club record for a single match set by Chris Lema on July 13, 2019. He is the only player in club history to score four goals in a match in the first half. In addition to everything else, his hat-trick in a 14-minute span was the fastest by any player in Red Bulls II history.
Chicago would draw two penalties to end the first half and cut the deficit to 4-2 as the two clubs headed into the break.
The visitors drew yet another penalty in the 50th minute, and Harold Osorio would convert for the third time to put his side within one.
New York grabbed their fifth goal of the match in the 68th minute after increasing their pressure following the three penalties. Midfielder Steven Sserwadda made a run with the ball down the right side of the field and sent in a fast-paced cross that deflected off Chicago defender Diego Konincks and found the back of the net.
Chicago would strike back twice following the own goal over the next 12 minutes. David Poreba netted both goals for his side as they managed to tie things up and force the match into a shootout to determine the second point in the league standings.
New York would not let the late-match dramatics get to them in the shootout, as all four players to step up were able to convert their attempts. Curtis Ofori, Julian Hall, Ibrahim Kasule, and Rafael Mosquera all calmly tucked their shots away to maintain the club’s top spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
New York is now unbeaten through its first five matches to kick off the 2024 season, marking the third time in club history that the team started unbeaten through its first five (2016, 2019). Red Bulls II has scored 14 goals through those first five matches, which is tied for the most in club history, matching the start to the 2018 campaign.
New York will hit the road for a matchup against Philadelphia Union 2 at Subaru Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 P.M. ET. Coverage will be on MLS Season Pass with Apple TV, the New York Red Bulls app and NewYorkRedBulls.com.
