New York Red Bulls II will five matches in the month of July, marking the first time this season in which it will play more than four in a month. The slate includes two-first time opponents and key Eastern Conference matchups.
Friday, July 1 – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (MSU Soccer Park, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
New York and Pittsburgh will meet for the 19th time in their history to kick off the month of July. Red Bulls II will look for revenge against a Riverhounds club that has won the last six meetings dating back to the 2020 season. The most recent meeting came in September of 2021, a narrow 1-0 victory for Pittsburgh. The club features three players that have scored five or more goals, being led by Dane Kelly, who has six. It will be the first of two matches between the clubs this season, with the return match coming on August 20 at Highmark Stadium.
Saturday, July 9 – Louisville City FC (Lynn Family Stadium, 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
The second match of July will feature a rematch from March in which Louisville defeated New York, 2-0, at MSU Soccer Park. Louisville will conclude a stretch for New York in which it faces four-straight clubs that appeared in the 2021 postseason. Coming into July, Louisville won three out of four, including a 3-1 victory over the defending champion Orange County SC. The club has the most clean sheets on the season with eight, recording one in half of their total matches on the season.
Friday, July 15 – Indy Eleven (MSU Soccer Park, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Indy Eleven will make the trip to Montclair for the first time since 2019 to mark the midway point of the month for New York. Red Bulls II will look to avenge its 2-0 loss to Indy earlier on in May of this season. The club made a huge splash with the signing of Solomon Asante, a two-time USL Championship Most Valuable Player. Indy is led by the scoring duo of Stéfano Pinho and Manuel Arteaga, who have combined for 12 goals entering the month of July.
Saturday, July 23 – Monterey Bay F.C. (Cardinale Stadium, 10:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
New York will hit the West Coast for the first time this season as it takes on USL Championship newcomer Monterey Bay F.C. at Cardinale Stadium. The match marks the first West Coast trip for Red Bulls II since July of last season when it took on Sacramento Republic FC. All four of Monterey Bay’s victories this season have been against strong competition. Their defining victory of the season came on May 21, when it defeated Louisville 2-0 at Lynn Family Stadium. Monterey Bay midfielder James Murphy is the brother of Red Bulls II midfielder John Murphy.
Sunday, July 31 – New Mexico United (MSU Soccer Park, 6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Another first-time opponent will visit MSU Soccer Park as New Mexico United will close out the month against Red Bulls II. The club boasts a strong road record through the end of June, winning five of eight matches away from home. New Mexico is led by a balanced scoring attack, including Neco Brett, who has the team lead with five. Prior to losing 2-0 to Birmingham Legion FC on June 25, New Mexico was on a seven-match point streak, with the last five being victories. It saw one of the largest margins of victory across USL Championship this season as it defeated Phoenix Rising FC 7-0 on May 24.
