New York Red Bulls II will host Hartford Athletic on Wednesday, April 17 at MSU Soccer Park. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. and will be shown live on ESPN+. Here are three things to watch for:
BARLOW IS ON FIRE
Last season, Tom Barlow scored 10 goals in 26 appearances. In only four matches this season, he already has scored five goals. Barlow will look to continue his good form against a struggling Hartford squad. Look out for Barlow to have a lot of chances in this match, and possibly add to his high early season goal total.
ANOTHER FIRST MATCHUP
Earlier this season, NYRB II defeated Memphis 901 FC in the first-ever matchup between the two clubs. They welcome another USL Championship club that is in their first season. In the last two seasons, NYRB II have not lost to new clubs at home posting a 3-0-2 record against the opposition. Watch for NYRB II to have a lot of chances to continue their recent success against new USL Championship clubs.
THE PRESENCE OF KOFFI AND LEMA
Tom Barlow, Marcus Epps, and Jared Stroud have all showed their presence on the stat sheet, but two players that have gone underpraised are Jean-Christophe Koffi and Chris Lema. The two defensive midfielders have been a great presence in the middle of the field. Lema leads the team in chances created with 12, which is twelfth in the USL Championship. Head Coach John Wolyniec praised his two midfielders for the job they have done over the first four matches. “The sixes are always important. They do a lot of the dirty work. We ask a lot of our players physically, but especially from those guys.”
Following tomorrow night’s match, NYRB II will remain home to host Loudoun United FC on Saturday, April 20, with kick-off set for 1 p.m. ET. For tickets, visit www.newyorkredbulls.com/2/tickets or call 1.877.727.7585.
