The New York Red Bulls take on Charlotte FC in the Round of 16 of the U.S. Open Cup at MSU Soccer Park on Wednesday, May 25. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET with coverage on ESPN+ and New York Red Bulls Radio in English and Spanish via TuneIn, the New York Red Bulls app and NewYorkRedBulls.com.
Get to know the matchup in Keys to the Game, presented by Honda:
Cup Run
It has been five years since New York made it past the Round of 16 in the U.S. Open Cup.
In New York’s club history, they have only made it past the Round of 16 twice since 2011.
Charlotte FC now stands in the way of this year’s Red Bulls team making it to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2017.
The team has not been shy about the importance of a deep cup run, and Wednesday night’s game is just the next step.
Cleaning the Sheets
Six of the 15 goals that New York has allowed across all competitions in 2022 have come in just the last three matches.
The last clean sheet for the Red Bulls came in the U.S. Open Cup in a 3-0 victory over D.C. United.
Shoring up the defense and keeping Charlotte’s attack at bay will be one of the keys to moving on to the quarterfinals.
New Surroundings
Wednesday will be the first time since 2019 that the Red Bulls have played a match at MSU Soccer Park, the home of Red Bulls II.
New York played New England in the fourth round of the 2019 U.S. Open Cup at MSU Soccer Park, a game that New England won 3-2 in extra time.
While multiple players on the current Red Bulls roster like Tom Barlow and Daniel Edelman have experience playing on the turf at MSU Soccer Park, this current roster has never played there together as a team.
The team that adjusts to the atmosphere the quickest will have the advantage on Wednesday night.
