Match Information
- New York Red Bulls II (42 points, third place) vs. FC Montreal (25 points, tenth place)
- Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015
- Stade Saputo, Montreal, Quebec
- 7:30 p.m. ET (WATCH: Live stream available on NewYorkRedBulls.com/Live)
- #MTLvNY – Follow on Twitter: @NYRBII
New York Red Bulls II, winners of three straight, is set travel up to Canada for the team’s second to last match of the season against FC Montreal. This is the third and final fixture between the clubs. The teams last met on June 6 in Montreal, a 2-2 draw thanks to goals from Leo Stolz and Manolo Sanchez. In their first match on May 24, Red Bulls II were triumphant, 3-2.
Only two matches remain in the USL regular season for New York. The team currently stands alone in third place of the Eastern Conference table. Red Bulls II can qualify for the 2015 USL Playoffs with a victory against FC Montreal, and a draw or loss by Pittsburgh Riverhounds (vs. Wilmington 9/12). New York still has a chance at second place and a first-round bye in the playoffs if Louisville City FC (at Charleston 9/12, at Saint Louis 9/19) lose its final two matches, and Red Bulls II win-out.
Last weekend, New York extended its unbeaten streak to four matches against Louisville City FC, 3-2. Battling back and overcoming two deficits in the game, goals from Manolo Sanchez, Daniel Bedoya and Bolu Akinyode, who provided the game-winning goal in the 86th minute, handed Louisville its first road loss since June. NYRB II is 3-1-1 in its last five matches.
Sanchez, on-loan from the Red Bulls, has now scored in back-to-back matches for Red Bulls II. The forward scored the game-winning goal against Wilmington on Aug. 29, and opened the scoring for NYRB II versus Louisville. Sanchez has totaled four goals and one assist this season in 20 appearances, including 19 starts.
Santiago Castano made six saves in the victory against Louisville, and is tied with two other goalkeepers for third in USL saves. Castano, who has stopped 82 shots in 20 games played this season, has allowed only three goals in the last four matches. Louisville’s opening goal in the 19th minute ended Castano’s 266 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal, a span of nearly three full matches.
For FC Montreal, the team’s inaugural season will indefinitely come to an end in less than two weeks. Currently in tenth place, Montreal have been eliminated from playoff contention. The team enters the midweek match on a three-match losing streak, winless in the club’s last four competitions.
New York Red Bulls II will need to keep track of Alessandro Riggi (7 G’s, 2 A’s), FC Montreal’s leading scorer. Riggi has scored twice against NYRB II this season, tallying one goal in each of the two games with New York this season. Goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau has been impressive this season, posting a 1.18 goals against average this season, but has allowed five goals in two matches versus NYRB II this season.
