Match Information
- New York Red Bulls II vs. Rochester Rhinos
- Red Bull Arena, Harrison, N.J.
- March 28, 2015
- 2 p.m. EDT (WATCH: Live Stream available on NewYorkRedBulls.com/Live)
- #NYvROC
- Tickets
New York Red Bulls II is set to begin its inaugural USL season against Rochester Rhinos on Saturday, March 28 at Red Bull Arena. For NYRB II, this is an opportunity to integrate coaches, player and staff at all levels from the Academy, USL and First Team. Led by head coach John Wolyniec and technical staff members Ibrahim Sekagya and Vadim Kirillov, Red Bulls II are set to kick-off for the very first time.
New York Red Bulls II
The first ever NYRB II roster is littered with Academy, First Team and fresh college talent. From the First Team, first round draft pick and Mac Hermann Award winner Leo Stolz headlines the squad. He enters 2015 one year after being recognized as college soccer’s best player and plans to make his mark for the new club. Stolz will be joined by fellow 2015 MLS SuperDraft pick Manolo Sanchez, Homegrown Player Santiago Castano and Marius Obekop.
Red Bulls Academy Under-18 players Marcello Borges, Kyle Zajec, Derrick Etienne, Ethan Lochner and Juan Sebastian Sanchez will all be in the squad, fresh off a 4-2 win against Montreal Impact last weekend. Zajec and Lochner both tallied, while Sanchez scored twice. Man of the Match Etienne supplied all four assists. Borges started and went the full 90 minutes in the victory.
Academy product Dan Metzger will not feature in Saturday’s inaugural match because of committments with US U-23 squad.
“The focus is about developing players…that’s the general idea about the team,” head coach Wolyniec said. “More specifically it’s about giving minutes, time and real games to some of the younger MLS players. At the same time, it’s about giving an opportunity to some of the guys that might have fallen through the cracks, but we give them a chance [and] say ‘hey, you got a year to show what you can do and see if you can move up.’ And also getting the Academy guys some real professional minutes.”
New York Red Bulls II Roster
- Goalkeepers (2): Santiago Castano* (24), Rafael Diaz (74)
- Defenders (3): Tyler Adams, Marcello Borges* (39), Michael da Fonte (44)
- Midfielders (12): Franklin Castellanos (77), Alexander Clay 56), Derrick Etienne* (36), Colin Heffron (51), Victor Manosalvas (70), Dan Metzger, Marius Obekop* (21), Konrad Plewa (41), Manolo Sanchez* (17), Leo Stolz* (19), James Thomas (33), Kyle Zajec* (38)
- Forwards (3): Ethan Lochner* (43), Juan Sebastian Sanchez* (37), Chris Tsonis (45)
(Jersey number in parentheses)
- Loan agreement from MLS
** - Academy player with amateur agreement
Rochester Rhinos
The Rhinos, historically one of USL’s most successful clubs, look to improve upon its 2014 season. The New England Revolution affiliates finished sixth in the table with a 10-10-8 record, but were eliminated in the Quarterfinals of the USL playoffs by L.A. Galaxy II.
Rochester finished preseason with an undefeated record of 3-0-2, defeating Niagara University, University of Buffalo and Syracuse University while drawing Cornell University and NASL side Ottawa Fury FC. In the last week alone, the Rhinos have announced a multitude of signings, including former Colorado Rapids defender Grant Van De Casteele, German Youth international Julian Ringhof and 2015 MLS Combine MVP forward Christian Volesky.
Vital to the Rhinos’ 2015 success will be 2014 Defensive Player of the Year, Tony Walls. Walls helped Rochester become one of USL’s most stifling defenses, allowing the second least amount of goals (25) in 2014. Expect head coach Bob Lilley’s defensive style to be a staple throughout the match.
Kickoff on Saturday at Red Bull Arena is set for 2 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on newyorkredbulls.com/live.
