New York Red Bulls II concluded its four-match May schedule on Friday, May 27, against Birmingham Legion FC.
Multiple Red Bulls II players reached career milestones throughout the month, including one that made league history. As the calendar turns to the first of the summer months, look back at notes and numbers from May:
Rafa Hits 50 – Jeremy Rafanello made his 50th USL Championship appearance on May 27, marking his 39th with New York. During his career, he has amassed 10 goals and six assists over 3,510 minutes.
Tyrkus Makes History – Illia Tyrkus scored his first professional goal on May 14, four minutes after being subbed into the match. The goal made him the third youngest goal scorer in club history and the 23rd youngest in league history (16 years, 9 months, and 14 days old).
Helping Hand – After tallying his first professional assist in April, O’Vonte Mullings recorded two against Hartford Athletic, marking the first multi-assist match from a Red Bulls II player since Mandela Egbo on September 22, 2021. He leads the team in assists with three.
Settling In – Jordan Adebayo-Smith moved into sole possession of the team lead in goals with three, including two during the month of May. The forward now has seven in his USL Championship career.
Capitán – May saw Juan Castillo dawn the captain’s armband for Red Bulls II. The second-year defender wore the armband for the first time in his career on May 8 and continued to wear it on May 14 and 21. He currently leads the team in minutes and is the only player to start every match.
Welcome Home – New York signed Adam Najem to a 25-day contract on May 19. The midfielder made his club debut on May 21, playing the second half. He earned the start on May 27, logging 57 minutes. The club also signed Morristown, New Jersey, native Jack Casey to a 25-day deal. He made two appearances as a substitute during the month.
