Coming off of a draw in their first USL match at Columbia University on Sunday, NYRB II are set to enter the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup field on Wednesday night, with a second-round matchup against the Jersey Express on the campus of New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.
- TICKETS: NYRB II at Jersey Express, 8:00 p.m.
Jersey Express, who compete in the Premier Development League (PDL) is coming off of it’s first-ever U.S. Open Cup win as they defeated NY Greek Americans, 3-0 last week at NJIT. All three goals of that affair came in the second half. Marko Drljic, Chris Karcz, and Adin Kavara were the goal scorers for Jersey Express.
NYRB II was formed prior to the start of the 2015 season as a platform to develop young talent and add another step on the ladder between the highly regarded Red Bulls Academy and MLS team. It has served as a stage for young MLS players and academy products to earn meaningful minutes. The squad has featured a variety of young MLS players on loan during the first two months of the season, including three 2015 MLS draft picks and three Homegrown players. Several current Red Bulls Academy standouts have also earned playing time in USL on amateur agreements.
Tyler Adams was signed as the first NYRB II player in early March. Adams, who has been affiliated with the Red Bulls organization since the age of 10, returned in the game against Charleston last weekend after spending time in camp with the U.S. Under-17 team.
Former Red Bull and MetroStar John Wolyniec leads the team. Wolyniec previously served as Player Development Coordinator and head coach of the Red Bulls in the MLS reserve league. Woly’s young NYRB II team is currently 2-4-3, and has shown that they can compete with older, established USL teams. The team has earned three draws against Charleston and the Rochester Rhinos, the top two teams in the USL Eastern Conference.
After Wednesday, NYRB II will face FC Montreal on Sunday in the second half of a double-header at Red Bull Arena, after the MLS New York Red Bulls take on the Philadelphia Union at 5 p.m.
