New York Red Bulls II enjoyed a weekend off after playing four games in under two weeks. This week the team is back in action on Saturday, Aug. 22 at The Soccer Centre in Vaughan, ON, Canada, to take on Toronto FC II at 7 p.m. EDT (WATCH: Live stream available at NewYorkRedBulls.com/Live).
Round two with Toron-two
New York Red Bulls II return to the pitch this weekend in Canada against Toronto FC II. This is the second and final USL regular season meeting between the clubs. In their first fixture on April 4 at Red Bull Arena, Red Bulls II won its first ever match against TFC II, 4-1. Anatole Abang, Shawn McLaws, Marius Obekop and Leo Stolz all recorded their first professional goals in the match, while Sean Davis, Manolo Sanchez and Derrick Etienne all tallied their first assists.
Red Bulls II hopes to end its current three match winless streak following a loss to Wilmington Hammerheads FC and two draws against Charlotte Independence. A win for New York could potentially lift NYRB II into a tie for third place with Charleston Battery.
For Toronto FC II, anything but a win will be considered a disappointment. TFC II currently stands in eleventh place in the Eastern Conference, 14 points out of playoff position. Although their playoff chances are slim, a late-season winning streak could keep them in the hunt for the postseason. TFC II will likely need production from points leader Mo Babouli (4 G’s, 3 A’s) this weekend for success against NYRB II.
The Playoff Picture
Only five matches remain in the USL regular season for New York Red Bulls II, who are locked in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race. Through 23 matches, New York currently stand in fifth place with 33 points.
Red Bulls II are tied on points with fourth place Richmond Kickers, but since season series records are the primary tiebreaker in USL, Richmond, who is 2-1-0 against NYRB II this season, maintains fourth place. Behind NYRB II are the sixth place Pittsburgh Riverhounds with 32 points, and just below the red line, the seventh place Harrisburg City Islanders (with two games in hand on NYRB II) on 28 points.
The playoff format for USL is similar to MLS, where the top two teams in each conference receive a first round bye, while the third place team hosts the sixth place team, and the fourth place team hosts the fifth place team. All playoff matches are a single leg with the winner advancing to the next round.
Tyler Adams called up by USMNT U-17
U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) Head Coach Richie Williams has called up New York Red Bulls II midfielder Tyler Adams into the 20-man roster for the Vaclav Jezek Youth Tournament in the Czech Republic.
Adams, a native of Wappingers Falls, N.Y., has appeared in nine matches and played 699 minutes for New York Red Bulls II. The midfielder made his First Team debut and scored his first professional goal as a starter in the International Champions Cup (ICC) against Chelsea FC. He made his second First Team start against Benfica in the ICC and played the opening 45 minutes.
READ: Tyler Adams, Matthew Olosunde called into USMNT Under-17 squad
The Vaclav Jezek Youth Tournament started on Aug. 14 and lasts nine days, ending on Aug. 22. The U.S. U-17s began play on Tuesday, Aug. 18, when they faced Russia and lost, 4-2. The team will play again on Aug. 19 against Slovenia and will conclude group play on Aug. 21 against Slovakia. The opponent for a final placement game, which will be played on Saturday, Aug. 22, will be determined following the conclusion of group play.
Red Bulls II in MLS
Anthony Wallace scored his second MLS goal of the season against Toronto FC last weekend. He started and played the full 90 minutes, and the goal is his third in all competitions this season. He scored a similar goal earlier this year with NYRB II, a game winning goal in stoppage time.
Karl Ouimette started and played the full 90 minutes against Toronto FC over the weekend. The defender played center back and helped New York earn a clean sheet at Red Bull Arena. Ouimette earned his tenth appearance and his seventh start of the 2015 MLS regular season.
Sean Davis made a brief substitute appearance in the Red Bulls victory against Toronto FC, 3-0. He also appeared in the Hudson River Derby against NYCFC the week prior, and played 14 minutes in the 2-0 win. He has now made eight MLS appearances this season.
Next Home Match
New York Red Bulls II have only two regular season home matches remaining this season. The next game to be played at Red Bull Arena will be on Saturday, August 29 against Wilmington Hammerheads FC at 5 p.m. EDT, the fourth and final regular season matchup between the clubs. The final home game will be on Saturday, September 5 against Louisville City FC at 5 p.m. EDT.
