New York Red Bulls II vs. Chicago Fire FC II
MSU Soccer Park – Montclair, N.J.
Sunday, October 1 – 1:00 p.m. ET
MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
#NYvCHI
MONTCLAIR, N.J. (October 1, 2023) - #4 seed New York Red Bulls II are set to begin their playoff tun against #6 seed Chicago Fire FC II at MSU Soccer Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET and coverage is available on MLS Season Pass with Apple TV.
In what has already been an incredibly successful inaugural season in MLS NEXT Pro for New York Red Bulls II, there is still more work to be done as the club begins its run for the MLS NEXT Pro Cup. Finishing at fourth in the Eastern Conference and eighth in the entire league after the regular season, New York will be looking to channel the success that they have found up to this point in the year.
On the other end of this matchup is a hungry Chicago Fire FC II side that fought their way in the last portion of the regular season to be in this playoff position. In their past eight matches, Fire II have earned 16 of a possible 24 points to help vault themselves up to their spot at sixth in the Eastern Conference.
New York has had the edge against Chicago in both matchups between the two clubs this season. The first contest was a 0-0 draw on a rainy afternoon in Chicago that finished with Red Bulls II securing the second point in the shootout. After a defensive battle in the first contest, the script completely flipped the second time the two faced off. Red Bulls II came out on top in an offensive shootout that ended 5-4 at MSU Soccer Park. The goal scorers were Jorge Hurtado, Frank Ssebufu, Wiki Carmona, and Ibrahim Kasule, who scored his fourteenth and fifteenth goals of the season.
While their attack has picked up as of late, the defensive play from New York has been the strong point for the club through the entirety of the regular season. Red Bulls II sit at the top of the league in just about every major defensive statistic. The club is currently at fourth in MLS NEXT Pro in least goals allowed with 36, which is a massive contributor to New York having the fifth highest goal differential as well at +17. In addition, New York has the most interceptions in the league with 372 and the third highest save percentage at 72.3%.
The Red Bulls II defense will be put to the test with this opponent specifically, as Chicago currently ranks second in MLS NEXT Pro in both total shots and shots on target. This is a Fire II team that isn’t afraid to get shots on net, and New York will have to be up for the task this afternoon in Montclair.
Tickets for today’s match are available here. Coverage is available on MLS Season Pass with Apple TV.
