HARRISON, N.J. (October 10, 2026) – Red Bull New York II (13-10-5, 46 pts.) hosts Huntsville City FC (12-10-6, 44 pts.) in the MLS NEXT Pro Playoff Eastern Conference Play-In Round at MSU Soccer Park on Sunday, October 11. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET with coverage available on OneFootball and MLSNEXTPRO.com.
New York played Huntsville once this season. In their Decision Day battle, the Alabama side pulled off a 2-1 win at MSU Soccer Park. During the match, winger Pedro Castro made his MLS NEXT Pro debut and scored the lone goal for the Red Bulls in the 90th minute.
During the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro regular season campaign, midfielder Deven Cadigan was seventh in the league in passes from open play with 1,598. Defender Aimar Sánchez finished eighth in this category (1,579), while also placing in the top ten 10 in phases of possession (10th – 1,862), passes from open play per 90 (third – 72) and phase of possession per 90 (third – 84.9).
On the offensive side, forward Christian Gallagher, who led the club with nine goals this season, led MLS NEXT Pro in goals per 90 (1) and shot efficiency per 90 (0.96). Meanwhile, winger Benny Rodriguez finished in the top 10 in one-on-ones (10th – 17), goals from outside the penalty area (tied for sixth – 2) and one-on-ones per 90 (10th – 1). Captain Nate Worth suffered the fourth most fouls in the regular season with 59.
As a unit, New York were one of the best offenses during the regular season, placing in the top 10 in shot efficiency (fifth – 58), goals from inside the penalty area (sixth – 49), shots (second – 423), shots on target (tied for sixth – 161) and clear-cut chances converted (tied for third – 22).
On the defensive side, the Red Bulls conceded the least number of shots with 294.
This is the first year that the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs format features a Play-In Round between the number eight and nine seeds from the Eastern and Western Conference.
If the defending champions come out victorious against Huntsville, they will travel to take on number one seed Crown Legacy FC on Sunday, October 18 at Sportsplex at Matthews. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET with coverage available on OneFootball and MLSNEXTPRO.com.
