HARRISON, N.J. (March 14, 2026) – Red Bull New York II to travel to Belson Stadium to face NYCFC II on Sunday, March 15 for first New York Derby of the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Season. Kickoff is set for 4:15 p.m. ET with coverage available on OneFootball and MLSNEXTPro.com
New York are off to a strong start to their 2026 season, winning both of their opening matches by a margin of 7-2. They’re coming off a 3-0 victory over Inter Miami CF II on March 8 at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Forward Christian Gallagher and midfielder Benny Rodriguez scored their first career goals in MLS NEXT Pro, while forward Mijahir Jimenez added to the scoresheet. Goalkeeper Tobias Szewczyk tallied his first career MLS NEXT Pro clean sheet in the win.
NYCFC II have only played one match this season, coming off a 0-0 draw and five to four penalty kick shootout loss to Columbus Crew 2 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.
Through six all time MLS NEXT Pro matchups, Red Bulls II own the series advantage with a 3-2-1 record. RBNY II are unbeaten in three of their last four matchups and have scored at least two goals in four of their matches against their New York rivals.
The two sides last faced one another on July 20, 2025 at MSU Soccer Park. The match was filled with first half goals with five scored in the first 45 minutes. Jimenez scored a hat trick while midfielder Nehuen Benedetti tacked on a goal as well. NYCFC II earned two goals from midfielder Uriel Zeitz and forward Eligio Guarino, but it wasn’t enough as RBNY II secured the 4-2 victory.
Jimenez leads the current roster in goals scored against NYCFC II with three. All three of his goals came in a hat trick performance in a 4-2 win when the two sides last played one another on July 20, 2025. The hat trick made the forward the youngest player in club history to score a hattrick at 18 years, 114 days old.
Following Sunday’s match, New York will host Philadelphia Union II at MSU Soccer Park on Sunday, March 22. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET with coverage available on OneFootball and MLSNEXTPro.com.
