Inside the Match: New York Red Bulls II vs. Detroit City FC

ITM 8

New York Red Bulls II will travel to face Detroit City FC for the first time on Saturday, April 30, at Keyworth Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m. ET, with coverage available on ESPN+.

Match Notes

Don’t Give Him Space – Since the beginning of the 2021 season, Jeremy Rafanello has scored three times from outside of the box, which is tied for sixth in the league during that span.

Brick Wall – AJ Marcucci has played all but one match since September 19, 2021 (15 matches). During that span, he leagues the league in saves with 65, with the next highest being Charleston’s Joe Kuzminsky with 45.

Hitting the Road – Three of the next four matches for Red Bulls II will take place away from home, which is the longest such stretch that the club will have until August 20 to September 17, where it will play four of six on the road.

Training Quotes

“Detroit wants to get the ball into the middle, so they play wide and come back inside, there’s real threat. They’ve done well recently, certainly against Columbus. I watched the game against Hartford, it looks like they’ve got a real good mentality and a strong mentality where they don’t lie down.” – Head Coach Gary Lewis

“We have to continue to never fold, and it’s a tough place to play. I think a lot of teams in the league have seen that already, losing games late. It’s a tough environment, so I think it’s just going into these environments as the group that we have and not folding and looking like a Red Bull team.” – Midfielder John Murphy

Important Numbers

4 – Four of the top five players in minutes on Red Bulls II are defenders. Juan Castillo leads the way with 565, and Lamine Conte, O’Vonte Mullings, and Jason Pedant rank third through fifth, respectively.

11 – Red Bulls II has won 11 matches when facing an opponent for the first time, with the most recent victory being a 5-0 victory over Birmingham Legion FC in 2019.

82 – New York leads USL Championship with 82 tackles won through the end of Week 7 of the season.