Inside the Match: New York Red Bulls II vs. Indy Eleven

ITM 11

New York Red Bulls II will travel to face Indy Eleven on Saturday, May 21, at Michael A. Carroll Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET with coverage on ESPN+.

Match Notes

Facing the Former Club – Jeremy Rafanello will face his former club for the first time on Saturday. The midfielder spent the 2020 season with Indy Eleven, where he appeared in nine matches, started four, and scored his first professional goal.

Helping Hand – Following his first career multi-assist match at Hartford Athletic, O’Vonte Mullings moved into the team lead with three on the season. He is tied for ninth in the league, two behind the lead.

New Signings – Over the past week, New York Red Bulls II has announced the signings of Adam Najem and Jack Casey to 25-day contracts. Najem, a Red Bulls Academy product, has 72 matches of USL Championship experience. Casey appeared in 77 matches over four years for the University of Notre Dame.

Training Quotes

“We’re just facing a bit of heartbreak each week. Maybe that’s the situation that’s going on now, that the feeling is a good education for them in a wrong way, and do you benefit from that long term. That’s the hope I have because we’re really close to getting this thing right.” – Head Coach Gary Lewis

Important Numbers 

3 – The past three meetings between Red Bulls II and Indy Eleven have each been decided by one goal.

23 – Illia Tyrkus became the 23rd youngest player in USL Championship regular season history to score a goal at 16 years, 9 months, and 14 days old.

720 – Jeremy Rafanello has played 720 consecutive minutes, which is the longest current streak among Red Bulls II players. In eight matches, he has not been subbed off once, playing the full match each time.