MATCH RECAP, pres. by Provident Bank: Red Bull New York Fall in Nashville

Red Bull New York lost to Nashville SC, 3-2, on Sunday in Tennessee. 

Julian Hall and Rafael Mosquera scored for New York, who went up 3-2. A pair of own goals and a Sam Surridge header helped Nashville to the three points.

"The work to become a really good team is hard," Head Coach Michael Bradley said. "It's not always a journey that goes step-by-step the way that you want it. There are set backs and adversity and hard moments you have to respond to. That's where we are."

"It's really disappointing, heartbreaking, that we couldn't at the end of the season, get ourselves into the playoffs to make a real run. In a lot of ways, we're doing a lot of things in a good way, but now we have to understand how we have to grow, improve, mature and harden ourselves... and we will," Bradley said.

RBNY couldn't convert a penalty early in the match, but Hall got them on the board receiving a threaded ball from Adri Mehmeti, and placing the shot in the bottom right corner of the goal.

After an injury forced Rafael Mosquera into the match, he was able to get on the end of a Cade Cowell cross with his first touch of the match, just over 40 seconds after entering the game. It was Mosquera's first MLS goal.

Hall scored his 13th goal of the season and the 16th of his MLS career. The forward’s 13 goals this season are tied with Diego Fagundez (2013) and Ricardo Pepi (2021) for most goals in a regular season by a teenager. 

The Manhattan, N.Y. native’s 18 goal contributions this season and passes Landon Donovan (2001) for sole possession of fourth-most goal contributions in a regular season by a teenager.

The Panama City, Panama native’s goal came 43 seconds after coming in the match and is the fifth-fastest goal scored by a substitute in MLS history. It is also the second-fastest goal scored by a substitute in club history behind Fabian Espindola who scored 22 seconds in 2013.

Mehmeti recorded his ninth assist of the season.  The midfielder has three assists in his last two appearances. With 90 minutes played today, the Staten Island, N.Y. native became the second-youngest player in MLS history to record at least 2,500 single season MLS minutes.  He is also the youngest to achieve the feat since Freddy Adu did so in 2006

Cowell recorded his ninth assist of the season and the 25th of his career.

Sekou Koné provided his first career MLS assist, while Devin Padelford dished his first career assist with New York and the fifth of his MLS career. 

Nashville got on the board before halftime off an own goal. They equalized in the second half off another own goal. Surridge got a head on a corner kick in stoppage time for Nashville to win it.

With the loss, Red Bull New York is eliminated from the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs. 

New York will return home for 2026 MLS Decision Day and Fan Appreciation Night, on Saturday, November 7 to face Atlanta United FC.

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET with coverage on Apple TV in English and Spanish, and Red Bulls Radio in English via the Red Bull New York app and RedBullNewYork.com.