HARRISON, N.J. (December 12, 2025) – Red Bulls Academy U-18s and U-16s complete play in the 2025 MLS NEXT Fest at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Arizona.
Both the U-18s and U-16s went undefeated throughout each squad’s three matches in the competition.
The U-18s started play on December 4 against Nashville SC where despite being down 2-0 at halftime, battled back to earn a 2-2 draw. The group earned a clean sheet in their second match against Seattle Sounders on December 5 courtesy of a 4-0 victory.
“Coming into the tournament we knew we had a very strong group of players and as long as the mentality from every player matched the quality that we have in our group we knew we were gonna get the results we wanted." Says U-18 midfielder Dennis Nelich, "everyone had their own important role in our success and our dominant performances showed how strong of a group we are.”
The group completed play strong with three different goal scorers in defender Jason Bori, midfielder Paul Sokoloff and forward Christian Gallagher in a 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake on December 7.
New York’s +6 goal differential was tied with Philadelphia Union for the second-best goal differential in the U-18 age bracket.
The U-16s 13 goals scored are tied with St Louis CITY SC for most goals scored in the U-16 age group. New York’s +9 goal differential was the best of all U-16 teams in the competition.
"Coming into Fest, we challenged the group to be brave on the ball and relentless without it, and they delivered.” Says U-16 Head Coach Simon Nee. “Across the week you could see improvement in the team’s identity —always on the front-foot, forward thinking and increasingly more purposeful in possession. Scoring 13 goals against three good opponents reflects their growth, their togetherness, and how well they executed the collective football we set out to show."
Both groups will be back in action on January 31 at Red Bulls Training Facility to face off against Cedar Stars Academy. The U-18s will kick things off at 11 a.m. ET followed by the U-17s at 12:15 p.m. ET.
