HARRISON – Red Bull New York’s U.S. Open Cup journey came to an end Wednesday as they were knocked out by their rivals New York City FC, 3-1. NYCFC with the win advances to the quarterfinal round of the historic tournament.
In a matter of two quick weeks, New York’s form has diminished severely. Following their victory in the round of 32 against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in the U.S. Open Cup, Red Bull’s hopes were back to normal. Then, three straight disappointing results in league play worsened the team’s morale.
The main culprit for Red Bull’s sluggish results over the last few matches has of course been a porous backline. In their last three league matches combined, New York has conceded a ridiculous total of 10 goals to their opponents.
However, heading into Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup match, Red Bull were excited to renew the Hudson River Derby against their foes from the city. While every contest against these two bitter foes matters greatly, there was extra motivation for each side in this battle. Simply put, the winner would advance to the next round, while the loser would face humiliation.
What transpired on a chilly and wet Wednesday evening was a new addition to the lowlights of Red Bull’s 2026 season.
Off a corner kick in the ninth minute, NYCFC’s Kai Trewin gave them a 1-0 lead and immediately, the pressure was on Red Bull to respond. In came the young star for Red Bull in Julian Zakrzewski Hall, who rescued them in the 14th minute. Off a beautiful pass from Cade Cowell, Hall’s equalizer to make it one all gave the home faithful something to cheer on.
It was one of the few positive moments for Red Bull all night, and it was the only goal they could earn all night.
“I mean, you know, obviously in the moment I was happy to score,” Hall said postmatch. “But you know, we just tried to bring some life back into the game after that. Unfortunately, the result didn’t hold, but we’re just looking forward to the Saturday game.”
The scoring continued for “the Boys in Blue” in the 39th minute when Raul Gustavo headed it in to make it 2-1 NYCFC. NYCFC would find the back of the net once more in the 57th minute when Thiago Martins gave them a 3-1 advantage.
On the night, all three of NYCFC’s goals came off corner kicks. While the goals were spectacular for NYCFC, the magician who orchestrated them deserved all the credit. NYCFC’s Maxi Moralez earned three assists on the night and was by far the man of the match.
For Red Bull, this was another result trampled by poor execution defensively. New York’s inability to defend corner kicks left another bitter taste in the mouths of fans and has them asking, why can’t we defend?
Losing a match in any tournament sucks. Losing to one of your most hated rivals in a tournament, that’s even worse.
“It’s a disappointing night, for sure,” head coach Michael Bradley said postgame.
With U.S. Open Cup competition finished for them, Red Bull will now return their focus to league play when they face FC Dallas on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV.
