A clear, brisk night at Montclair State University was the setting for the Major League Soccer (MLS) NEXT Pro Eastern Conference quarterfinal between the top-seeded New York Red Bulls II and the eighth-seeded Carolina Core FC.
The Baby Bulls got on the board three minutes into the game when forward Roald Mitchell was knocked to the ground by Carolina defender Daniel Chica. Red Bulls II Forward Rafael Mosquera stepped up to take the penalty kick and scored with a shot into the upper left corner to make it 1-0 New York.
Early on, the Red Bulls II midfield and backline would not let Carolina progress much farther than the midfield line and through 20 minutes, the visitors had no shot attempts. However, in the 21st minute, Carolina produced its first scoring chance. Paul Leonardi crossed to the near post and Aidan Stokes rushed out, dove and punched the ball away from Msunguchi Alenga, who was driving to the net.
The one area of the game in which Michael Bradley’s Red Bulls II side looked vulnerable was transition defense. They turned the ball over a few times in the midfield and the Carolina Core built up quickly only to be turned away by a stout Baby Bulls backline which consisted of Matthew Dos Santos at left back, Jair Collahuazo and Juan Gutierrez at center back, and Juan Mina at right back.
If New York were a bit vulnerable in transition defense, Carolina were downright awful. Fast forward all the way to the 34th minute. A Carolina player made an errant pass back to his backline inside Carolina’s half of the field. That pass was picked off by Mosquera who passed to Mitchell who then played a through ball into Nehuén Benedetti. The Red Bulls II leading goal scorer during the regular season made no mistake chipping Alex Sutton to give the Baby Bulls a 2-0 lead.
The Baby Bulls would put the game out of reach early in the second half. Two minutes inside the second half, a Red Bulls II player sent a pass in the air into Carolina territory. Roald Mitchell received the pass with a deft touch, then took two big touches and used his speed to get past the defender marking him. Mitchell then curled a right-footed effort 1-on-1 with Sutton into the bottom right corner of the net.
One minute later, Nate Worth finessed his way into the 18-yard box before crossing to the six-yard box. Worth’s cross was finished by Benedetti to complete his first playoff brace and make it 4-0.
In the 66th minute, forward Mijahir Jimenez was subbed on by Bradley for Mitchell. In the 70th minute, Carolina head coach Donovan Ricketts subbed on Glory Nzingo for Corey Lundeen.
Nearly 10 minutes later, Mosquera received a pass in the middle of Carolina territory took it in stride and beat the Carolina defenders with his speed. Mosquera went in 1-on-1 with Sutton and chipped him, completing his first playoff brace and putting the game well out of reach.
Carolina Core pulled one back in the 82nd minute when Glory Nzingo one-timed a cross into the back of the net with the side of his foot, but it was far too little, too late.
Dennis Nelich, Tanner Rosborough and Paul Sokoloff came in for Mosquera, Andy Rojas and Juan Mina in the 86th minute and New York held on for a resounding win at MSU Soccer Park in front of a decent crowd.
The stats tell the story of total domination; the Red Bulls II had 89 percent passing accuracy to Carolina Core FC’s 75 percent and had eight shots on goal to Carolina’s two. What’s even better is that the Baby Bulls finished their chances and had the speed on the dribble to beat defenders with the ball.
Head Coach Michael Bradley
On his team’s overall performance.
We’re really excited and played pretty well. Got off to a really good start, scored some really good goals. I thought our mix of our football ideas when we needed to go faster and try to create chances, when we needed to slow things down and control the game with the ball, mix with our intensity, our pressing. I thought a lot of that was really good. So yeah, we’re excited, excited to get another game and keep going.
On the performance of Rafa Mosquera.
Rafa (Mosquera) had a really, really good night. I thought when you talk about the wide areas are the relationships and the understanding on both sides between on the right side, Rafa and (Juan) Mina and Nevi (Nehuén Benedetti), and then on the left side, Matty Dos Santos and Andy (Rojas) and Nate Worth, that part’s really important for us in terms of when we play out there, how we can threaten, how we can control, how we can find different ways to be dangerous out there.
Forward Roald Mitchell
On the Baby Bulls’ fast start.
We just followed the match plan and just played with confidence full out through the whole 90. So, just bought into the tactics and following everything, and you’re also confident on top of that. And we got the result we wanted.
On Carolina’s defense.
They were pretty tight to me. So I mean, it’s good that I just kind of created space for myself and create opportunities for myself and my teammates. So just getting off them, getting off the back shoulder, and runs in behind…I think that was the best part for me.
Midfielder Nehuén Benedetti
On his brace and the team performance.
Well I am happy for that because I helped the team score twice. But yes, it is all of the group, a team effort.
The Red Bulls II advance to the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference semi finals which they will host. For the second round in a row, they will have the luxury of picking their opponent from the group of teams that also advanced: #6 Chicago Fire II, #5 Huntsville City, #2 Philadelphia Union II. The date for that single-elimination match is to be announced.
