On a hot evening at Montclair State University, Huntsville City FC prevailed over the New York Red Bulls II 2-1, snapping NYRB II’s seven-match unbeaten streak.
The Baby Bulls broke through in the 26th minute. After an attempted bicycle kick from Andy Rojas was blocked, NYRB II midfielder Nehuen Benedetti played a great through ball up ahead for Rafael Mosquera. Mosquera was one on one with the keeper and took a left-footed shot along the ground that beat Huntsville goalkeeper Erik Lauta into the right side of the goal.
In the 30th minute, NYRB II midfielder Steven Sserwadda was flagged for a yellow card for a hard challenge. Six minutes later, Huntsville midfielder Alan Carleton clipped Sserwadda by the touch line and was shown a yellow card.
In the 39th minute, the Baby Bulls won a free kick inside Huntsville’s half. Midfielder Andy Rojas took the free kick and smashed it off the bar.
During stoppage time of the first half, again, Rojas was knocking on the door for the Baby Bulls. This time the Costa-Rican headed the ball form the center of the box and had his shot saved by Huntsville goalkeeper Erik Lauta, who dove to the right side of the net to keep it out.
In the 66th minute, Huntsville forward Gunnar Studenhofft had two scoring chances in a row one-one-one with Aidan Stokes and on both he was rushed and missed. On the first, a chipped ball over the top found Studenhofft one on one with Stokes, but Stokes rushed him and Studenhofft’s touch to go around Stokes took him out of bounds. On the second scoring chance, Studenhofft was played in with a through ball one on one and took a shot that was saved by Stokes.
Six minutes later, the visitors made their break through. Carleton sent a through ball from the midfield line up ahead for Gunnar Studenhofft. NYRB II defender Brooklyn Schwarz slid to try and intercept the ball but he missed and Studenhofft was again one-on-one with Stokes, but this time he dribbled around him, took a push and slotted the ball into the back of the net to tie the score at 1.
In the 75th minute, Red Bulls II head coach Michael Bradley made three subs. Entering the game were Nate Worth for Mosquera, Matty Dos Santos for Jarvis and Dennis Nelich for Morales.
Then in the 82nd minute, Huntsville City took the lead. Damien Barker-John took over possession inside his own half and sent a long through ball all the way to the Red Bulls II 18. The ball was collected by Studenhofft, who dribbled away from a defender and made a short centering pass. The pass went untouched by several Baby Bulls before Huntsville’s Alan Carleton stepped in front and smashed the ball home.
Shortly after Huntsville grabbed the lead, the Baby Bulls were dealt another blow as Steven Sserwadda went down with a leg injury. The right-back had to leave the game and did so with help from medical staff.
In the final 12 minutes of the game including five minutes of stoppage time, the Red Bulls II couldn’t crack Huntsville’s organized back line and the game ended with a dramatic Huntsville City victory on the road in New Jersey.
After the game, NYRB II head coach Michael Bradley described his team’s performance in just his third game in charge.
First half even probably 60-65 minutes was really good. On top of things in every way, football intensity, chances, really pushing the game in all the ways that we would want, and then, yeah, in some ways, similar to last week, where now you get an opponent that is going to try to do anything to get themselves back in the game. They make a few subs. Their subs come on with an edge, I think, physically and we still have to keep working on our ability to sustain what we want to do for longer and longer periods. And now, it’s just continuing to push that more and more.
In the first half, the NYRB II had three shots on goal to Huntsville’s zero. They saw that edge as well as the lead disappear after Huntsville’s first goal in the 72nd minute, as the visitors finished the game with four shots on goal to New York’s three.
Nate Worth described the moments where his team’s transition defense had a let down in the second half.
We’re a team that wants to be on the front foot, so we’re always trying to go forward, but with that comes the moments where we turn the ball over or something doesn’t quite go our way. I think we just need to do a better job of getting back, compact, and ultimately putting out the fire. And in that moment, we were just a little bit off, but nothing too hard that we can’t fix in the training ground.
This match snaps a seven match unbeaten streak for NYRB II, which was their longest such streak of the season. Coach Bradley described how he framed this loss to his team in the dressing room.
In almost the exact same way I just did with you. There’s so many positives, the group obviously comes off of a long stretch of positive results and good football. Just general individual and collective improvement across the board. It’s a long season. Things don’t go perfect. Your ability when games get hard to respond in moments where now there’s a little blip, collectively stay strong, and know how to react.
The Red Bulls II’s next game is on the road against Toronto FC II, who currently occupy ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
