It’s matchday eight of the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season and the Baby Bulls are in Chester, Pennsylvania taking on one of the two teams they have not beaten in their current season where they are yet to suffer a loss.
That team is the Philadelphia Union II, the third-place team in the Eastern Conference who have won two games in a row.
Sunday will be a tough test, perhaps Dominik Wohlert’s team’s toughest yet in a young season. But they will be ready because they haven’t had a letdown all season.
The Baby Bulls have two shootout losses this year, which is the only blemish on an otherwise spotless record. The first shootout loss came on March 15 in Queens when Red Bull earned what officially goes down in the standings as a 1-1 draw with NYCFC II. City would prevail in a five-round shootout.
The very next game, the Baby Bulls faced the Union II at MSU Soccer Park and also earned a 1-1 draw thanks to 16-year-old Red Bulls Academy product Paul Sokoloff’s stoppage time goal. In the shootout, both goalkeepers (Aidan Stokes for Red Bull and George Marks for Union II) made three saves, but the visitors prevailed in a shootout where the margins were razor-thin.
Red Bull New York II head coach Dominik Wohlert summed up his team’s performance in their first meeting of the season with Philly, where they outshot attempted their opponent 12 to three.
Obviously, we lost in the penalty shootout. But I think that if we play exactly the same game 10 times, I think nine and a half times you get away with three points in regular time. I think we were totally on top of them. In all phases, we were dominant. We played our game how we wanted to play it, and that was really impressive early on in the season against a strong opponent.
Get to Know the Players
One month later, the Baby Bulls are on a three-game winning streak during which they have defeated New England Revolution II and Columbus Crew 2, two teams that sit top 10 in the Eastern Conference standings. The Baby Bulls have been scoring a lot, too. They have outscored opponents 9 to 3 on this winning streak and three players including midfielder Dennis Nelich and captain Nate Worth notched their first goals of the season during this stretch.
The third player who got their first goal of the season was Julián Bazán , the 20-year-old center back who came over to Red Bull New York as a transfer from Deportivo Pereira in Colombia’s Primera A in late March. Last Sunday’s game at Montclair State was a good way for Bazán to apply what he’s learned about North American soccer and Red Bull’s tactics in his first game in North America. Bazán scored a goal vs Columbus in his MLS NEXT Pro debut, which could be a sign of things to come.
Wohlert discussed the impact Bazan has had on his teammates in the short time he has been with them.
First of all, outstanding personality. Someone coming over from South America, joining a new group, getting his first game with a new club. He did a fantastic job, not just from a playing standpoint, even from a personality standpoint. The leadership he brings into the group and the way he communicates to the guys was really impressive.
In addition, first team midfielder/defender Dennis Gjengaar has played for the Baby Bulls during their last two games and managed to grab four goal contributions. He’s been positively on fire and Wohlert discussed what he’s seen from the Norwegian.
I give him big credit for how he comes to our training sessions, how serious he’s taking these moments, how he’s interacting with our guys, and being a role model for the younger guys. Nothing but positive about Dennis Gjengaar so far, and I hope that he can continue his push in the season so far.
Worth Wearing Captain’s Armband Well
Wohlert made it clear his job is not just managing his players’ physical traits but also their mental traits as well. Personality and work-rate come to mind and Nate Worth has been chosen as captain of this team as a 19-year-old because he excels at both.
On the field, the Chester, NJ native can be seen talking to his teammates often to get to know them better or discuss tactics.
“He is young, but he’s also bringing personality to the team, he’s taking responsibility, he’s keeping the guys accountable and also encouraging the guys to go out and play the way we want to play.”
Worth didn’t just start showing leadership skills with Red Bulls II, either. He was captain of Red Bulls Academy’s U15 team in 2021. He came through the academy like many of his peers are now and he can relate to his 17-year-old teammate and partner in central midfield, Deven Cadigan, who has taken a big step forward in his career this year, moving up from the Red Bulls Academy to the second team. Cadigan has not only made it to the second team but has started six of his team’s first seven games of 2026.
Worth shed some light on that partnership which has been key to the Baby Bulls being second place in the standings through seven games.
I was in his situation not too long ago as well. Coming through the academy and breaking into the second team. For me, as somebody with a little bit more experience, I’m trying the best I can to help guide him and give him any sort of knowledge that I’ve learned earlier in my career as well. He’s a really good player, and we have a good connection on and off the field.
How Baby Bulls Matchup with Union II
Just like the New York Knicks will face the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the NBA Playoffs starting Monday, Red Bull New York II have to face a team from Philadelphia this weekend, who they knocked out in last year’s MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference final.
The Baby Bulls come into Sunday’s matchup at Subaru Park with a losing record historically against the Union II. The Baby Bulls have a 2-4-3 (four losses, three draws) against their rivals from down the turnpike. However, Red Bulls II have won two of the last three matchups with the Union II, including a 2-1 victory in last year’s MLS NEXT Pro cup eastern conference final and a 2-0 victory at MSU Soccer Park last August.
The Union II’s strength coming into this game is clear: defense. The stats tell the story. This season, they rank sixth from the bottom of the league in goals-for but have conceded the fewest goals (six) in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference.
The opposing player Bazan and company will have to keep tabs on is forward Stas Korzeniowski. The Princeton native has only played in two MLS NEXT Pro games this season as he’s been up with the Union for most of the season but from those two games, he has three goals and one assist.
Defenders Giovanny Sequera, Rafael Uzcategui and Finn Sundstrom have been staples in the Union II lineup this season, as well and Sundstrom has a goal to his name.
On the other hand, Red Bull’s Mijahir Jimenez scored a brace in his team’s victory over Union II last August and leads the active roster in career goals against the Union II. Red Bulls II midfielder Andy Rojas comes in to Sunday having scored twice in his last three matches. However, goals have been hard to come by for Red Bull against Union II historically and we will see if that holds true on Sunday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET with coverage available on MLSNEXTPro.com and OneFootball.
