Following a disappointing draw against New York City FC in the Hudson River Derby last week, Red Bull New York came to Kansas City looking to take three points and keep in front of Charlotte in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Eastern Conference standings.
They did just that, taking all three points from their last game vs Sporting Kansas City prior to the World Cup break. Michael Bradley’s Baby Bulls did so on the backs of two pretty shots scored by designated player Jorge Ruvalcaba.
Red Bull broke through in the fourth minute. Gustav Berggren headed the ball onto Julian Hall who one-touched it back to him. Berggren then played a through ball into the box for Ruvalcaba who dribbled past a defender and kicked the ball into the far side of the net with his left foot to put the Baby Bulls in front 1-0.
The goal was assisted by Berggren and Hall and was Berggren’s first assist of the 2026 MLS season in addition to being the fastest goal scored by Red Bull New York this season.
Sporting KC tried to tie things up shortly after conceding. A dangerous cross to the back-post by a SKC player was headed off-course by Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty but the ball fell to Jayden Reid. Reid attempted a shot and a cross before attempting a third cross that looped over Red Bull’s defenders and connected with the head of Taylor Calheira. However, Calheira’s header was too tame and and was easily grabbed by RBNY goalkeeper Ethan Horvath.
Then seconds after that, SKC played a long ball down the left side of the field that connected with Calvin Harris. Harris dribbled into the 18-yard box, cut towards the middle and unleashed a right-footed strike that skidded off the ground towards the near post and had to be parried by Horvath.
In the 17th minute, RBNY winger Cade Cowell suffered an ankle injury and had to be subbed off. Rookie midfielder/forward Rafael Mosquera came into the game in his place.
Fast forward to the 40th minute and a mistake by Dylan Nealis was pounced on by SKC forward Dejan Joveljic inside the box. Joveljic squared the ball for Calheira who shifted the ball from his right to his left foot before shooting it and Horvath had by that time cut off the angle and saved the ball.
New York were lucky to escape the first half without conceding and things would get even better for them in first half stoppage time. The only first half substitute Mosquera intercepted a pass from SKC defender Wyatt Meyer near midfield. He then played a through ball up ahead for Julian Hall, who found himself with plenty of space to pass across the field to Ruvalcaba. Ruvalcaba allowed a defender to fly by him and then slotted a waist-high shot into the far side of the net.
Ruvalcaba’s second goal of the game and 7th of the season as well as Mosquera’s first MLS asssist had the visitors heading into halftime with a healthy two-goal lead.
The home team pulled one back in the 64th minute when Sporting midfielder Manu Garcia chipped a ball over the heads of the Red Bull backline that was then chipped over the head of Horvath by an athletic play by Harris and over the goal-line for the Englishman’s second goal of the MLS season.
Sporting KC nearly tied the game at 2-2 in the 77th minute. Garcia worked his magic once more receiving a pass in the center of Red Bull’s half of the field and turning around a Red Bull player. Garcia then sent an aerial pass to Stephen Afrifa, who trapped the ball, took one touch and laced a left-footed strike on the ground that narrowly missed the right post.
With that KC’s hopes of earning a point from this game went by the wayside as the Baby Bulls secured a 2-1 road win in their last game before the lengthy World Cup break.
Thanks to his brace, Jorge Ruvalcaba now has two multi-goal games this season. Hall had two assists and now has four on the season and six goal contributions in his last six MLS appearances. Berggren earned his first assist of the season and the second of his Red Bull career. Ethan Horvath set a new single game-high with seven saves and Rafael Mosquera earned his first career MLS assist.
Defender Julián Bazán made his MLS debut tonight, playing 10 minutes. Midfielder Cameron Harper made his return from injury, making his first appearance of the season and first since May 31, 2025.
RBNY head coach Michael Bradley continues to trust his youngest players as his starting eleven tonight had an average age of 22.8 years, which was the youngest in MLS this season.
During the postgame press conference, Bradley beamed about his team’s ability to pull out a road victory.
The best teams find different ways to win. It doesn’t always play out in the exact way that you hope, and to have a team full of guys who are willing to do whatever it takes on nights like this, that’s what separates good players from really good players and good teams from really good teams.
Ruvalcaba discussed the adjustment he’s made from Liga MX in Mexico the last four seasons to MLS.
This league is a lot different than compared to Mexico, where I played four or five years, which is what I was used to, and I think at the beginning I kind of felt hit a little bit in the way I was playing in my, in my performances, and, and of course, I mean, we’re a young team, we’re, we’re a new team, new coach, so it was kind of part of the process. Every game, us as a team, we feel a lot better. I think the fans see the improvements as well. We’ve got to keep going down this road.
Red Bull New York closed the first 15 games of the 2026 MLS season on a four-game unbeaten run. They will wait until July 22 to lace up their boots again when they take on rival, Philadelphia Union on the road, but for now the vibes are positive in Red Bull nation.
