On Sunday, May 17, the Hudson River Derby in MLS Next Pro took place at Montclair State’s soccer field, where Red Bull New York II (7–2–0) hosted New York City FC II (2–2–4).
The Baby Bulls came into this game with an undefeated season across nine games but were handed their first loss of the season against their town rivals, NYC FC, with a score of 3-2.
“When things are going well and things are going our way, we try not to get too high. And that should be the same when things don’t go our way. Stay level, stay focused, and just focus on the next week,” said midfielder Paul Sokoloff.
It was a quiet first half scoring-wise (0-0), but offensively the Baby Bulls were creating attacks and chances. However, it cost them not being able to convert any of those opportunities.
By the end of the first half, Red Bull NY II had maintained about 59% possession throughout the half, along with eight shots, but only three of those were shots on goal.
While the first half was scoreless, NYC FC was looking to turn up the notch and gain control of the game.
To begin the second half, NYC FC started off keeping possession of the ball and creating chances toward the goal. Compared to the first half, the Pigeons were able to create six shots, with four on target and three of those becoming goals.
The first goal came off a tap-in by NYC FC in the 57th minute by center-back Joao Loiola Santos.
The second goal happened only six minutes later in the 63rd minute by defensive midfielder Cooper Flax.
By this point in the match, the game seemed to be slipping away from the Baby Bulls as their defense seemed to be falling apart.
The third goal for NYC FC II came in the 71st minute off a counterattack by Elhadji Samb, who then faced Baby Bulls’ goalkeeper Aidan Stokes one-on-one to score.
Throughout the second half, many opportunities were created by players like Nate Worth and Christian Gallagher. The Baby Bulls were not giving up, though, they just had to find a way to convert their shots into goals.
However, in the 74th minute, that opportunity came.
Christian Gallagher received the ball from an NYC FC defender trying to clear it, and from inside the box he shot and scored toward the top left corner to bring the score 1-3.
With some momentum, the Baby Bulls, supported by their fans in the stands, looked toward the opportunity to bring the score closer to a draw.
In the 82nd minute, Paul Sokoloff received an inside-the-box pass from Dennis Nelich and was able to shoot it toward the bottom left corner for the Baby Bulls to bring the score to 2-3.
While the Baby Bulls were not able to find the back of the net again, they did put up a fight, and the coach noted the positives that can be taken away from this matchup.
“I think just the amount of chances we created, the amount of opportunities to score, showing character, coming back into the game. It’s still a young group. Having that quality in the team over the course of the season is really important. If you want to achieve something during a season, you have to bring that mentality and skill, and I think the group has it,” said Head Coach Dominik Wohlert.
Next up for Red Bull NY II is a matchup against Connecticut United FC on Sunday May 24, where they will be looking to bounce back after receiving their first loss of the season.
