NYRBII Fall to Philadelphia Union II at Home, 2-1

May 9, 2023 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro) – New York Red Bulls II News Release

MONTCLAIR, N.J. – New York Red Bulls II (2-2-3, 11 pts.) lose in their matchup against Philadelphia Union II (2-4-1, 7 pts.) by a final score of 2-1.

New York, who began a three match homestand, were not able to complete a late comeback against the opposition. From the opening whistle, Philadelphia had all the momentum in the first half. With solid build up play and maintaining possession, Union II were able to get multiple high-quality chances in the first 45 minutes.

Philly opened the scoring in the 20th minute after breaking out on a counterattack. José Riasco was sent down the wing on a through ball that created a 2-on-1 breakaway in favor of the Union. After cutting into the middle of the field, Riasco laid the ball off to Nelson Pierre who made the finish and put Philadelphia on top.

That would not be Pierre’s only highlight of the match, as he doubled the lead for Union II in the 39th minute. On a similar play to the first goal, a long ball initiated a counterattack that led to a 2-on-2 rush. Nelson Pierre retrieved the ball in the final third and took the opportunity himself to secure the brace right before the halftime whistle.

At the half, New York were prepared to make some changes in an attempt to bounce back from an early deficit.

The second half substitutions proved to be incredibly helpful for New York, as the intensity began to rise with fresh legs on the pitch. Yostin Salinas, Ricardo Gorday, Dylan Sullivan, and Red Bulls Academy products Julian Hall and Aiden Jarvis all made their impact on the match to form a comeback.

After continued pressure, Red Bulls II found their best chance in the 77th minute, when forward Ricardo Gorday drove his way into the Philadelphia box. The Panamanian was taken down by Union II defender Francis Westfield, who was subsequently issued a red card, that resulted in a penalty shot for New York. Gorday converted from the spot for his second goal of the season to bring New York within one.

Red Bulls II had multiple chances in the final ten minutes of the match, but none were able to result in the equalizer. Defenders Juan Gutierrez and Jayden Reid both received red cards six minutes apart, forcing New York to play with nine players for the remainder of the match.

As previously mentioned, academy products Aiden Jarvis and Julian Hall made appearances in the match, both of which were making their professional debuts. Hall logged 29…