On Friday night, temperatures were chilly once again at Montclair State University (MSU) Soccer Park when the New York Red Bulls II faced off with Rio Grande Valley FC in their third match at home of the USL Championship season.
The Baby Bulls started the first ten minutes of the game well by earning two free kicks. There was one in the fifth minute that midfielder, Jeremy Rafanello stepped up to take. Rafanello, who comes from the Delran, New Jersey, which is also the home of retired U.S. Women's soccer legend, Carli Lloyd, took the first free kick of the match for the Baby Bulls, a low curling shot that went just wide of the right post.
Ten minutes later the Bulls had a scoring opportunity. Off-season signing, Jesus Castellano took a corner kick from the left flag. Castellan's cross was headed out to the edge of the box where Zach Ryan, Chatham, New Jersey native stepped up to it and hit a wild volley that whizzed over the cross bar. Ryan's whizzing shot in the 14th minute, turned out to be the closest that the Baby Bulls came to scoring in this match.
39: Still scoreless, but battling for every opportunity.
0-0 | #NYvRGV | #NYRBII pic.twitter.com/dOAWDHilWh
— New York Red Bulls II (@NYRBII) April 15, 2022
In the 18th minute Red Bulls II found midfielder Jesus Castellano deep down the left wing in the attacking third. The 18-year-0ld midfielder looked like he had a jump on tall defender, Daniel Lu~is Saez but was edged out by Saez who used his strength to push Castellano around which made him take a weak left-footed shot that went wide of Deric's left post.
The first half had its moments for both teams. Rio Grande played a couple of dangerous long balls into the Red Bulls territory, most dangerous of which forced A.J. Marcucci to clear it from the top of the Red Bulls 18-yard box in the 35th minute. However, at the end of the first half the game was scoreless and both teams went into the locker rooms for milk and cookies-- or maybe Red Bull energy drinks.
The Second Half in Montclair
After a disappointing first half where they were denied a goal despite possessing more of the ball than Rio Grande Valley FC, the Red Bulls II came out of the gates hungry to score their first goal on home turf this season and they nearly got it done in the 49th minute. This play involved Canadian attacking wingback O'Vonte Mullings dribbled with speed down Rio Grande's right flank and passed to Rafa. Rafa surveyed his options before making a cool, short pass to Ryan who took a one-timer that flew right over the bar and so went another chance for the Baby Bulls to test Rio Grande Valley FC's goalkeeper with a shot on goal. In the 62nd minute, Rio Grande made two substitutions; left-center mid, Juan Pablo Torres was replaced by Isidro Martinez while Luka Malesevic was subbed out Jon Ricketts as well in the 62nd minute.
46: Back underway with another 45.
0-0 | #NYvRGV | #NYRBII pic.twitter.com/TszG9MSWyJ
— New York Red Bulls II (@NYRBII) April 16, 2022
The substitutes ended up paying dividends for Rio Grande Valley FC just minutes later when Rio Grande winger crossed on the ground into the Red Bulls II penalty area. The cross was mishandled by Marcucci, leaving a loose ball right on the goal-line for RGV striker, Frank Lopez who managed to find the ball even though he was on the ground and score.
The last scoring chance Red Bull had come in the 75th minute, when Mullings played a hard cross into Rio Grande's penalty-area. The cross was interrupted by the goalkeeper and the rebound hung in the air for a tantalizing second or two before it was cleared by the defense.
From that point onward, Rio Grande Valley FC played more comfortably because they had the lead and were able to keep Red Bulls II's threatening offense which struggled with scoring goals off the scoreboard for the rest of the game. The Red Bulls II suffered their fifth loss of the season and their record depreciated to 1-5 through six games.
Postgame Quotes- the Baby Bulls
This loss was a hard one to swallow for the Red Bulls II, who held their opponents to just 39 percent of possession and took ten shots (two on goal) like RGV did, were sadly undone by one mistake in the 66th minute.
There is a solemn feeling in that room tonight because they've given everything we've asked, the structure was good, we pressed really well. They [Rio Grande] had nothing in terms of solutions to combat what we're doing. We had some really good chances in the first half and then we get caught on a goal like that, you know, it just pops out of Marcucci’s hands which is so unusual for him... I feel bad for them I feel sorry for them tonight, because they've given everything. - Manager Gary Lewis
For the Red Bulls II, their offense may not have had the quality chances they wanted to have, but coach Lewis pointed out that his attacking players "pressed really well" and that the Baby Bulls played with good "structure." The structure refers to the execution of the game plan, which includes positioning and playing the way the coach wanted them to.
We definitely came in hot and we started the way we wanted to start... then in the second half we kind of just never caught our own rhythm and getting forward, but you can't really say it's learning experiences anymore because we've been through enough and it's... time to we got to kind of look ourselves in the mirror and just like kind of realize what's right and what's wrong and kind of see up and down but it's really it's definitely not disappointing. -Midfielder Jeremy Rafanello
The Red Bulls II next face the Tampa Bay Rowdies at home on Apr. 23 at 7:00 PM. The Rowdies are coming off a 1-0 loss to The Miami FC, but who are currently in fifth place which is eight places ahead of the Red Bulls II in the USLC's Eastern Conference standings.
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