It was a cold rainy night at Montclair State University's (MSU) Soccer Park that may have reminded Red Bulls II manager, Gary Lewis of where he is from in the United Kingdom (UK), which is apparently near Manchester, where reigning Premier League champion, Manchester City plays.
However, even though the wind was blowing, and the rain would fall on this chilly evening in Montclair, New Jersey, it did not dampen the players spirits and they gave the home crowd an entertaining soccer game. Below was the Baby Bulls' starting eleven (XI) took on Louisville City on Wednesday night. Red Bulls II even wore alternate kits during Wednesday's game at Montclair State University (below).
Bringing the 🔥 tonight under the lights!
— New York Red Bulls II (@NYRBII) March 23, 2022
(Pres. by @Alementary) pic.twitter.com/Nxu6r7n31B
Two first team players, Jason Pendant and Serge Ngoma were made available for this game, and both started in Red Bulls II head coach Gary Lewis's lineup. Pendant was a right back while 'Lieutenant' Serge Ngoma featured in his first USL Championship game of 2022 as the team's lone striker. So, previously the Red Bulls had lost their home opener to Loudoun, 3-0. That was a rough loss, but you would not have guessed this team was down and out by the way they started their second game at home against a visiting Louisville City (LCFC) side.
The Baby Bulls came out energized and so did the visiting team in what was the first meeting between these USL clubs since 2019. However, despite the spirited battle-level that Baby Bull brought to the opening ten minutes, it was the visiting team who would draw first blood. The Baby Bulls backline on Wednesday night included Jason Pendant who started as the Red Bull right-back, Lamine Conte (Louisville University) as center-back (CB) on the right side, Juan Castillo on the left side while 16-year-old Curtis Ofori was the Baby Bulls' left-back to start this cracking match.
Even though New York employed their pressing style to some effect in the opening ten minutes, their opponent was equal to the task and Louisville's league-best defense was able to keep Gary Lewis's team at bay. But in the 18th minute Louisville City possessed the ball deep in the Red Bulls II half and things got dangerous.
LCFC Forward Enoch Mushagulusa collected a pass in the Baby Bull's 18-yard-box, in stride and dribbled up to the goal-line before crossing into the penalty-area. Where Red Bulls II goalkeeper, AJ Marcucci stuck out his leg to stop the ball rolling into his penalty-area but missed it. LCFC midfielder Ray Serrano got to the ball and tapped it in to give Louisville City FC an early 1-0 lead at Montclair State University.
First start. First goal. 😈@rayserrano80's account in purple: opened. pic.twitter.com/mPaiWRbPkZ
— Louisville City FC (@loucityfc) March 23, 2022
However, New York were not demoralized despite conceding not even half way through the first half and would start out on the offensive shortly after Louisville took the lead. In the 25th minute, former Louisville University college soccer player, now playing for the Red Bulls II, Lamine Conte strode forward with the ball into LCFC's half and sent a long ball over the backline to the Red Bulls II forward, Zachary Ryan. Ryan tracked down the pass inside the 18-yard -box and managed to send a low cross into the penalty-area. The cross found Ngoma who had gotten past his marker but the 16-year-old was unable to get his foot to the ball in time so the ball deflected off of him and out of bounds for a goal-kick.
Speaking of the New York Red Bulls newest first team player, Ngoma-- the 16-year-old actually would get the Red Bulls II's first good chance, not long afterwards. In the 3oth minute a Baby Bull midfielder who led the team in assists last season, Jeremy Rafanello dispossessed the ball from a defender and passed over to a striding Ngoma.
The young speedster then dribbled to the edge of the box, in the center of the field and fired a shot that was deflected by an LCFC defender. The deflected shot flew in the air, like a chip-shot and was going to enter the net before LCFC's goalkeeper, Kyle Morton tipped it over the bar and a good scoring chance was negated for Ngoma, who nearly tied up the game in the 31st minute.
Ngoma's scoring chance here was the Red Bulls II's first shot-on-goal of the match. Despite Zachary Ryan's play that was almost tapped in by Serge Ngoma, a first team player who was sent down, the Baby Bulls really didn't create any scoring chances and the game was a 1-0 affair heading into halftime.
The positives to me: we made a very good team look uncomfortable and not look like a good team. Louisville also struggled throughout the game, just with our intensity. The big thing to me, can we be nicer on the ball, calmer on the ball, and create better chances? But [tonight was] really positive, especially since we’ll be able to do some actual training for a change.
The Second Half at Soccer Park
Coming into this game, New York's goalkeeper, AJ Marcucci led USL Championship goalkeepers with 12 show-stopping saves. It is no surprise then that the 23-year-old would make another clutch save in the 50th minute. The play started when Serrano stepped up to the left corner flag for LCFC and sent a cross to Marcucci's near-post that was hard and from point blank range and would have certainly gone in, but Marcucci was able to stop it with his shoulder, keeping the Red Bulls II from going down by two, early in the second half.
In the 75th minute, Red Bulls II bench-boss, Gary Lewis subbed out his two fullbacks for Red Bulls academy product, John Cortez and striker, Jordan Adebayo-Smith, a six-foot-tall player whom the Red Bulls II loaned from the Tampa Bay Rowdies this offseason. However, Louisville's defense just was too strong for Adebay0-Smith or the first-teamer, Serge Ngoma to penetrate as the game wore down to it's ending.
Unfortunately for the Red Bulls II, red cards have been a recurring theme. In the 85th minute and very late in the game, indeed, a Louisville player managed to dribble with the ball behind Red Bulls backline defender Lamine Conte showed good speed by tracking him down and tripping that ball-carrier, luckily outside of the 18-yard-box. Since Conte was the 'last defender back' as the rulebook stipulates the referee was forced to show Conte a Red card.
Then, the dagger came and struck the Red Bulls when LCFC Midfielder, Wilson Harris scored on the ensuing free kick to extend Louisville City's lead to 2-0. That is where the game would finish as the Red Bulls II sadly lost the second of their first two home matches of this young 2022 USL Championship season.
Postgame Thoughts from Coach Lewis
For the second straight home game, the New York Red Bulls II held their own in the first half. They also seemed to have energy and to produce some dangerous chances such as Serge Ngoma's shot that was barely kept out by the Louisville goalkeeper, who now leads the USL Championship in clean sheets, or shutouts as they are called in the National Hockey League (NHL) (Ha!).
However, that killer-instinct which the first team manager, Gerhard Struber often refers to, the determination to score in the attacking third was missing from this Red Bulls II team that actually gave a very strong performance against a Louisville City FC team that has not lost yet this season and currently ranks first in the USL Championship's Eastern Conference. Manager, Gary Lewis gave his thoughts on why his team was unable to produce a single goal, for the second straight match at MSU Soccer Park.
I thought we had some really good moments. Because of the way Louisville set up, if we could have just attracted their defense [so they clustered], which we did well, that gives a chance for our fullbacks to get in the box and create something. That was the missing piece for me. We moved [fullbacks] O'Vonte [Mullings] and Curtis [Ofori] higher in the second half, to get our offense going and we started to get some success with that, but it's just the final piece that's been lacking.
Looking ahead to the Red Bulls II's next game, this team has work to do on the training ground. They will need to prepare to play a FC Tulsa side that ranks fifth in the conference and has scored five goals in three matches so far this season.
Red Bulls II's newly-signed midfielder, Jonathan Filipe was very visible in this match. The midfielder dribbled past a Louisville defense that has not given up one goal this season on many occassions. The exciting Red Bulls II player from Connecticut described the chemistry that he's been able to build up with his teammates after the first four games of the year.
We’re finding good gaps in between and we’re using our speed and drive going forward...I feel like we’re starting to get good chemistry and getting to know each other better, and it’s starting to work more and more as the game goes on.
As far as the week ahead, with many days of training that lay ahead for the Baby Bulls in preparation for their next game, Filipe was equally optimistic and painted a picture of a team that is determined to put these last two losses, behind them.
I think we’re going to focus on our offensive quality in the final third. The final passes, the final finishing, and things like that so we can start getting some more goals up and some wins. - New York Red Bulls II player, Jonathan Filipe
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