On Wednesday, June 2, the New York Red Bulls II will host the Tampa Bay Rowdies at MSU Soccer Park on the campus of Montclair State University. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
Tampa Bay is in 1st-place and Red Bulls II sit in fifth in the United Soccer League Championship (USL) Atlantic Division.
Wednesday June 2 had to be a date that the Red Bulls II had circled, a date with the first-place team in the USL's Atlantic Division and a team that beat them in the last game before the pandemic hit the United States of America in Mar. 2020.
Since the last time Red Bulls II and Tampa Bay Rowdies played, the Red Bulls II roster has changed dramatically and now includes nine players under the age of 20 and three players younger than 18.
One of the older players who has emerged as a leader on this year's team is Mandela Egbo. The Englishman has started all six of Red Bull II games this season as one of the team's two center-backs, along with Turkish centerback Amir Tombul. The 23-year-old has even managed to score three goals, including a penalty-kick against a tough Charleston Battery on May 22.
Along with Egbo, Head Coach Wolyniec will rely on midfielder Jake LaCava to help facilitate the offense when they face 1st-place Tampa Bay on Pride Night at MSU Soccer Park.
Out of all the players in that group, Roald Mitchell has stood out the most. The 18-year-old forward began the 2021 season with the Red Bulls academy and being a player that Head Coach John Wolyniec says the club "didn't think they would rely on too much." Then, the young soccer player who shares the name of famous British novelist Roald Dahl, was able to score a goal in his first professional start against Charleston Battery on May 22 in Charleston, South Carolina. As a reward, Mitchell was named to the USL Championship's Team of the Week for the fifth week.
Title-Winning Coach on Developing Youth
The Red Bulls II have existed for seven years and Head Coach John Wolyniec was appointed it's first head coach in 2016. That year the Red Bulls II won the USL Championship cup at Red Bull Arena with a team that was led by current MLS players Aaron Long and Ryan Meara. Wolyniec knows how to develop academy soccer players into Major League Soccer (MLS) players and, recently, developed MLS midfielders, Jared Stroud and Forward Tom Barlow into players who played for the Red Bulls first team during the 2020 season.
Wolyniec and the Red Bulls II have gotten off to a slow start in the 2021 season that was delayed due to COVID vaccine rollout which started to get out to all USLC players by April. Wolyniec's group began their season on April 19, a narrow defeat to Hartford Athletic and have posted a 1-2-3 record overall. However, he believes that the experience his very young team have gained so far this season will benefit them and the Red Bulls first team going forward and he had this to say about that process:
It’s important for the future of the club to increase the experience to professional soccer to young players so they can maximize their development," Wolyniec said. "As this season goes on, we’re going to see that these guys are learning and experiencing something they haven't before and [our guys are] going to adjust because they’re talented and hopefully we'll see results." - John Wolyniec
Which Red Bulls II Players Need to Step Up?
After leading the Red Bulls II in goals with seven goals during the 2020 USL season, Omar Sowe has led the Red Bulls striker group. Recently, 18-year-old Roald Mitchell has joined Sowe atop the Red Bulls formation. Mitchell was one of the Red Bulls II Strikers in the previous game against Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
Sowe, who grew up in Harrison, New Jersey, has scored one goal in his first six matches this season. Still, coach has kept starting him in an effort to help him get back into goal-scoring form.
This separates the men from the boys, so to speak. You know, when things aren’t going great, how are you still contributing? Is it showing that you’re not contributing both in your play and body language or are you tough enough to recognize that the job of a forward is feast or famine and if you can minimize those famines, then the feast will come soon. Omar’s in the process of trying to learn that, that tough mentality, that steel that all players need to survive [in pro soccer] nd he's working hard." - John Wolyniec
Wolyniec Discusses Player Development
Coach Wolyniec really understands that his job as Head Coach of the Red Bulls II is to develop the very young players into players who the first team can use in the future. It bears repeating that nine of the 30 players on the Red Bulls II roster are younger than 20. 16-year-old Curtis Ofori has appeared in five matches and has only been used as a substitute. Red Bulls II Head Coach Wolyniec explained why he handles his youngest players with the utmost care.
Curtis [Ofori] is really young, so we are not throwing him out there for 90 minutes. We have given him little dips at a time, so that he can experience it, but at the same time does not overwhelm him, and I think he has done very well with that. I think that stuff is going to pay off for the future of the club with these special players.- John Wolyniec
So, when the Red Bulls II take the field on June 2 at MSU Soccer Park for just the fourth time since the pandemic began in March of 2020, they will do so with a young team that is hungry to learn. The Red Bulls II players are eager to learn from their Head Coach, a former MLS player who played 10 years in America's best soccer league and to learn from playing against a talented team like Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Head Coach Wolyniec described why he believes the Red Bulls II have improved over their last two difficult matches against Charleston and Pittsburgh and what the team has to do to keep improving going forward.
Once we get out of this little stretch here, we can start to breath and take in all the things we've learned recently," Wolyniec said. "I think the last few games, we have created a lot [offensively], we did not always finish, but that is a good sign. I think our box defending has gotten better and I think our pressing is getting better. [Our focus is] continuing to make the right decisions to make sure that we are in the best possible place to improve." - John Wolyniec
- PWHL New York Eliminated from Playoffs with 5-2 Loss in Montreal - April 24, 2024
- PWHL New York fall in heartbreaker at Prudential Center - April 20, 2024
- Seton Hall Triumphs over Indiana State in NIT Championship - April 5, 2024
