Having clinched a playoff berth, New York Red Bulls II (12-8-13) heads into its final match of the season at 5 p.m. on Sunday at MSU Soccer Park. New York will face off against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (15-4-14) for the second time this year.
On its way to clinching a playoff spot, New York has strung together a five-game unbeaten streak (2-0-3). In its past two matches, Red Bulls II has defeated Penn FC (3-1 result) and North Carolina FC (2-1 result) – both wins coming on the road.
Although winning its last two away games, New York has struggled on the road this season (2-5-10). However, the club has been formidable at home (10-3-3).
New York last played the Hounds on June 16 at Highmark Stadium. Pittsburgh won the match, 3-0.
Serving as New York’s minutes leader (2,629), Andrew Tinari has been at the center of the team’s starting 11. Patrolling the midfield, Tinari is the only Red Bull to have played in at least 30 matches this year, starting 29 of his 32 games played. He also has seven goals and three assists to his name, in addition to leading the squad with 51 shots.
Strengths
Shot volume: New York leads the entire USL with 608 total shots this season. The next closest squad, Louisville City FC, has posted 534 total shots.
Balanced attack: A total of 19 players have scored for Red Bulls II, including seven athletes who have at least six goals to their name.
Weaknesses
Goals allowed: New York has allowed the fourth-most goals in the Eastern Conference (58).
Passing accuracy: The squad ranks second-to-last in the Eastern Conference with a 71 percent success rate on its passes.
