New York Red Bulls II
 | |||
| Nicknames | Baby Bulls Baby Metro Dos Toros | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | January 21, 2015[1] | ||
| Stadium | MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field Sports Illustrated Stadium (Select home games) | ||
| Capacity | 5,000 (MSU Soccer Park) 25,000 (Sports Illustrated Stadium) | ||
| Owner | Red Bull GmbH | ||
| Sporting Director | Julian de Guzman | ||
| Head coach | Dominik Wohlert | ||
| League | MLS Next Pro | ||
| 2025 | 1st, Eastern Conference Playoffs: Champions | ||
| Website | newyorkredbulls | ||
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The New York Red Bulls II is an American professional soccer team based in Montclair, New Jersey. They are the reserve team of the New York Red Bulls and play in MLS Next Pro, the third tier in the American soccer pyramid.
As of 2025, Red Bulls II is the only team to ever win both the USL Championship (then known as the United Soccer League) and MLSNP championships.
History
USL era, winning the double (2015-2022)
Red Bull New York II were founded on January 21, 2015, when the New York Red Bulls acquired the rights to start a USL club. Red Bulls II competes in the second tier of American soccer and serves as a reserve side for the first team as well as a developmental stage for young prospects and academy players. The club follows in the footsteps of many MLS clubs who created USL sides to help promote youth development throughout the nation.[2]
It was announced on March 2, 2015, that former MetroStars and Red Bulls player, John Wolyniec would be the club's new head coach. Wolyniec previously served as an assistant coach to the senior team and the academy. Former Red Bulls defender, Ibrahim Sekagya will also serve on his coaching staff.[3]
On March 19, 2015, the soccer club announced the signing of their first-ever player, and former academy standout, Tyler Adams.[4] Following their first signing, the club's first roster consisted of senior team players who were loaned down, draft picks, academy players and local trialists.[5] A week later, on March 28, the club played in their inaugural match, drawing 0–0 against the Rochester Rhinos.[6] Senior team loanee, Anatole Abang scored the club's first ever goal in a 4–1 victory against Toronto FC II, marking the first victory in club history.[7]
A New York Red Bulls team composed mostly of NYRB II players defeated Chelsea F.C. in a friendly on July 22, 2015.[8]
After spending the majority of the 2015 and 2016 season playing at Red Bull Arena, the club announced on May 10, 2016, that their new home field would be at Montclair State University's MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field starting in 2017.[9]
The club won their first ever trophy[10] on September 7, 2016, claiming the Regular Season Title (the equivalent of the Supporters' Shield) 4–1 victory at Harrisburg City Islanders.[11] On October 23, Red Bulls II won their first USL Cup after a 5–1 victory against Swope Park Rangers at Red Bull Arena.[12]
For the abbreviated 2020 USL Championship season, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Red Bulls II are playing home matches at Red Bull Arena with no fans in attendance.[13]
On February 7, 2022, the club appointed Gary Lewis as new head coach.[14] However, amid a dismal first season that saw the team win just three of 34 games, Lewis was fired in July.[15] Assistant coach Ibrahim Sekagya was named interim coach.
MLS Next Pro era (2023-present)
MLS announced that it would be one of the new eight teams to join MLS Next Pro in 2023.[16]
Sekagya, who had been with the team as an assistant since its founding in 2015, was named the full-time head coach to start the 2023 season.[17] New York made the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2023 before falling to New England Revolution II.
In 2024, they failed to make the postseason but re-established their reputation for promoting players to first team action, as Roald Mitchell, Ibrahim Kasule, AJ Marcucci, Omar Valencia and Mohammed Sofo all made their debuts for the first team in either 2024 or 2025.
After a first half of 2025 that saw the team top the overall table through their first 13 games, Sekagya was promoted to a full-time assistant coach for the first team, after doing double duty with both teams through the previous 18 months.[18] Sekagya was replaced by former US international and ex-MetroStar Michael Bradley.[19]
Red Bulls II finished atop both the Eastern Conference and the Northeast Division, securing the No. 1 seed in the East and placing second overall in the league table.[20][21] In the postseason, New York won the Eastern Conference playoffs and then captured the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Cup, defeating Colorado Rapids 2 on penalties after a 3–3 draw at Sports Illustrated Stadium.[22][23] Following the title, Bradley signed with Red Bull New York, becoming head coach of the club’s first team.[24]
Club culture
Supporters
The team-recognized, fan organized supporters group of Red Bulls II was The Rampage, founded by members of the New York Red Bulls supporters club Viking Army.[25] The Rampage stopped operations after the Red Bulls II last home USL Championship game in September 2022 following the decision to not support the team after they moved the club to MLS Next Pro, a league dedicated for the MLS reserves teams to develop players.
Team records
Overall records
- As of October 27, 2024
| Season | USL Championship | Play-offs | U.S. Open Cup | Top Scorer | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | L | D | GF | GA | Pts | Position | Player | Goals | |||||
| 2015 | 28 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 46 | 45 | 42 | 4th (East) | Conference Semifinals | 2R |  Marius Obekop
|
6 | ||
| 2016 | 30 | 21 | 3 | 6 | 61 | 21 | 69 | 1st (East)* | Champions | Not eligible (MLS Reserve Team) |
 Brandon Allen
|
21 | ||
| 2017 | 32 | 13 | 14 | 5 | 57 | 60 | 44 | 7th (East) | Conference Finals | Stefano Bonomo
|
13 | |||
| 2018 | 34 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 71 | 59 | 52 | 5th (East) | Conference Finals |  Amando Moreno Brian White
|
10 | |||
| 2019 | 34 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 74 | 51 | 57 | 6th (East) | Conference Quarterfinals | Jared Stroud
|
15 | |||
| 2020 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 30 | 37 | 15 | 14th (East) 3rd (Group F) |
Did not qualify |  Omar Sowe
|
7 | |||
| 2021 | 32 | 7 | 18 | 7 | 42 | 67 | 28 | 14th (East) 7th (Atlantic) |
Did not qualify | Omar Sowe
|
8 | |||
| 2022 | 34 | 3 | 25 | 6 | 24 | 76 | 15 | 14th (East) | Did not qualify | Jordan Adebayo-Smith
|
7 | |||
| Season | MLS Next Pro | Play-offs | U.S. Open Cup | Top Scorer | ||||||||||
| P | W | L | D | GF | GA | Pts | Position | Player | Goals | |||||
| 2023 | 28 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 53 | 36 | 51 | 4th (Eastern) | Conference Semifinals | Not eligible (MLS Reserve Team) |
 Ibrahim Kasule
|
15 | ||
| 2024 | 28 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 56 | 61 | 40 | 11th (Eastern) | Did not qualify | 2R |  Roald Mitchell
|
8 | ||
| 2025 | 28 | 17 | 5 | 6 | 68 | 56 | 58 | 1st (Eastern) | Champions | Not eligible (MLS Reserve Team) |
 Nehuén Benedetti
|
11 | ||
* Regular season title winners
- As of the 2016 season, MLS reserve sides are not allowed to compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
- As of the 2024 season, New York Red Bulls were 1 of 11 clubs to play their MLS Next Pro club in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. For the 2025 season, MLS provided new criteria for qualification to enter the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.[26]
Head coach record
- As of December 15, 2025
- Includes USL Regular season, USL Play-offs and U.S. Lamar Hunt Open Cup
| Name | Nationality | From | To | P | W | L | D | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Wolyniec |  United States
|
February 14, 2015 | December 10, 2021 | 236 | 108 | 84 | 44 | 45.76 |
| Gary Lewis |  England
|
February 7, 2022 | July 2, 2022 | 17 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 5.88 |
| Ibrahim Sekagya | Uganda
|
July 2, 2022 | June 16, 2025[27] | 94 | 47 | 44 | 3 | 50.00 |
| Michael Bradley | United States
|
June 17, 2025 | December 15, 2025 | 21 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 71.43 |
Player honors
| Year | Pos | Player | Country | Honor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | FW | Brandon Allen | United States
|
All-League First Team |
| USL Cup MVP | ||||
| USL Rookie of the Year | ||||
| DF | Aaron Long | United States
|
USL Defender of the Year | |
| All-League First Team | ||||
| 2017 | MF | Vincent Bezecourt |  France
|
All-League Second Team |
| 2019 | Jared Stroud | United States
|
All-League First Team | |
| 2023 | Ibrahim Kasule | Uganda
|
MLS Next Pro Best XI | |
| 2025 | Nehuén Benedetti | Argentina
|
MLS Next Pro Best XI |
Players
Roster
- As of July 17, 2025[28]
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | GK | USA
|
Tomas Hut |
| 42 | DF |  PAN
|
Anderson Julio (on loan from C.D. Plaza Amador) |
| 43 | DF |  COL
|
Erick Londoño (on loan from Orsomarso SC) |
| 44 | MF |  MLI
|
Sekone Kone (on loan from Yeelen Olympique) |
| 45 | DF | PAN
|
Aimar Sánchez (on loan from C.D. Plaza Amador) |
| 46 | MF | MLI
|
Makan Sissoko (on loan from Yeelen Olympique) |
| 52 | DF | PAN
|
Aimar Modelo (on loan from CA Independiente) |
| 55 | GK | USA
|
Austin Causey |
| 56 | DF | USA
|
Matthew Dos Santos |
| 62 | MF | USA
|
Paul Sokoloff |
| 80 | MF | USA
|
Nate Worth |
| 91 | FW | PAN
|
Mijahir Jiménez (on loan from C.D. Plaza Amador) |
- ^ Signed to first team contract with New York Red Bulls.
- ^ New York Red Bulls Academy player.
Out on loan
| No. | Pos. | Player | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | MF | UGA
|
Ibrahim Kasule (at CT United FC) |
| 65 | MF | UGA
|
Steven Sserwadda (at CT United FC) |
Player statistics
Top appearances
- As of June 24, 2017[citation needed]
| # | Name | Career | USL | Playoffs | Open Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Konrad Plewa
|
2015–2016 | 47 | 6 | 1 | 54 |
| Dan Metzger
|
2015–2017 | 49 | 4 | 1 | 54 | |
| 2 |  Derrick Etienne
|
2015–2019 | 42 | 4 | 1 | 47 |
| 3 | Brandon Allen
|
2016–2017 | 41 | 4 | 0 | 45 |
| 4 |  Devon Williams
|
2015–2016 | 36 | 3 | 0 | 39 |
| 5 | Stefano Bonomo
|
2015–2018 | 31 | 6 | 0 | 37 |
 Tim Schmoll
|
2016–2017 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 37 | |
| Vincent Bezecourt
|
2016–2019 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 37 |
Bold signifies current Red Bulls II player
Top goalscorers
- As of March 7, 2020[29]
| # | Name | Career | USL | Playoffs | Open Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandon Allen
|
2016–2017 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
| 2 | Jared Stroud
|
2018–2020 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| 3 | Stefano Bonomo
|
2015–2018 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 21 |
| Tom Barlow
|
2018–2019 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 21 | |
| 4 | Junior Flemmings
|
2016–2017 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 17 |
| 5 | Vincent Bezecourt
|
2016–2019 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 14 |
| 6 | Florian Valot
|
2016–2021 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 13 |
| 7 | Derrick Etienne
|
2015–2017 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 11 |
Bold signifies current Red Bulls II player
Honors
| National | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Competitions | Titles | Seasons | Runner-up |
| MLS Next Pro | |||
| MLSNP Cup (Tier 3) | 1 | 2025 | - |
| MLSNP Supporters' Shield | 0 | - | 2025 |
| MLSNP Eastern Conference (Regular Season) | 1 | 2025 | - |
| MLSNP Eastern Conference (Playoffs) | 1 | 2025 | - |
| MLSNP Northeast Division | 1 | 2025 | - |
| USL Championship | |||
| USLC Cup (Tier 3) | 1 | 2016 | - |
| USLC Players' Shield | 1 | 2016 | - |
| USLC Eastern Conference (Regular Season) | 1 | 2016 | - |
| USLC Eastern Conference (Playoffs) | 1 | 2016 | 2017, 2018 |
See also
References
- ^ "Red Bulls announce USL Pro team". New York Red Bulls. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
- ^ "FINAL LOOK BACK: The Inaugural New York Red Bulls II season". RedBullsAcademy.com.
- ^ "Red Bulls name John Wolyniec head coach of NYRB II". RedBullsAcademy.com.
- ^ "Red Bulls II sign Academy product Tyler Adams". newyorkredbulls.com. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ "New York Red Bulls II announce roster ahead of inaugural game". newyorkredbulls.com. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ "MATCH RECAP: Red Bulls II 0, Rochester Rhinos, 0". newyorkredbulls.com. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ "MATCH RECAP: Red Bulls II 4, Toronto FC II 1". newyorkredbulls.com. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
- ^ "New York Red Bulls stun Premier League champs Chelsea – ESPN FC". ESPNFC.com. July 22, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
- ^ "New York Red Bulls II Make Montclair State University Home; Remainder of 2016 USL Schedule to be played at Red Bull Arena". newyorkredbulls.com. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
- ^ "New York Red Bulls II clinch 2016 USL Regular Season Championship". NewYorkRedBulls.com.
- ^ "Red Bulls II Claim USL Regular Season Championship". USLSoccer.com. September 7, 2016.
- ^ "Allen's Hat Trick Leads Red Bulls II to USL Cup". USLSoccer.com. October 23, 2016.
- ^ "New York Red Bulls II Unveil 2020 Return to Play Schedule". New York Red Bulls. July 2, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
- ^ "Red Bulls II Appoint Gary Lewis as New Head Coach". USLChampionship.com. February 7, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- ^ "New York Red Bulls II Part Ways with Gary Lewis".
- ^ "MLS NEXT Pro Unveils 21 Clubs for Inaugural Season". orlandocitysc.
- ^ "New York Red Bulls II Name Ibrahim Sekagya as Head Coach".
- ^ "New York Red Bulls Announce Promotion of NYRB II Head Coach Ibrahim Sekagya to Full-Time First Team Assistant Coach".
- ^ "New York Red Bulls II Appoint Former U.S. Men's National Team Midfielder Michael Bradley as Head Coach".
- ^ "MATCH RECAP: New York Red Bulls II Clinch Eastern Conference First Seed in MLS NEXT Pro Playoff After 2-1 Victory over Toronto FC II". NewYorkRedBulls.com. October 5, 2025.
- ^ "Standings (Overall)". MLSNEXTPro.com.
- ^ "Journey to Champions: A Recap of New York Red Bulls II's MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs Run". NewYorkRedBulls.com. November 13, 2025.
- ^ "New York Red Bulls II Wins 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Cup in Dramatic Fashion". MLSNEXTPro.com. November 8, 2025.
- ^ "Red Bull New York name Michael Bradley head coach". MLSSoccer.com. December 15, 2025.
- ^ "Meet: The Rampage, First Team-Recognized Supporters Group for NYRB II". newyorkredbulls.com. March 31, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
- ^ "North American cups: Where MLS teams will compete in 2025, qualification criteria". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
- ^ Combining data as Caretaker Coach (7/2/22-2/5/23) and Head Coach (2/6/23-6/16/25).
- ^ "NYRBII Players". New York Red Bulls. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- ^ "2018 Individual Rankings". USL Championship. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
