Skip to main content

Red Bulls II Enter US Open Cup for First Time Since 2015

by Anthony J. Merced

New York Red Bulls have announced that their MLS Next Pro affiliate team will take their place in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the 2024 campaign. This announcement comes after negotiations between Major League Soccer and the US Soccer Federation on the format and how first division teams will compete in the tournament.

The overall negotiations will see eight MLS clubs in the country's oldest soccer competition. From there 11 Next Pro affiliate clubs, including the New York Red Bulls II, will enter the competition as well. The inclusion of these clubs was based on the 2023 MLS Next Pro standings which saw the Red Bulls II finish in fourth place in their Group. The team eventually was eliminated in the playoffs.

This is a drastic change from what has been done in the past. MLS clubs participated in the later rounds of the tournament with affiliate clubs being barred from the competition dating back to 2016. The last time they did compete, the team was eliminated in the second round by PDL side Jersey Express in 2015. 

The change in format will open up New York Red Bulls to focus on other competitions such as the Leagues Cup over the summer. Several of their players will also be stepping away to compete in the Olympics, Copa America or European Championship during the same time.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Red Bulls Announce Fan Experience Improvements

by Garry Redman On top of the theme nights announced this season, something new has been added the next time the season ticket holders and supporters step inside The Cathedral... The state-of-the-art LED lighting system at Red Bull Arena will provide higher on-field light levels for enhanced visibility and safety and introduce new entertainment features that heighten the overall experience for spectators.   Built around Musco's Total Light Control—TLC for LED™ technology, the new system is designed to provide exceptional playability and uniformity while minimizing glare. Cleaner, whiter light will elevate the broadcast quality for fans watching around the world.  Color-changing fixtures and Show-Light® Pro entertainment technology will allow the Red Bulls to wash the stadium in different colors and synchronize light shows to music, heightening the fan experience during goal celebrations, player introductions, and other big moments. If you have no idea what this means, cl...

Quotes: Red Bulls Show Promise, But More Work Need To Be Done

photo by Matt Kremkau Sixty seconds in a ninety-minute match. That’s all it took for Sporting Kansas City to ruin the Opening Day festivities at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night. The supporters in attendance saw crisp passing and a stout defense that kept the visitors at bay, despite not having striker Alan Pulido in the starting lineup. But significantly, the supporters were buoyed by a return to that press that has last seen since Jesse Marsch was in charge. But that was the first 45 minutes. In the second half, things turned for the better and then, shockingly, worse for the home side that evening. Midfielder Caden Clark, who scored the opening goal, spoke about the match as a whole: I’ve kept that in the back of my mind, actually, not scoring at home. I really wanted to do that in front of the supporters, and it was great to do that in front of the few that were here tonight who brought the noise. When I scored that [goal] the place was shaking, and you feed off of that and gai...

Editorial: New York Red Bulls are Fun to Watch

photo by Matt Kremkau by Daniel Feuerstein The New York Red Bulls 2024 season starts off and running. In their first three matches, they have looked different from their last five to six seasons of doom and despair when trying to attack or have a lapse in judgment on the defensive end. The two big editions for the club are undoubtedly the imports from Sweden in Centerback Noah Elle & attacking midfielder Emil Forsberg. Two players who are a part of the Swedish National Team have started off well in Major League Soccer. We all knew what we were getting right away from Forsberg. A high-energy creative and attacking midfielder who was already bought in from day one, when Director of Sport Jochen Schneider went to Leipzig and brought him over. He was already committed to making the trip to the United States to play his brand of soccer, and so far he hasn't disappointed. Even though he has come close three times off of free kicks, hitting the crossbar twice and being saved by the ke...