Inside the Match: New York Red Bulls II vs. Phoenix Rising FC
September 30, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – New York Red Bulls II News Release
New York Red Bulls II will travel to face Phoenix Rising FC on Saturday, October 1. Kickoff is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET with coverage available on ESPN+.
Match Notes
Hitting the Road – Red Bulls II will close out the 2022 USL Championship season with three-consecutive road matches, at Phoenix, Memphis, and Tampa Bay. It matches 2017 and 2019 for the longest stretch of consecutive road matches to end a regular season. Two of the three matches come against teams above the playoff line, with all three still being in postseason contention.
The Captain’s Season – O’Vonte Mullings is six minutes away from passing Evan Louro for fourth in club history for minutes in a single season. Mullings, who currently has 2,515 minutes on the campaign, has started all 29 matches that he has appeared in. The first-year defender has started every match for New York since May 14 (22 matches) and logged 1,924 of a possible 1,980 minutes (97 percent).
Academy Impact – A Red Bulls Academy player has started in each of New York’s last six matches. Overall, at least one Academy player has started in 22 of New York’s 31 matches this season (71 percent). The longest streak this season is seven, which was set between June 2 and July 15 by Sam Williams and Nate Worth.
Last Time Out
New York and Detroit City FC played to a scoreless draw on Wednesday, September 21, at MSU Soccer Park. The match marked New York’s home finale for the 2022 USL Championship season. Giannis Nikopolidis recorded two saves and his second clean sheet of the season.
Phoenix defeated Sacramento Republic FC, 1-0, on Wednesday, September 28, at Heart Health Park. Arturo Rodriguez scored the lone goal of the match in the 35th minute, and Benjamin Lundt tallied six saves to increase his season total to a league-leading 107.
Important Numbers
3 – New York’s three-straight road matches are the most for the club since the 2019 season.
4 – Giannis Nikopolidis is four saves away from passing Rafael Diaz for fifth in club history.
9 – Phoenix marks the ninth and final first-time opponent for Red Bulls II this season.
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