On a rainy night in Queens, New York City FC II did something its parent team has never done – beat a professional soccer team from New York City. NYCFC II knocked off rival and fellow MLS NEXT Pro side New York Red Bulls II, 4-2, mostly thanks to a hat-trick from Jonathan “JJ” Jiménez.
NYCFC II head coach Matt Pilkington said after the match that making team history, being the first NYCFC professional outfit to beat an Red Bulls unit in a knockout competition (Open Cup, Leagues Cup) means something.
“Not only is it a derby, it’s a cup game, it’s a home game. There’s a lot at steak tonight. It makes it a little bit sweeter,” said Pilkington. “I thought we had a really good test tonight. (Red Bulls II are) a really good team. They’re really well coached … I thought it was a good derby match and entertaining lots of goals and good for the fans.”
Jiménez echoed that point as he spoke to the media after his performance, emphasizing how the team had been preparing since its last league match last week.
“We have been preparing all week,” he said. “We know it’s a derby, and we know it’s win or go home. So, we prepared (mentally) more than preparing our bodies and we got ready for a fight.”
New York City II entered the match missing a handful of players due to them playing in
2024 Generation Adidas Cup. While Red Bulls II looked to be the stronger side, head coach Ibrahim Sekagya’s lineup had some glaring omissions. These included keeper A.J. Marcucci and defender Omar Valencia, who started the game on the bench.
The Red Bulls got on the board early thanks to a run up the left side by Serge Ngoma. His low cross into the box hit off players from both teams, but Mohammed Sofo pivoted to get a left footed strike off on the loose ball. The shot went right towards Tomás Romero, but slipped through his legs to give the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 6th minute.
It was the third time the Baby Blues conceded a goal within the first ten minutes of a match this season. However, the home side was able to counter in the 22nd minute. A NYRB II goal kick and series of headed passes ended with Christian McFarlane feeding Jiménez. The forward was on side and between defenders as New York pressed high. With a defender on him, Red Bulls keeper Dallas Odle came off the line to challenge. However, Jiménez sidestepped the keeper to his right and punched in the tying goal.
Momentum fully swung towards the home side, who cut through the Baby Bulls defense. Bulls II head coach Ibrahim Sekagya played three center backs to start the game, telling the media afterwards that usual starting left back Omar Valencia was dealing with an injury late in the week. City II was able to capitalize this and continued to find holes in the first 45.
Jiménez struck again in the 38th minute, as a long kick from City’s end found him in the middle of the field. A slick move past the covering defender set up another 1-v-1 with Odle, who the forward once again rounded to make it 2-1.
According to Jiménez he and his team knew exactly how to play against their Hudson River Derby rivals.
“We basically planned for it, we knew that they were going to press us building out,” said Jiménez. “We wanted to play out the back and break their press because we knew once we broke that press, we were in behind – Me, Malachi , Agustín , and myself just running behind. We all have pace, any ball in behind, we’re going to get.”
Roald Mitchell had a chance to tie the game in the 41st minute with a shot that rang off the left post. New York countered with a chance to extend the lead at the other end and kept the ball there.
Malachi Jones, the 8th overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, had a stellar night as well. He got on the scoresheet in the 45th minute when a series between Piero Elias and Taylor Calheira set him up at the left post. He chipped Odle and a last ditch NYRB II defender to make it 3-1.
In the second half, coach Sekagya’s group came out hot. Mitchell continued his late half momentum with an easily saved shot in the 47th minute.
But forty seconds later, a long pass to Mohammed Sofo allowed him to through pass to Ngoma in the box. Running toward the left side, Ngoma shot low and towards the right to cut into the deficit.
The visitors continued to have momentum in the second half, controlling possession and keeping NYCFC out of their end. In the 62nd, substitute Omar Valencia crossed a pass into the box from the left side, a part of the field NYRB frequented throughout the night. While the pass was intercepted, Ngoma charged for the loose ball in the box and was tripped by NYC’s Christopher Tiao. The Red Bulls’ Julian Hall stepped up for the potential tying penalty kick, the 16 year old’s shot was saved by Tomás Romero to keep it 3-2.
After the match, Romero, who joined the NYCFC first team earlier this year and is officially a “loan” to the reserve team, said he had a feeling what Hall was going to do to try and throw him off during the penalty run up.
“Nowadays, a lot of guys are doing that pause thing where they run up and pause . So, I kind of expected it,” said Romero. “Something was telling me he was going to do it and I think he stopped right before. So on those, you really have to just stay in your position as long as possible and wait for him to make the decision. I kind of tell by his body shape where he was going, and I just waited until the last second and went for it. It was a big moment in the game and I’m happy about that. I’m proud that I was able to save it.”
Asked about his player’s miss, coach Sekagya said Julian Hall will have plenty of time to grow and move on from it. Especially since his team will be back at Belson Stadium on April 10 to face NYCFC II in the regular season.
“(It’s) unlucky for him, but he’s a player which we know that he’s a strong young boy. He can come away from that. We talked about it,” said Sekagya. “We just encourage him to think about it and he will take more.”
New York (the red one from New Jersey) continued to look for an equalizer against New York (the blue one from New York) for the rest of the half. A 72nd minute shot by Steven Sserwadda curved over a defender’s leg and looked to be heading for just under the crossbar but hit off the hand of an outstretched Romero to force a corner. That chance pales in comparison to the one five minutes later, when Sofo sent a long pass to Hall on the left side. The young Bull sent a high cross into the box, where Mitchell flew into frame to attempt a shot. NYCFC II’s Alexander Hauschild blocked the ball off the line, where it hit off the right post and then off the hand of Mitchell to end the play.
The home side got the final say in the 85th minute when in the 85th minute when Taylor Calheira’s shot from the top of the box struck the hand of Red Bull defender Juan Gutierrez, earning him the night’s first and only yellow card. It was also NYCFC II’s first shot on target of the half. Jiménez calmly sent the keeper to the right post while sliding the ball towards the left one. The goal sealed the result, notched Jiménez his first hat-trick as a professional, and eventually saw NYCFC II become the first MLSNP side to qualify for the Third Round.
Jiménez noted afterwards though that it wasn’t actually his first-ever hat-trick as a player.
“On the hat trick, it’s actually a cool story. My first ever hat trick was against Red Bulls when I was in the academy,” the forward said. “When I was in high school, I think I scored four, and now I did it here (in the pros), so it is just amazing.”
