Louisville City FC’s trip to play New York Red Bulls II on Sunday isn’t just about holding a spot in the USL standings. It’s also a chance for redemption.
Red Bulls II have defeated LouCity — a back-to-back Eastern Conference finalist — in all five of the teams’ meetings, including last year’s USL semifinal that ended in a penalty shootout.
Even the club’s newcomers know about their past.
“There’s a history from last year, I guess, from the playoffs and stuff,” said left back Oscar Jimenez. “Everybody’s buzzing for it. Everybody wants to take it to them.”
The opening whistle is set for 4 p.m. at Montclair State University in New Jersey. WDRB-TV and NewsRadio 840 WHAS will broadcast the action in Louisville.
New York is the only Eastern Conference side LouCity hasn’t beaten in its two-plus years in the USL aside from newcomer Ottawa Fury FC, which it plays for the first time on July 1. Looking back at previous matchups, coach James O’Connor recognized a theme from the games.
“I feel that we just haven’t taken our chances,” he said. “We’ve had some really good chances when we’ve played them and haven’t been able to capitalize. Where New York are really clinical is, they get a chance and do that and have consistently since they’ve been in the league.”
Red Bulls II became the first USL side operated by a Major League Soccer franchise to win the title in 2016. The club set USL records for wins (21), points earned (69) and goals (61) in a season. A plus-40 goal differential was also a new league mark.
Contests against LouCity were especially tight. A penalty kick determined a 1-0 win for the Red Bulls II last August in a regular-season matchup between the Eastern Conference’s top-two sides. The penalty shootout ended 4-3 in the postseason.
“They’ve obviously had a good run against us, so it’s a game we’re looking forward to,” O’Connor said.
LouCity holds a slight advantage on New York in the current Eastern Conference standings with two games in hand. LouCity moved up to third after defeating the Charlotte Independence on Wednesday, jumping ahead of the Red Bulls, who now sit at No. 4.
“It’s an important game this year because they’re sitting right below us on the table,” Jimenez said. “I think if they win, they move ahead of us, so we want to get in front of them and create a gap there.”
One major variable could play a role Sunday.
The Red Bulls’ MLS side is off this weekend ahead of Wednesday’s Fourth Round U.S. Open Cup game. New York will have fresh legs, plus plenty of talent to choose from when making a lineup.
“The difficulty is, when you’re playing against the MLS 2 teams, you’re never quite sure which personnel will be available,” O’Connor said. “They have a number of players both in their MLS team and their regular squad who are very capable players. It’ll be a tough game for us.”
