To anyone who has questions about eligibility for a national team, FIFA defines it as if the player has:

• Citizenship in the country that they wish to represent

• Biological parents who were born in the country that they wish to represent

• Biological grandparents who were born in the country that they wish to represent

• Lived in the country that they wish to represent for a period of more than five years continuously after turning eighteen
• Not represented another nation in three friendly games after turning twenty-one, or played in a tournament with another (for instance, if a player plays for Costa Rica in the Gold Cup and then tries to switch FIFA nationality to the United States, he would be ineligible for the United States as he would be captained to Costa Rica)

In summary, these rules are for players who aren’t from the home nations (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, or the Republic of Ireland) or those who are from territories (such as Puerto Rico, Martinique, Guadaloupe, French Guiana, Curaçao, Guam, American Samoa, US Virgin Islands, Aruba, Cook Islands, and many more).

While complicated, Red Bull has fourteen players who will have to make a choice soon.

Players Who Have a Choice Between the USMNT and Another

This list is dominated mainly by starters, with two who play for Red Bull II.

Poland and the United States

This is a very short list, though it is the largest number of players who could represent the United States and another Football Association. These two players are Tobias Szewczyk and Julian Hall. Szewczyk, 17, is a goalkeeper who currently plays for Red Bull II and has been called up to the US U-17 camp. But that is not the only player in this camp: Hall, an undisputed starter for the first team. The Polish FA has also contacted Hall to see if he would play for them instead of the Stars and Stripes.

There is no doubt that if Poland had qualified for the World Cup, it would most likely force Mauricio Pochettino to make a decision, as the call from Poland could be very appealing.

Home Nations and the United States

This is the largest list of players with a choice. But why does Poland have more players? Basically, because there isn’t a Federation that encompasses the whole of the United Kingdom, but because they are the oldest federations in the world, they operate independently.

England and the United States

This only excludes Aiden Stokes, who hasn’t played for the main team but has been called up to the US U-17 national team.

In the past, he has also played for the English and Welsh U-17 teams.

Scotland and the United States

This is mainly about Cam Harper. Harper has played for the US U20 team, but could have played in this World Cup had he not been injured last year.

Mexico and the United States

This is a very interesting list, as starting wingers in the first team are eligible to represent either El Tri or the Stars and Stripes.

Cade Cowell, who needed to be Mexican to play for Chivas, has already played for the United States National Team. In contrast, Jorge Ruvalcalba did the opposite, playing for the Mexican National Team.

Albania and the United States

Adri Mehmeti is the only one in this camp, and he has represented both in the youth ranks.

This doesn’t leave him captivated, and it opens the door to playing for Albania and the USMNT. He could play with Anis Mehmeti, with whom he shares a last name.

Brazil and the United States

Matthew Dos Santos has a choice and has been called up for the US U-17 team.

Trinidad and Tobago and the United States

Roald Mitchell was eligible to play for the United States, but he became captivated by the Socca Warriors after playing with them in past World Cup Qualifiers.

Canada and Jamaica

In this choice, the only one is Jakheele Marshall-Rutty, who has already chosen to play for the Maple Leafs instead of Jamaica.

Argentina and Italy

Nehuén Benedetti has a choice between Argentina and Italy

Germany

In this, three players are eligible to play for Die Mannschaft. These two are Eric Maxim-Chupo Moting, who lost it while playing for Cameroon in a World Cup Qualifier, and Robert Voloder, who is eligible for both Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Justin Che also has eligibility, but lost it after playing for the Stars and Stripes.

The post Hard Decisions Ahead for Red Bull New York appeared first on New York Sports Nation.

One franchise is chasing its first championship since 1973, while the other is looking to begin a new era led by the league’s most fascinating young superstar.

History, legacy, and star power will all be on display throughout this highly anticipated Finals series.

Setting the Stage for the 2026 NBA Finals

The Knicks and Spurs arrive in the Finals through very different paths. New York enters on an 11-game playoff winning streak after sweeping Cleveland, while San Antonio survived a hard-fought seven-game battle with defending champion Oklahoma City.

Momentum favors the Knicks, but the Spurs bring the confidence that comes from winning under pressure. New York has dominated opponents, while San Antonio has survived every challenge thrown its way. That contrast is one of the defining themes of this matchup.

Fans across the league are already dissecting matchups, injuries, and sportsbook odds as anticipation continues to build.

Why the Knicks Believe This Is Their Year

For years, New York searched for the right formula. This season, everything appears to have clicked. A balanced roster and strong chemistry have fueled the turnaround.

Jalen Brunson’s Team Has Found Its Identity

Brunson continues to prove why he has become one of the NBA’s premier leaders, using his scoring, playmaking, and composure to make the Knicks one of the most reliable teams in the postseason. Few players handle the spotlight in crucial moments better.

A Supporting Cast Built for Deep Playoff Runs

Championship teams rarely rely on one star alone. Karl-Anthony Towns has stretched defenses with elite perimeter shooting, while Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby provide valuable two-way versatility on both ends of the floor.

Josh Hart remains the emotional heartbeat of the roster. His willingness to chase loose balls, crash the glass, and do the little things right often changes the tone of games.

Chasing a Championship Generations Have Waited For

The Knicks have not won an NBA title since 1973, leaving generations of fans waiting to experience a championship firsthand. That history brings added pressure, but it also creates a chance for this roster to secure a special place in franchise history for years to come.

How the Spurs Became the Team to Beat

San Antonio’s return to the Finals has been powered by a familiar formula: smart roster construction, player development, and superstar talent.

Victor Wembanyama’s Rise to Superstar Status

Wembanyama has looked every bit like the future face of the NBA, combining rare size, skill, and defensive impact in ways few players ever have. His presence alone forces opponents to rethink their offensive approach on nearly every possession they face.

More Than a One-Man Show

National attention naturally gravitates toward Wembanyama, but the Spurs are far from a one-player team. De’Aaron Fox adds explosive playmaking, Stephon Castle brings elite defense, and Devin Vassell provides another reliable scoring option for San Antonio’s offense.

Lessons Learned From the Oklahoma City Series

San Antonio enters the Finals with momentum and confidence after winning a Game 7 on the road against the defending champions, a performance that demonstrated the resilience and composure needed to succeed in the biggest moments throughout the postseason.

The Stars Who Could Define the Series

Championships often come down to stars delivering when the spotlight is brightest. This series features several players capable of doing exactly that.

Victor Wembanyama’s First Finals Spotlight

At just 22 years old, Wembanyama has a chance to lead the Spurs to a championship and strengthen his growing Finals MVP case. Comparisons to past NBA legends have already begun, and a title would only amplify them at this early stage of his career.

Jalen Brunson’s Legacy Opportunity

Brunson has already become a fan favorite in New York, but delivering a championship would elevate him into a different tier of franchise history, where great players are remembered as icons and celebrated alongside the organization’s all-time legends.

The X-Factors Beyond the Headliners

Several players could swing the series for different reasons:

• Karl-Anthony Towns and his floor spacing, 
• De’Aaron Fox and his ability to attack in transition, 
• Stephon Castle’s perimeter defense, 
• Josh Hart’s rebounding and energy. 

Small advantages provided by these players may ultimately decide the outcome.

The Storylines Everyone Will Be Watching

Beyond the basketball itself, this Finals is packed with compelling narratives. The biggest is the 1999 rematch, as the Knicks get another chance to face the Spurs on the championship stage 27 years after their only previous Finals meeting.

The series also showcases two different paths to contention. San Antonio built its core through drafting and development, while New York assembled its roster through major trades and strategic additions. Both approaches worked, but only one will produce a champion.

Another title for either franchise would add a new chapter to the NBA’s evolving championship landscape. As the series unfolds, fans and analysts continue to follow injuries, lineup decisions, and the latest NBA news and trends surrounding both teams.

The Matchups That May Decide the Trophy

Several individual battles could determine which team lifts the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Jalen Brunson vs Stephon Castle

Castle’s defensive length presents one of the toughest challenges Brunson has faced this postseason. San Antonio will rely heavily on him to disrupt New York’s offensive engine and limit his impact in key possessions.

Karl-Anthony Towns vs Victor Wembanyama

Towns’ perimeter shooting could force Wembanyama away from the basket, creating space for New York’s offense. His ability to stretch the floor could reshape defensive matchups throughout the series. That chess match may become one of the series’ defining themes.

Winning the Possession Battle

Rebounding, hustle plays, and second-chance opportunities often decide close Finals games. Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson could play significant roles in that area, helping New York control the possession battle.

A Legacy-Defining Finals

Momentum favors New York, while experience and star power favor San Antonio.

Both teams have earned their place on this stage through very different journeys, giving each side legitimate reasons to believe it can finish the job when the series reaches its most nail-biting moments.

The Knicks are chasing long-awaited redemption and a championship that has eluded the franchise for decades. The Spurs, meanwhile, are pursuing the first title of the Wembanyama era.

That combination of history, talent, and opportunity should make for a memorable Finals.

The post 2026 NBA Finals Preview: Knicks, Spurs, Stars, and Storylines appeared first on New York Sports Nation.

Between roster shakeups, rising prospects, and the constant shadow of expectations in a major market, the Mets remain one of MLB’s most closely watched franchises. 

Whether you’re a lifelong supporter or a neutral baseball observer, it’s hard not to have an opinion about them.

A Season Defined by Expectations and Reality Checks

Every Mets season seems to start the same way: optimism, bold projections, and talk of contention. And then reality, as it tends to do in baseball, shows up in the form of injuries, streaky hitting, or bullpen volatility.

The current stretch of Mets baseball feels like a familiar mix of promise and frustration. On paper, the roster has talent capable of competing in the National League, but consistency remains the keyword that keeps slipping through their fingers. 

Fans have seen strong series wins followed by puzzling losses that make you wonder which version of the team is actually the real one. Still, there’s a sense that this group is closer than it looks. Baseball seasons are long, and the Mets are nothing if not dramatic finishers.

Pitching: The Foundation That Still Holds Things Together

If there’s one area where Mets fans can still lean back in their chairs without immediately stressing, it’s the pitching staff. The rotation has shown flashes of being a legitimate strength, especially when the starters are healthy and in rhythm.

Ace-level performances have been sprinkled throughout the season, and the bullpen—while not perfect—has managed to hold leads more often than it collapses under pressure. 

That alone counts as progress in Mets terms, where fans have historically been conditioned to expect late-inning chaos.

The concern, as always, is durability. Pitching depth is tested every year, and the Mets have learned the hard way that even the best plans don’t survive a wave of injuries. 

Still, there’s a belief among fans that the foundation is strong enough to carry them into meaningful late-season baseball if things break right.

Offensive Identity: Still Searching for Consistency

The Mets lineup is best described as “capable but inconsistent,” which is a polite way of saying you never quite know what you’re going to get night to night.

Some games feature explosive power hitting, where the ball seems to jump off the bats, and Citi Field turns into a launch pad. Other nights, the offense disappears entirely, leaving fans staring at the scoreboard like it personally offended them.

What’s been missing is sustained rhythm. The big names in the lineup have delivered at times, but baseball rewards teams that string together quality at-bats over long stretches, not just occasional bursts of brilliance. That gap between potential and production is where the Mets’ season narrative continues to live.

The Farm System and Future Hope

If there’s one thing Mets fans are learning to appreciate more each year, it’s the importance of internal development. 

The farm system has become a critical part of the franchise’s direction, especially as front office decisions lean on building long-term stability rather than quick fixes.

Prospects are beginning to filter into conversations more seriously, and while not every young player turns into a star, the injection of fresh energy is noticeable. It also helps balance out the financial and roster-heavy pressure that comes with being a New York team.

The fan base is cautiously optimistic here, though Mets fans are also famously trained to expect both breakout success and unexpected disappointment, sometimes in the same week.

The Fan Experience: Hope, Humor, and Hard Lessons

Being a Mets fan has always been a mix of loyalty and emotional endurance. There’s a reason Mets humor exists as its own genre. Fans joke because otherwise they’d have to analyze bullpen usage again, and nobody wants that level of stress.

Still, the connection between the team and its supporters remains strong. Citi Field crowds can shift from anxious silence to full-volume belief in the span of one inning. It’s that emotional volatility that makes Mets baseball feel alive, even when it’s frustrating.

In the broader baseball culture, the Mets also maintain a kind of “always relevant” status. Even when they’re not dominating headlines, they somehow stay in the conversation. 

In fact, you might even find watching Mets drama as entertaining as scrolling through most GameZone online games—because baseball has stakes and heartbreak built into its core.

Looking Ahead: A Season Still Unwritten

As the season progresses, the Mets remain firmly in that unpredictable middle ground between contender and question mark. The talent is real, and so are the pressure and the expectations, as they are way louder in New York.

If the pitching holds, if the offense finds consistency, and if the injury luck tilts even slightly in their favor, this team can absolutely make noise. 

But Mets fans know better than to trust smooth narratives, because baseball rarely respects scripts. What it respects is resilience, and in that regard, the Mets and their fans have never been short on experience.

The story isn’t finished yet, and if history has taught anything, it’s that Queens always find a way to make the final chapters interesting.

The post The New York Mets Keep Finding Ways to Be Interesting appeared first on New York Sports Nation.

Yes, fans want to win every year, but that’s just not the reality.

Consider the Jets, for instance: They are not going to win the Super Bowl next season, nor the one after that, but the level-headed fans will want to see incremental gains over the coming years to get the franchise back on track. That’s the social contract between fans and team, so to speak. 

And so we come to the New York Knicks, a team that recorded 21 wins in the 2019-2020 season, one of the NBA’s worst. The improvement since that campaign has been almost linear. 41 wins (COVID shortened season), 37 wins, 47 wins, 50 wins, 51 wins, and 53 wins recorded this season.

The upshot is that the Leon Rose era (he became Knicks President in March 2020) has been largely defined by a competitive team on the rise. 

A Steady Chart of Progress

Of course, not everything has been smooth, but the last 5-6 years of Knicks basketball – initially under Tom Thibodeau and now under Mike Brown – have been characterized by steady progress built on patience. And now a first NBA Finals series since 1999 awaits a team that thoroughly deserves it. 11 successive games won in a row in the Playoffs is historically good, and now the ultimate prize awaits. 

The Knicks will be the underdogs in the 2026 NBA Finals odds, regardless of whether they meet the Thunder or the Spurs that they meet in the series. That’s understandable, given the perceived balance of power between the Western and Eastern Conferences, but neither team will take the Knicks lightly. And both the Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson and the OKC’s Mark Daigneault will be well aware that the Knicks have improved as this season has gone on.

The team that smashed the Cavs 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals feels so much more complete than six months ago. 

Fans Can Be Optimistic in 2026 and Beyond

Regardless of whether a first championship since 1973 arrives, it really does feel like a foundation for success has been built. It was, as we said, patient. Not simply chasing superstars. The Jalen Brunson signing in 2022 was a supreme example of that, a textbook example of taking a player to a franchise with a multi-year plan in mind. Others – Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges – were closer to the right fit at the right time. There’s been excellent tactical development of players, too, with OG Anunoby among those growing into their careers at New York. 

We should, for balance, point out that none of this occurs without any risk-taking. The Knicks have the highest payroll in the NBA for the 2025/26 season, and the organization has given up some decent spots in the NBA Draft, particularly when taking Bridges. There’s nothing to say that the Knicks won’t try to roll the dice again, but this is also an example of an organization that is reaching the zenith of its multi-year plan.

It might not be this season, which should be counted as a wonderful one, come what may, in the Finals, but there will be a point at which the progress the fans demand to see means delivering a championship. 

The post Whatever Happens Next: The Knicks Have Patiently Built a Foundation for Success appeared first on New York Sports Nation.

I say “announced” because the event at NYC’s Pier 17 was more of a completion. The official roster had been leaked days before.

Last Tuesday’s event felt less attended, held a day after Memorial Day, meaning most fans could not justify another day off work. The energy was mixed, with highs and weird lulls. Overall, the atmosphere during the “reveals” was telling. Fans are excited by default, not because of this team but because it’s special.

Now the USMNT will focus on two friendlies ahead of their first World Cup match against Paraguay. Fans who want to watch Sunday’s friendly versus Senegal can do so on TNT (Watch on Sling TV), truTV, HBO Max, Telemundo, and Universo. Kickoff is at 3:30 PM.

So, the last week has been the following;

• A pretty corporate, overly long roster reveal, where fans already knew who was going to be announced
• Continued discourse over who wasn’t on the team
• A new rumor claims the head coach already has a foot out the door
• A warm-up friendly against a solid African side, where the overall expectation is another USA loss

Explain to me how this is fun again?

26 Lucky Names

In case you have been living under a rock, the full roster for the United States is as follows;

• Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire, 0 caps/0 goals), Matt Freese (New York City FC, 14/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution, 53/0)
• Defenders (10): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew, 18/1), Sergiño Dest (PSV, 37/2), Alex Freeman (Villarreal, 15/2), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse, 27/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC, 80/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace, 36/3), Antonee Robinson (Fulham, 52/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati, 38/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 24/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic, 6/0)
• Midfielders (4): Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth, 52/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps, 11/1), Weston McKennie (Juventus, 64/12), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders, 45/0)
• Attacking midfielders/wingers (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United, 57/9), Christian Pulisic (Milan, 84/32), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 36/9), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen, 28/3), Tim Weah (Marseille, 49/7), Alejandro Zendejas (Club América, 13/2)
• Strikers (3): Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco, 25/8), Ricardo Pepi (PSV, 35/13), Haji Wright (Coventry City, 20/7)

If you can’t count, that’s 10 defenders. The U.S. is focusing more on defense than offense. It’s something three-time World Cup USMNT player Clint Dempsey mentioned in a recent interview.

“There’s definitely some surprises,” Dempsey said to Fox News Digital.

“It looks like we do have a defensive-heavy roster, especially in that right back position. But look, I’m not the one selecting this team. I still think this team can perform really well, but you’re going to need some big performances from people like Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, and [Falorin] Balogun. Not to say there’s no other forwards that can contribute and other players, but to me, those players jump off the roster to me.”

First off, if you’re going high defense, how does it make sense to leave off Tristan Blackmon? He’s the reigning MLS Defender of the Year and is having a solid 2026 season with Vancouver, which is one of the best teams in the West.

The second is the shocking omissions. The USMNT could not spare one or two defenders to make room for attacking threats like Diego Luna and Tanner Tessman. This is a USA team that hasn’t been able to score enough in friendlies in the last two years, let alone win games. Going all defense doesn’t take away from the fact that strikers and creative attacking midfield options are needed.

I love Haji Wright. The man can’t do it alone.

Distractions

Right away at Tuesday’s event, the vibe in the press conference after the official reveal was tense. One of the first questions asked of U.S. Men’s National team head coach Mauricio Pochettino was about those left out bodies.

Pochettino initially avoided the topic when it was first raised at the press conference. 

“We cannot talk about the players who are not on the roster because I think it’s very disrespectful,” Pochettino said after the full roster was announced, going on to defend his decision to email players who didn’t make the team.

“It’s impossible to be fair with everyone, but I think (I had) to make the best decision, to be competitive in the end and to try to win,” Pochettino said.

A defensive answer, one that, on the surface, is a coach defending his choices. But that becomes more entangled when the question returned in another form later on. Pablo Iglesias Maurer of The Guardian asked about players being contacted by the coach after their exclusion from the roster.

The coach responded with a long, almost mini-rant about how, back during his playing career, he never wanted to hear from a head coach after being cut.

Even bringing up his time managing teams, where he didn’t want to hear from team owners after being sacked.

“I was a player. When I didn’t make the roster, I didn’t want my coach to call me,” he said.

“[As] coach of the national team, [they’d] say, ‘Which is the reason that I am not in the roster?’ What [am] I going to say? I’m going to lie?” Poch said to the media. “You are not in the roster because I believe that another teammate is, today, in that period, is a better option.’

“I don’t say that he’s a better player, and you cannot make the roster in the future. That is why I don’t really believe — if I communicate, because of how we work, 55 players in the provisional roster. I need to call now the rest of the players, but I should call in March or in January camp. I don’t think that’s the way. Come on.”

He finished by calling out what he believes is coaches only responding to players to massage themselves, rather than trying to help the player.

“I understand the player, they didn’t make the roster, they didn’t want to hear me, to say, ‘Oh [I] apologize. I care.’ Do you know why I care? Because during two weeks, I didn’t sleep, and today, I still cannot enjoy the 26 guys that are in front of me, because I am thinking about the players that are out. That is about [caring]. It’s not to call because if I call, it’s about myself. I say, I call. I am very human and give an explanation. Come on. That is bulls***.”

That was last Tuesday. In the days since, more distractions have emerged.

The Athletic reported on Thursday that Pochettino met with representatives from Italian club AC Milan over its vacant head coach position ahead of the start of World Cup camp. Pochettino’s contract with U.S. Soccer will expire after this summer’s World Cup.

Pochettino denied meeting with Milan to reporters, but did say two things. His representatives do their job, and nothing would change if he did meet with someone.

So there’s a defense-heavy team with obvious attacking issues, and a coach who is both denying and walking around topics related to his job.

Senegal Overview

The U.S. men’s national team hosts Senegal on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte for an international friendly, 11 days before the World Cup kicks off. The team suffered back-to-back losses to Belgium and Portugal in March.

For Senegal, Sadio Mané, Idrissa Gueye, and Ismaïla Sarr headline a squad that opens its World Cup campaign against France on June 16. In March, the team scored wins over Peru and Gambia ahead of their fourth World Cup appearance.

This is the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

This game will be important to two groups: the team and the federation. U.S. Soccer will be looking to cash in on World Cup hype and make some funds ahead of the biggest event of the year. One where FIFA pockets all the cash and the host country gets almost nothing from the games.

For the players, it’s a chance to fine-tune. The World Cup is an offseason event for players who compete in Europe. For many, the season has wound down outside of promotion playoffs or European tournaments. Folarin Balogun, who will probably be the USMNT’s starting striker at the World Cup, finished his season with AS Monaco on May 17, nearly four full weeks between his Ligue 1 finale and the USMNT’s World Cup opener.

Overall, this will be a test, a tune-up, and hopefully a distraction from everything else with this team right now.

The post USMNT Trying to Lock In Ahead of 2026 World Cup appeared first on New York Sports Nation.

Following the team’s 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City, RBNY are now 5th in the Eastern Conference and will cease team activities for a few weeks. The next time the team plays an MLS game will be on July 22 when they visit the Philadelphia Union.

Until then, Red Bull II in MLS NEXT Pro or the World Cup can entertain fans. Or they can try watching USL soccer with the New York Cosmos, Brooklyn FC, and Westchester SC.

But I don’t want to talk about that right now. Last month, Red Bull New York unveiled its new RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center in Morris Township, New Jersey. A state-of-the-art facility, sitting on 80 acres of land and featuring eight and a half fields and two buildings dedicated solely to soccer, it might rival something an NFL team uses. 

That facility is getting its first real use as the Brazilian men’s national team uses it as a base camp during the World Cup. And overall, it feels like a major step for everyone involved.

Other RBNY media members and I were given a tour of the facility in late April, before it was 100% complete. What we saw was nothing short of a team’s grand vision for the future.

The Specs

The complex sits on an 80-acre parcel of land. It includes eight full-size outdoor soccer pitches, featuring a mix of heated, irrigated natural grass and turf surfaces with one 350-seat match field designated for Academy games. Plus, with a key note to avoid wasting space, an extra half-field is perfect for goalkeeper training.

Outdoor areas are equipped with advanced training technology, including multi-angle camera tracking systems for analytics and player development. Along with the First Team and Red Bull New York II, the RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center will also serve as home to the Red Bull New York Academy and Youth Training programs.

As someone who has been at the current and soon-to-be previous training facility, the difference is stark. The New York Red Bulls Training Facility in East Hanover has something like three fields and multiple disconnected buildings. The difference between the academy and the professional is stark, with academy players using a separate facility on acres of land.

It’s not bad, in fact, it’s still a good facility. But the difference is huge.

Picture this. Instead of two buildings separated across a facility, you have two buildings essentially interlocked.

The main building at RWJ is focused on the professional Red Bull teams, that is, the Major League Soccer first team and MLS NEXT Pro second team. Each team has its own locker room; there are multiple classrooms; and the teams share office space for managers and coaches. The communal areas, gyms, and cafeteria are huge and shared. It’s all interlocked over two floors. Plus, Red Bull global staff have permanent offices should they travel over.

Right across the sidewalk, but technically connected by a rooftop garden on a sky bridge, is the academy building with multiple classrooms and offices, plus locker rooms for each academy age level.

The coolest thing? Every office, classroom, recovery area, and public space has a window. Those windows look out to fields. The professional players all look out towards the fields where the first and second teams practice. The academy area all looks toward the academy fields. The one place where you can see both? The skyway above the academy building, where you get nearly 360 degrees of Red Bull soccer.

This isn’t even talking about the expanded health and training facilities, the nerdy, technical stuff like the size of kit rooms, or the wall of homegrown players in the academy section who have made MLS debuts.

It’s all amazing.

Something Feels Different

Wall of homegrown Red Bull New York players at the RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center in Morris Township, New Jersey, who have made their Major League Soccer debuts (

Earlier this month, the Brazilian Football Confederation selected the RWJ Health Red Bulls Performance Center, officially called Columbia Park Training Facility during the tournament, as its Team Base Camp training site for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The Red Bulls have hosted international teams at their old facility before. In 2024, Argentina called the old facility home during the Copa América in the United States as its main base camp. The following year, Red Bull Salzburg used the facility during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Red Bull is a strange team, frustrating at times in MLS. But the presence and work have always been going on. This new facility feels like a new chapter, maybe even a new book, for the organization. A chance to both create and bring in players. When the calendar switches, these sorts of facilities might be highly attractive to free agents looking to extend their careers or further develop.

Likewise, the young players Red Bull likes to develop can now receive even more training, gain more knowledge, and have more chances to become the next MLS or European star.

When Brazil takes the field to train for the World Cup, that will leave an impact, maybe on some of those players who may consider joining Red Bull Bragantino in Brazil or coming to the United States, then, when MLS returns from its break, and the first team fully moves in, these sorts of facilities may help injured players recover more quickly.

Can this sound like dressing something up? Sure.

But for what it is, the new Red Bull facility might be the first chapter in something huge for this organization.

The post About That New Red Bull Training Facility appeared first on New York Sports Nation.

First Half

In this half, the Red Bulls, unlike the last couple of matches, started with their foot on the gas, scoring the first goal in the fourth minute of the game. In this goal, Jorge Ruvalcalba scored his third goal in four games and his sixth overall goal of the season, assisted by Gustav Breggeren, who replaced Emil Forsberg due to injury. Not long after, in the eighth minute of play, Sporting Kansas City took control of the ball and had two back-to-back scoring chances that Ethan Horvath fended off, maintaining the small 1-0 lead. After these two back-to-back saves, Kansas City was in control of the game, and Horvath had a problematic play where he came close to being out of the box with the ball in his hands, but on closer view, the ball was still in the box even though Horvath was out of the box.

In the 19th minute, Cade Cowell had to be subbed by Rafael Mosquera due to an ankle injury when he fouled a KC player. In the next minute, Breggeren injured his back and walked to the bench with the athletic trainer, but he was able to return to the game. The KC stampede ended in the 29th minute when Red Bull managed to get some plays in the opposite half of the pitch. After the 33rd minute, the game went into a lull until the 41st, when the Red Bulls nearly lost their lead in the game.

Another chance that KC had was in the 43rd minute when Kevin Harris was all alone in the box, where Horvath was able to deflect it away. Near the end of the half, Jakheele Marshall-Rutty was booked with a yellow, and he was lucky that there was another Red Bull player, because it would be a red for a clear and obvious goal-scoring chance. To cool off KC’s attacks, in the 48th minute of the first half, Julian Hall set up Ruvalcalba for his second of the game.

Second Half

In the first ten minutes, there were only two dangerous plays. The first was Ruvalcalba almost scoring his third, but the through ball was kicked too hard. The second was when Dejan Joveljic scored but was caught in the offside trap that annulled the goal. In the next couple of minutes, KC retook the offensive and maintained it until the 64th minute, when Calvin Harris finally broke the clean sheet when he flicked the ball that went over Horvath’s head. This pressure went on until the 69th minute when Lasse Berg Johnsen was booked for a clip on Ronald Donkor.

In the 72nd minute, Ruvalcalba and Breggren were subbed off by Nehuén Benedetti and Roald Mitchell, respectively.

In the 79th minute, Omar Valencia and Mosquera were subbed off to make way for the debut of Julián Bazán and the season debut of Cameron Harper. Before these subs, Kansas City, and then in the 82nd minute, Harper almost made it 3-1 in his season debut.

What’s Next

With the World Cup coming up, the next game will be in July when they take on Philadelphia on July 22nd in Chester.

The Red Bulls will be in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and thirteenth place in the Supporters’ Shield standings when the break starts.

The post RECAP: Red Bulls Strike Magic in Kansas City, 2-1 appeared first on New York Sports Nation.

Jorge Ruvalcaba scored from point-blank range in a dominant opening half. The final 45 was all NYCFC, and Andrés Perea scored early, putting pressure on throughout.

It was another set-piece goal that got NYCFC on the board.

The fourth time that type of goal has been scored in two games against City.

“First half, really, really good, on top in every way, score a really good goal, give away next to nothing. Second half, yeah, we know that in a big game they’re going to push and respond, try to change a little bit, and one of the things that we have to continue to work on is our ability to defend set pieces.” Red Bull head coach Michael Bradley said after the match.

“They’re able to get back to one, and obviously, at that point, both teams are pushing. I thought we were still going to find a way to get the winner. We have a few good advantages, a few good chances, but overall, like I said, very, very proud of the team.”

Overloading First Half

Red Bull entered the match in a fairly standard 4-3-3 formation. Justin Che made his first start since returning from injury, lining up next to Dylan Nealis as Center backs.

Ronald Donkor went the full 90 minutes for a third straight game.

Cade Cowell started and played his first full match since the season opener versus Orlando City SC.

The U.S. Open Cup match was a game of City getting corner kick after corner kick. Saturday was the same, but in favor of Red Bull. The home side at Sports Illustrated Stadium had five corner kicks to NYCFC’s zero in the first 45 minutes.

RBNY were much the better team in an abrasive first half. NYCFC’s defense was constantly pressed back into its own half. Captain Emil Forsberg had the game’s first chance in the eighth minute. Cade Cowell picked out the Red Bull midfielder in the NYCFC area, but a well-timed NYCFC block forced the ball out for a corner.

For all the control Red Bull New York exerted on the game, the home side struggled to create convincing chances in the final third. Matthew Dos Santos and Ronald Donkor played a back-and-forth in the 30th minute, ending with the defender near the end line and playing the ball into the box right into the waiting hands of Matt Freese. A few minutes later, Forsberg played a ball through the defense to Donkor, who only needed to beat Freese. His shot went right at Freese, who extended himself on a slide to keep it out.

Donkor visibly fell to the ground in frustration after that; the midfielder, who has been having a stellar season so far, said he tried his best to put it behind him.

“When I missed that chance, in the moment, it was in the back of my head. However, if I keep that in my mind, I don’t think I can play really well.”

The goal finally came in the 44th minute. New York is playing out the back and finding Ronald Donkor in the middle of the field. A long pass linked up with Cade Cowell on the right side, who got past his covering defender. He crossed in looking for Julian Hall, but coverage kept the ball in chaos in front of the goal. Hall, Freese, and defenders all collided, leaving Jorge Ruvalcaba to finish the loose ball in front of the line.

His fifth goal of 2026 made it 1-0, but Red Bull probably should have had more. Something that was going to bite them.

City Counter Hard

New York City head coach Pascal Jansen made significant changes in the second half. Malachi Jones entered the game after the break, replacing Hannes Wolf, and Nico Fernandez moved out wide. Suddenly, the visitors were on the front foot. Red Bull was being stretched in the back. The first half was RBNY playing the ball around the north end of the field. Now, it was City’s turn in front of their strong away contingent.

Within the first minute, Jones almost made it 1-1. He shot the ball just over the Red Bulls’ crossbar after crossing the top of the box from the left side. Just his presence was an issue for Red Bull.

City broke through in the 52nd minute. Fernández Mercau won a free kick near the right corner of the box, with RBNY’s Forsberg arguing with the referee that he should be closer to the box. Maybe that space paid off.

The Argentine played the set piece into the box, where it was headed in by Andrés Perea just in front of the goal to level the score.

Like Red Bull, NYCFC should have had more goals in their half of dominance. In the 56th, Perea ran down the right and sent a ball into the box that should have been easy to handle. Instead, RBNY keeper Ethan Horvath slid and spilled the ball, leaving it live for Jones. The returning Justin Che needed to slide to keep the shot out of the net, clearing it off the line.

For the remainder of the half, Red Bull tried to re-establish their control of the game. But NYC continued to create chances, intercept passes, and come close to scoring. The Red Bull continued to play a high line, and NYCFC continued to exploit it.

Another Mercau free kick in the 73rd minute nearly put NYCFC ahead, but it rang off the far post, unable to find a needed final touch. Unable to find the luck and be a little more to the right. RBNY’s Adri Mehmeti nearly took the lead back in the 78th when he sent a chance off a free kick just over the crossbar.

But NYCFC had the game’s last great chance in the 82nd when Nico Cavallo sent a ball from the end line into the box, where Jones sent his shot wide left.

“All credit to Malachi,” NYCFC head coach Pascal Jansen said after the game.

“He alone could have scored two or three goals and killed the game, but he was a major difference in the second half.”

Moralez Injured, No NYCFC Update

Separate from all the rest of the game was a moment midway through the first half.

In the 35th minute, longtime NYCFC midfielder Maxi Moralez challenged RBNY defender Justin Che for the ball at midfield. The lunge appeared to twist his left leg, and he went down.

Moralez was seen grabbing his knee and collapsing to the ground in clear distress.

The non-contact injury kept Moralez down for a few minutes. While he was able to stand with help from team staff, he was placed on a stretcher and taken off the field in the 39th minute.

Moralez, 39, has been with City since 2017, minus a single year in 2023, when he played in Argentina. He has started each of NYCFC’s last 48 regular-season and playoff games. Jansen had no update after the match, but considering the player’s history with leg injuries, it is something to be concerned about.

Red Bull captain Emil Forsberg was asked about the moment after the game.

“All the best for Maxi. It was sad, very sad. Hopefully, it’s not too bad, and he can come back very soon.”

A Good Derby

Minus the injury, Saturday was a phenomenal edition of the Hudson River Derby.

A game where a pull-apart scrum in the first 20 or so minutes happens shows there’s hate again. Raul Gustavo and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty were both shown yellow cards in the 24th minute. Rutty clipped Gustavo, the RBNY stood over the NYCFC player, who immediately stood up, and the two went face-to-face. Matt Freese even ran into the fray.

After the match, Ronald Donkor said it was the best with a smile and hesitation.

“I don’t like those guys. I don’t like them.”

Simple. Sublime.

Served full of derby emotions.

The away contingent of NYCFC fans made the upper decks of Sports Illustrated Stadium shake. The home fans were loud throughout. No official attendance figures were provided by Red Bull, but the crowd appeared to be under 20,000. Maybe somewhere around 17k? Possibly a disappointing number but still a great crowd atmosphere.

The draw sees both clubs remain in strong playoff positions. The table remains the same in the East; City is in fifth, and Red Bull is in sixth. Equal on points but separated by tiebreakers, with Charlotte FC right behind them both. One game remains for both teams before the FIFA World Cup break. That result will hold for two full months before Major League Soccer resumes in late July.

Red Bull will travel to Kansas City to play Sporting KC next Saturday.

NYCFC will make a trip to Columbus for the US Open Cup Quarterfinal on Wednesday, before visiting Nashville to end the first half of the season.

The post RECAP: RBNY, NYCFC Draw in Hudson River Derby, 1-1 appeared first on New York Sports Nation.

There was a mass exodus of defenders in the offseason, like Noah Elie, Sean Nealis, and Kyle Duncan.

With the World Cup coming up, there are a lot of potential prospects that the team should be looking at.

This in no way is meant to diminish the deadline deal the team made to sign Julián Bazán and limit his potential, but there needs to be more added to the backline of MLS’s worst defense. Coming to the World Cup break, the team has given up 31 goals. This number is unsustainable if the team wants to make the postseason again.

The Joyeux Bungi loan deal with RB Leipzig was a bust. This loan deal started in the worst possible way due to visa issues, and he wasn’t even on the bench for the Inter Miami game. He finally played against D.C. He was mediocre at best, and he played only 45 minutes. The last time Bungi was seen with the first team was against FC Cincinnati, where he cost the team the game by committing a penalty that was the deathblow.

While having potential, Mathew Dos Santos has proven he is still raw. After the New England game at home, he has been roughly averaging a 6.37 out of a possible ten in the Sofa Score player rankings. Most of the games, he has been around 5.9-6.4, with two games above 7. That may read as a word salad, but in essence, these are mediocre numbers that explain why most of the goals have been coming from that side of the field since Dylan Nealis moved to his natural position as a center back.

The only bright signings last offseason have been Justin Che as a center back and Jakheele Marshall-Rutty as a left back.

While Tim Parker, Dylan Nealis, and Robert Voloder provide depth and veteran presence in how the MLS operates, Che has been a plug-and-play center back, Marshall-Rutty has been a reliable left back, and the games they missed have shown the quality of both.

Che is the traditional center back who can diagnose plays, time runs, and stop shots. Marshal-Rutty, though hot-headed at times, can catch up to most runs that strikers make.

This is not to say that there are no other holes in the team, of which there are.

Midfield and goalkeeper are other major holes, as there is a lot of discord between Emil Forsberg and Adri Mehmeti, who do not mesh well, and the Ethan Horvath experiment has not been the best due to his rust. Mehmeti, even though he is seventeen, is polished and plays the same as Forsberg.

The post Red Bull New York Should Look to Improve Defense This Window appeared first on New York Sports Nation.

The Manhattan native and RBNY’s leading goal scorer netted a hat-trick to lift his team to a second straight win.

Overall, the defense had suspect moments, with a bad giveaway leading to a goal and a penalty kick conceded.

Again, New York couldn’t hold a clean sheet.

But it was a positive night.

“It’s an interesting game, it’s an interesting night. I mean, we score some very good goals. We create a few other really big chances,” head coach Michael Bradley said.

“They have the ball in some cases, but from the run of play, they don’t create much. They don’t create much at all. And so against a team, a good team that has good ideas of their own, we still made the game pretty hard on them, so that that part is positive.”

Hall and Cowell Connection Continues

Red Bull entered the game with a pretty standard starting lineup. One change, however, saw Dylan Nealis start as the second center back next to Tim Parker. 

Columbus seemed to have the momentum early with early possession. But against the run of play, New York opened the scoring in the seventh minute. A bad defensive play by the Crew allowed the ball to reach Midfielder Emil Forsberg. He played a wide through ball into the box to winger Cade Cowell, who put in a cross into the six-yard box. Julian Hall stopped his momentum, went to the ground, and redirected the ball from behind to place it into the back of the net.

The game slowed from there, but the Crew never went away. Like New York, Columbus took advantage of bad defense.

In the 22nd minute, high pressure saw Forsberg over-shoot a pass in the New York end, setting up André Gomes for a run. He passed to midfielder Hugo Picard on the left, who played a cross towards the middle of the box to defender Max Arfsten. The defender placed a left-footed shot into the top left corner of the net that had no chance of being stopped.

A lot of Columbus’ success on the night came from space just being open. Looking up from the ball and realizing they could do something.

However, the Cowell to Hall connection came up again in the 40th minute. Defender Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty played a through ball down the right wing to Cowell. All of this was set up by a clean tackle at midfield, which Columbus waited for a whistle that never came.

The winger put in a line drive cross into the box to Hall, who placed it into the back of the net with one redirecting touch.

“I’ve said it before in past interviews, like he’s (Cade Cowell) set me up for so many goals, and playing with someone like him and Jorge (Ruvalcaba) as well. You know his skill. It’s amazing to have two guys that can help me, and then I can help them in some ways,” Hal said after the game.

“And we’ve been building great chemistry within the team, and we’re just happy to get the three points.”

Hall Trick for Julian

New York brought on Omar Valencia for Matthew Dos Santos at halftime, and it wouldn’t take long for him to make an impact. In the 61st minute, a cross was hit in the box that hit off Valencia’s arm. The referee called for a penalty kick, explaining later that the defender had unnaturally enlarged his body by positioning his arm.

Second-half sub and Crew mainstay Diego Rossi stepped up to the spot and converted to make it 2-2.

While goalkeeper Ethan Horvath made some good saves on the night and even guessed correctly on the penalty kick, poor defense looked set to cost New York points once again.

However, Hall played the hero. In the 79th minute, a corner kick by winger Rafael Mosquera reached the far post and midfielder Gustav Berggren. He headed the ball towards the goal, where it hit off Columbus players but remained in play. Hall stretched his body and went for a weak kick into the right corner to make it 3-2. 

New York is the winner of two straight. Julian Hall is still on a hot streak.

Overall Thoughts

Hall scored his seventh, eighth, and ninth goals of the season and is tied for the fourth-most goals scored in MLS. In all competitions, he has 12 goals and is only 18 years old.

His first hat-trick makes history as well; he became the youngest player in MLS history to score a hat-trick, doing so at 18 years and 50 days old.

“Jules is a great kid. Nothing’s going to his head. He comes in every day, ready to work, ready to train, ready to listen,” Bradley said of his young striker.

“You know, he has a great personality, he has really good starting points as a player, and I’ve enjoyed every second of working with him. And so we’re going to continue to challenge him, push him, and find the right ways to help him improve. But obviously we’re, we’re really, really excited for him.”

With MLS All-Star voting now open, Coach Bradley was asked by New York Sports Nation if he believes his forward should be voted in. He laughed, checked if a coach could vote for his own player (they can’t), and said that if he were a coach of another team, he would vote for him. However, while the team would be proud, he emphasized that being an All-Star isn’t anyone’s main goal right now.

On the other side, Cowell provided his fourth and fifth MLS assists of the season and is tied for the fourth-most in MLS this year. Things might just be starting to click for the team. Red Bull is sixth in the Eastern Conference and has won two games in a row, six critical points.

It is a short rest for Red Bull as they are back home this weekend. RBNY will host New York City FC in the regular season at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Saturday night. It comes only a few weeks after NYCFC knocked RBNY out of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

“It’s a big time to go into a derby with confidence. Everyone’s feeling good, so hopefully we can get another one this weekend,” defender Justin Che said after the match.

The post RECAP: Julian Hall Makes History, Red Bull Down Columbus, 3-2 appeared first on New York Sports Nation.