Match Preview: New York Red Bulls II vs. Chattanooga FC

Top of the table clash in New Jersey

Image credit: MLS Next Pro communications

Match: New York Red Bulls II v Chattanooga FC

Date: Sunday, June 15th, 2025. 14:00 (Eastern)

Venue: MSU Soccer Park, Montclair, NJ. Capacity: 5,000

How to watch: Apple TV MLS Season Pass

Tickets: Ticketmaster

It’s a top-of-the-table clash on Sunday afternoon as Chattanooga FC travels to Montclair in New Jersey to take on the Red Bulls II. This is also a battle between first and second in the MLS Next Pro Power Rankings.

Chattanooga (8-3-2) comes into the game off of a character-defining 3-3 comeback tie (and shootout win) at home over Inter Miami II, but having lost two road games. Their record away from home is four wins, one draw and two losses with a +2 goal difference (GF: 13 | GA: 11).

The Red Bulls (8-2-2) are two points behind Chattanooga but have a game in-hand. Of their five home games this year, they’ve won four and tied one. They’ve hit 13 goals across those games and conceded seven. This promises to be Chattanooga FC’s toughest challenge of the season yet and an opportunity for New York to leap-frog them, even before playing out its game-in-hand.

The match will be broadcast live on Apple TV as part of the MLS Season Pass and will kick-off at 2pm Eastern.

The History

Inter Miami: P:1 W:0 D:1 L:0 SOW: 1 GF:1 GA:1

Chattanooga: P:1 W:0 D:1 L:0 SOW:0 GF:1 GA:1

These sides have only met once, on Decision Day on the final matchday of last season. That game ended in a 1-1 draw and 7-6 shootout win for CFC, who opened the scoring in the sixth minute when midfielder Callum Watson made a run onto the six-yard box and tapped in a cross from Taylor Gray (now with South Georgia Tormenta). New York equalized in the 68^th minute when forward Tanner Rosborough dropped a pass to the top of the box to midfielder Malick Dembele who tucked a shot into the bottom left corner. The match stayed level after 90 minutes and went to a nine-round penalty kick shootout that saw Chattanooga take a 7:6 advantage to gain two points.

This will be the first match between the two clubs at MSU Soccer Park and the only meeting during the regular season between the sides.

Report cards and lineups

New York Red Bulls II

Big news for the Red Bulls was the recent announcement of former USMNT midfielder and Princeton, NJ native Michael Bradley as Head Coach. Bradley won’t be on the sidelines for today’s game, with his first match at the helm being on June 21 at Truist Point Stadium against Carolina Core.

The Red Bulls are MLS Next Pro’s in-form team. They’ve won their last four games in-a-row, including away victories over Columbus Crew 2 and Crown Legacy. This is their best start to a season in club history and at a time when some of their key players have been away on international duty.

It’s their home form that should worry CFC the most. The Red Bulls have yet to lose at MSU Soccer Park winning four of five. However, while they’re productive in front of goal at home (13 goals), they are liable to conceding a few also. With one game-in-hand, they’ll be looking to overtake Chattanooga and firmly wrest control of the Eastern Conference.

Interim Head Coach Ibrahim Sekagya has mainly favored a 4-4-2 in recent games, but did throw out a 4-2-3-1 in the win at Crown Legacy, so expect some variant of the two.

In their last outing against Carolina Core (a 5-3 win) defender Marcelo Morales scored his first career MLS NEXT Pro goal while midfielder Ibrahim Kasule scored a hattrick and became the club’s All-Time Leading Goal Scorer. Midfielder Nehuen Benedetti also found the back of the net for his third goal of the season. Kasule and Benedetti share a joint team-leading three assists for the season.

Kasule leads the side in goals this season with five. Trailing just behind is US youth international Tanner Rosborough on four goals. Rosborough assisted against CFC last season and will be hoping to do so again, or even score, today. This team is stacked with youth internationals, demonstrating the quality of New York’s academy system. In the starting XI I have predicted, six have youth experience and four have full senior caps, including Chile international Morales.

The NYRB II player to watch is USA, England, and Wales youth goalkeeper Aidan Stokes, who will be difficult to beat. After making five starts in May, he recorded 13 saves. He had three penalty kick saves in a 10-round shootout win over Carolina Core and scored the matching winning penalty shot. He also kept back-to-back clean sheets against Columbus Crew 2 and Atlanta United 2 that month and was named MLS NEXT Pro Goalkeeper of the Month for May. He missed the recent game against Crown Legacy but is expected back today.

Although Bradley won’t be in charge, it will be interesting to see if NYRB II lineup or play differently, demonstrating he may have some influence on the team already.

Chattanooga

Chattanooga comes into Saturday’s game after a terrific come-back tie at home to Inter Miami II last weekend. Trailing 3-1 down at half-time and in the game thanks to a Tate Robertson penalty, they were transformed in the second-half when goals from Daniel Mangarov and Jalen James levelled the game. Captain Farid Sar-Sar settled the resulting penalty shootout for a 5-4 win and a bonus point. It led to Chattanooga’s return to 1st place in the MLS Next Pro power rankings. CFC’s Head Coach Chris Nugent and its travelling fans will be hoping for similar resilience today in a difficult task in Montclair.

Chattanooga will line-out in their away strip for the game. This is the team I’d like to see. Eldin Jakupović, stand-in captain Farid Sar-Sar, and Nathan Koehler, all pick themselves at this stage. Rotation will determine which of Logan Brown or Ethan Dudley joins them. I’m unsure about the fitness of Callum Watson. If he’s not available, then Nick Mendonca and Steeve Louis-Jean should start.

Out wide, Milo Garvanian (1 goal, 2 assists, all competitions) and Tate Robertson (3 goals, 6 assists) are CFC’s strongest wing-backs, while in more advanced positions, Daniel Mangarov (5 goals, 2 assists) is a certainty. While Jesus Ibarra (1 goal, 1 assist) is traditionally CFC’s most productive winger, I feel that Kwak Minjae (1 goal, 1 assist) has been better so far this season and would favor him in this difficult away task.

Which one of Peter Plougmand (4 goals, 2 assists) or Keegan Ancelin (3 goals, 2 assists) starts is anyone’s guess. I’d like to see Ancelin given a starting berth as Plougmand has been opted in four of the last five.

The player to watch is Tate Robertson. The 28-year-old Springfield, Ohio native influenced CFC’s comeback tie against Miami more than anyone, with a goal, an assist and a battling performance. Returned to Chattanooga after two years in Lexington, he’s been excellent and appears to keep improving with each passing matchweek. With three goals and six assists; no other player is more important to this team right now.

Analysis and Predictions

I think this is Chattanooga FC’s biggest challenge so far this season. The New York Red Bulls are on a four-match winning streak, have yet to lose a game at home, and lead the league in goals scored (27). They have a side stacked with international experience who will all desperately be trying to impress their watching, new Head Coach.

That’s not to say CFC are doomed to a draw at best. They’re top of the table for a reason, and in Tate Robertson have the league leader in assists. They’ve shown they can win away and are mentally resilient.

However, the odds are against them and, for the first time this season, I’m predicting a CFC loss. They should score though, as NYRB II are leaky at home. 2-1 to the Red Bulls.