Red Bulls Roll To First Win With Bradley At Helm

 

Julian Hall breaking through a pair of Orlando City defenders. @NewYorkRedBulls.

Red Bull New York started the Michael Bradley Era in style as they rolled to a 2-1 win at Orlando City SC in the MLS season opener on Saturday night.

Bradley is now the fourth coach in franchise history to win his first career MLS match at the helm of the team, and this was the first time the Red Bulls won the season opener since 2022.

It didn't take long for the Red Bulls to get on the board, as Emil Forsberg took it right through the Orlando City defense to the touch line before he flicked it over to Julian Hall, who buried it to make it 1-0 in just the 8th minute.

This was the third-fastest goal for Red Bull New York in a season opener, behind Dave van den Bergh, who scored in the first minute in 2008, and Andreas Ivan in 2019 (sixth minute). 

Hall is also the 31st different player to score the first goal of a season in the 31 years of the MetroStars/Red Bull franchise. Yes, that's right, no repeats yet.

Forsberg earned his 17th career assist on the goal, and needless to say, first of this season.

Red Bull dominated play for most of the half, but they didn't break through for another goal until the 40th minute when Adri Mehemti challenged for a ball in the Orlando eighteen-yard box, and he sent a low cross to Hall, who buried it to make it 2-0. 

This was Hall's second goal of the night, and he is the fourth player in Red Bull history to record a brace in the season opener since Carlos Rivas in 2018.

Hall is a Manhattan native who is just 17 years old, and this was his first career MLS multi-goal game. He is the fifth player in MLS history to score multiple goals in a single game at 17 years or younger.

Mehmeti earned an assist on the goal in his first MLS action. He is a Staten Island native who became the fifth youngest player to make his MLS debut. He is the second-youngest player to make an MLS start at 16 years and 321 days old.

Orlando City threw the house in the second half, but it appeared that the Red Bulls' new goalkeeper, Ethan Horvath, would get to the finish line with a clean sheet in his debut with the team.

That would not come to pass as Orlando City broke through in the 96th minute - the final of the six minutes of extra time - when Tiago Souza scored to make it 2-1, which was largely academic as the whistle blew soon after.

Horvath earned the win, as he made four saves on the night.

The change in style with Bradley at the helm was evident, as they played a more aggressive, quick pace, an instantly different feel and just what they were looking for after missing the playoffs last season.

In addition, there were also four new Red Bulls players who made their first career MLS appearances and starts: Jorge Ruvalcaba, Matthew does Santos, Ethan Horvath, and Mehmeti.

It was the first time in MLS history that three players 17-years-or-younger started for a single club in the same match - Hall, Mehmeti, and Dos Santos.

Next up for the Red Bulls is the home opener against the New England Revolution next Saturday, February 28, at 2:30 p.m. at Sports Illustrated Stadium.