New England II Turn the Screw With Fourth-Quarter Surge
New England II beat New York Red Bulls II 4-1 in the MLS Next Pro Group Stage on Saturday night. The visitors took control after the break and never looked back, even though the hosts started brighter. Red Bulls II led in possession and attacks all evening, but the scoreboard told a different story.
M. Jean Baptiste opened the scoring in the 19th minute, and for a while it looked as though the home side might hold their nerve. M. Morgan levelled in the 28th, then J. Siqueira put New England ahead just after the interval. Morgan struck again in the 49th to make it 3-1, and J. Bori added a fourth in the 79th. The match was already decided by then, but two red cards — A. Rojas for New England in the 59th and L. Katsell for the hosts in the 82nd — made the closing stages messy.
The statistics tell you everything about a game that didn't look like it on paper. New York had 150 attacks compared to 78, and 61 per cent of possession against 39. They took 13 shots to 7, but only four found the target. New England were second to everything and hit them on the break. Three shots on target from five meant they didn't waste much.
Both sides sat on identical records before this fixture — 14 wins, 12 defeats, zero draws in 26 games. New York moved to 44 points, one ahead of New England on 43. The visitors had lost their last three before coming here, while the hosts were reeling from a 0-3 defeat at Crown Legacy. This result keeps the gap tight at the top of the table, though neither side has drawn a single match all season.