The steady rain wasn’t the only variable making this match – a derby between local rivals New York City FC II and New York Red Bulls II, also known (respectively, and casually) as the Baby Blues and the Baby Bulls – more complex than your standard game. There was also the matter of the Generation Adidas Cup, which removed some academy players from the equation for both teams. It’s fair to say that both New York clubs emphasize player development, and Baby Blues manager Matt Pilkington alluded to one Cup affecting the lineup decisions made for another.
For one particular player, though, the weather wasn't what made it a memorable Open Cup debut.
While both clubs were in attack mode early in the match, it was the Red Bulls who scored first, with Serge Ngoma leading a charge that culminated with Mohammed Sofo putting a shot through the legs of Blues keeper Romero. If that first goal suggested good things in store for the Baby Bulls and troubling things in store for Romero – an alumnus of the Philadelphia Union development program who represents El Salvador in international play – the half that followed defied easy expectations.
For starters, the Baby Blues’ Generation Adidas Cup absences weren’t the only ones that had an effect on the night’s proceedings. As Red Bulls II manager Ibrahim Sekagya told members of the press after the game, a knock in training kept one of his first choices for the back line – left back Omar Valencia – out of the starting XI. And while the Baby Bulls’ forwards kept pressure on their rivals, the Baby Blues’ attack – led by Jonathan Jimenéz Vargas – began picking apart the Red Bulls’ back line, leading to a 3-1 scoreline in favor of the home team at the end of the first half.
When it came to the second half, though – that’s when things got interesting. It was also when Romero – who’d never played in an Open Cup match before this rainy night in Queens – got his moment to shine.
Red Bulls II got their second goal of the night via Serge Ngoma early in the second half, and suddenly the match’s 3-2 scoreline looked a lot more even. In the 63rd minute, Ngoma drew a penalty and his teammate Julian Hall stepped to the spot to take it. Hall aimed the ball to Romero’s right – and Romero guessed correctly, preserving his team’s advantage.