New York Red Bulls took care of business on Tuesday night, advancing to the round of 16 in the 2025 US Open Cup with a 4-1 win over Colorado Springs Switchbacks. The win, marked by two goals from Mohammed Sofo, is a rebound following a disastrous loss to Inter Miami over the weekend, restoring confidence in the club ahead of an important league game against LA Galaxy on the weekend.
“It was good, very serious, very professional (performance),” said Schwarz about the win. “It’s important in this competition. It’s very important when you’re playing against a good team.”
Colorado Springs are the reigning USL Championship winners but have struggled in league play thus far in 2025. Red Bulls themselves have had consistency problems but shed much of their concerns early on with two goals before the halftime whistle. The second half saw a continuation of control in the game despite New York not having the possession stats we’ve seen in recent weeks.
Head coach Sandro Schwarz continues his streak of strong knockout competition results. Last season he took the Red Bulls from lower in the table to the MLS Cup Final, winning games against Columbus Crew, New York City FC and Orlando City SC on the road before falling to the LA Galaxy.
“What is most important is the principles that you want to play,” said Schwarz. “We want to play very active depending on our structure. It’s good that some guys get minutes and also then to win. It is also important that they were on the field for the result.”
While there was rotation in the squad, only Wiktor Bogacz failed to make an MLS start in the current campaign. It is a testament to the team’s rotation and their ability to continue their style of play with whoever is on the field.
Now Red Bulls await the winner of FC Dallas vs. AV Alta FC. Unlike this fixture, New York will host the meeting at either SI Stadium or MSU Soccer Park which has held Open Cup games in the past.
photo by Jordan Bank