Bradley and RB2 Ready for Playoff Challenge

New York Red Bulls II will enter the MLS Next Pro playoffs as a heavy favorite given their finish atop the Eastern Conference. The first test will be against Carolina Core, an independent team with more veterans than head coach Michael Bradley’s men but the challenge is one that the former MLS Cup winner is ready to take on.

“We’ve taken really big steps,” said Bradley about his team’s progress in 2025. “Coming into a team just halfway through the season that was doing really well, that was never going to be the case of, all of a sudden, turning things upside down overnight. We tried to keep so many of the things that the group was good at and, as we went on, add little bits. Add some of my ideas and the players deserve all the credit in the world.”

That success over the course of the year has much to do with the care that the coaching staff took with cultivating such raw talent. Players like Andy Rojas, Adri Mehmeti and Tanner Rosborough exemplify how well the team scouts and trains players through the third division competition.

Their work has brought them the ability to not only host throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs but potentially host the final should any team other than St. Louis FC 2 make it as their opponents.

“It is a team that is very clear in their ideas,” said Bradley about Carolina Core. “We’ve spent good time preparing for them and we know that it’s going to take a big effort of Sunday night.”

New York Red Bulls II will take the field at MSU Soccer Park on Sunday night against Carolina Core, attempting to bring their second major trophy home in team history. It’s been nine years since players like Tyler Adams, Aaron Long and Sean Davis lifted a cup. Now, Red Bulls II have a chance to repeat that effort in 2025.