Red Bull New York suffered a crushing 6-1 defeat against Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday night, a loss that will raise questions about the team’s depth in key positions. Midfielder Gustav Berggren saw himself stepping into the centerback position, given the injuries to Dylan Nealis and Justin Che. That turned out to be a troublesome decision as Berggren was red carded in the second half, leading to a wide open scoreline.
Red Bull started the game strong as they matched tempo with a strong Charlotte side. They pushed early but were unable to find any distinct chances on net. Idan Toklomati opened the scoring in the 14th minute when he headed an effort past Ethan Horvath and over defender Robert Voloder. While the goal set New York back a step, they responded well by forcing their offense forward. Jorge Ruvalcaba forced Kristijan Kahlina into saves while Ronald Donkor hit the post.
The game, as the second half started, appeared even but that quickly changed when a cross got tangled up in the legs of Jakheele Marshall-Rutty and falling to the feet of Kerwin Vargas. The lead was doubled, forcing New York into a frustrated situation. Minutes later Berggren was shown a red card, and Charlotte scored their third in the ensuing free kick. The floodgates opened from there with Wilfried Zaha scoring his first of the campaign and substitute Archie Goodwin scoring twice to add to New York’s pain.
The only bright spot came from an ugly goal by Julian Hall. Kahlina mishandled a cross, leading to a dash in front of goal. Hall’s foot found the back of the net but it wasn’t enough to stave off embarrassment down south.
The loss is New York’s second of the season and third straight game without a win. The club has only managed one point in their last three games, sending fans into a worry as to whether this is becoming an issue. Head coach Michael Bradley shared his thoughts on how the team is progressing after the game but results will need to follow as the club enters the first international break of 2026.
STARTING XI:
Red Bull New York: Horvath; Marshall-Rutty, Berggren, Voloder, Dos Santos (46′ Valencia), Donkor, Mehmeti (56′ Parker), Forsberg, Cowell (56′ Sofo), Hall, Ruvalcaba (77′ Rosborough)
Charlotte FC: Kahlina; Byrne, Ream, Morrison, Toffolo (75′ Schnegg), Diani (66′ de la Torre), Biel (84′ Bronico), Westwood, Vargas (66′ Abada), Toklomati (75′ Goodwin), Zaha
SCORING SUMMARY:
14′ (Charlotte FC) Idan Toklomati (2) assisted by Pep Biel
46′ (Charlotte FC) Kerwin Vargas (1) unassisted
54′ (Charlotte FC) Pep Biel (4) unassisted
68′ (Charlotte FC) Wilfried Zaha (1) assisted by Harry Toffolo & Ashley Westwood
77′ (Charlotte FC) Archie Goodwin (1) assisted by David Schnegg & Ashley Westwood
81′ (Red Bull New York) Julian Hall (3) unassisted
90′ (Charlotte FC) Archie Goodwin (2) assisted by Liel Abada & Ashley Westwood
DISCIPLINE:
19′ (Charlotte FC) Djibril Diani – YELLOW CARD
53′ (Red Bull New York) Gustav Breggren – RED CARD
77′ (Red Bull New York) Ronald Donkor – YELLOW CARD
photo by Matt Kremkau