RBNY II opens playoffs with win in Charleston, 1:0
October 20, 2018 (Official Game Summary)
For the second year in a row, the New York Red Bulls II went on the road and shut out the Charleston Battery in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals as the visitors claimed a 1-0 victory on Saturday night at MUSC Health Stadium to advance in the 2018 USL Cup Playoffs. Tom Barlow's first-half strike proved to be enough for the No. 5-seed Red Bulls II to replicate their postseason success over the No. 4-seed Battery and bring Charleston's campaign to an end.
The Red Bulls II started the game on the front foot and could have taken the lead inside 60 seconds as Jared Stroud's cross from the left wing found Amando Moreno inside the six-yard box, but the midfielder's header sailed just wide of Joe Kuzminsky's left-hand post.
The visitors made their early pressure pay off in the 21st minute when Moreno played a cross-field pass to Tom Barlow, who chested the ball down near the left edge of the penalty area, created a yard of space and then curled a right-footed shot into the top-right corner from 20 yards out.
New York came close to doubling its advantage just after the half-hour mark as Stroud's shot from a narrow angle was parried behind by Kuzminsky. The Battery goalkeeper was left thanking the woodwork two minutes later as Stroud dinked a chip over his head that rebounded back off the right post.
The Red Bulls II struck the woodwork for the second time in the contest eight minutes after the break as Stroud curled a right-footed effort off the crossbar from the left side of the box.
New York nearly put the game away with a quarter of an hour to go as Kuzminsky was caught out of position after a poor clearance but made a reaction save to deny Stroud, who was in one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
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