New York Red Bulls II Defeat Chicago Fire FC II 5-3 to Advance to MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs Eastern Conference Final
MLS NEXT Pro New York Red Bulls II

New York Red Bulls II Defeat Chicago Fire FC II 5-3 to Advance to MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs Eastern Conference Final

Published on October 27, 2025 under MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
New York Red Bulls II News Release


New York opened the scoring in the fifth minute. Midfielder Rafael Mosquera played a through ball to midfielder Andy Rojas who laced a left footed shot from the center of the box to the lower right corner on the net.

Chicago leveled the score with a right footed shot from the center of the box from Jason Shokalook in the sixth minute.

With a cross from defender Juan Mina, forward Roald Mitchell gaves New York the lead with right footed shot from the center of the box in the 25th minute

Forward Jason Shokalook leveled again in the 28th minute with a right footed shot from the center of the box to the back of the net.

New York earned the lead in the 42nd minute with a header from defender Jair Collahuazo off a corner from midfielder Nate Worth.

For the third time, the visitors pulled level, this time in the 53rd minute as midfielder Sam Williams headed home cross from defender Josue Pfrommer.

As time ticked down in the second half of extra time, the home side pulled back in front once again. Rojas received a pass from midfielder Nehuèn Benedetti and drove a right-footed shot into the lower right corner, pushing the home side in front 4-3.

The home side added an insurance goal in the 122nd minute, as forward Tanner Rosborough won a challenge in the midfield and slipped a pass to Mosquera. Mosquera fed Rojas, and he converted his second of the game to put the game away.

Rojas scored his first and second career MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs goals. He is the third player on New York this post season to score a brace joining Mosquera and Benedetti.

The Costa Rican midfielder has three goals in his last three appearances across all competitions.

Mitchell's goal was his seventh career marker against Chicago, with all seven coming in the last four appearances against the side.

The forward has scored in back-to-back MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs matches.

Mosquera's two assists on the day tie him with Vincent Bezecourt for the most postseason assists in club history.

This was the Panamanian's second career two-assist match. Joining Ibrahim Kasule and Benedetti as the only players to have two or more career two assists matches across all competitions in club history.

Collahuazo scored his second career goal across all competitions and his first in MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs.

Worth tallied his second career postseason assist and is tied with Stefano Bonomo and Florian Valot for the third-most postseason assists in club history.

Then midfielder has assists in back-to-back MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs matches.

Benedetti tied Frank Ssebufu for the ninth-most assists across all competitions in club history with nine.

With his 67th career start defender Juan Gutierrez passed Vincent Bezecourt for the fourth-most appearances across all competitions in club history.

Red Bulls II have scored five goals in each of their first two 2025 MLS NEXT Pro playoff matches. Their 10 total goals are the most by a club in the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs.

New York's 10 playoff goals are the most in any of the club's first two postseason matches in a singular postseason campaign.

The 10 playoff goals are the second-most postseason goals scored in club history behind the 2016 team who had 13.

Following Sunday's match, New York will be back in action at home for the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs Eastern Conference Final against at Philadelphia Union II. Time, location and date of the match will be announced at a later date.

New York Red Bulls II 5, Chicago Fire II FC 3

2025 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals

Sunday, October 26, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. ET

MSU Soccer Park | Montclair, NJ

Box Score: https://www.mlsnextpro.com/competitions/mls-next-pro/2025/matches/rbnyvschi-10-26-2025/stats

Scoring Summary:

NY - Andy Rojas 1 (Mosquera) 5'

CHI - Jason Shokalook 1 (Diouf) 6'

NY - Roald Mitchell 2 (Mina) 26'

CHI - Jason Shokalook 2(Unassisted) 28'

NY - Jair Collahuazo 1 (Worth) 42'

CHI - Sam Williams 1(Pfrommer, Nigg) 53'

NY - Andy Rojas 2 (Benedetti) 111'

NY - Mijahir Jimenez 1 (Mosquera) 120'+2'

Misconduct Summary:

NY - Juan Mina (caution, foul) 80'

CHI - Jason Shookalook (caution, dissent) 89'

NY - Andy Rojas (caution, foul) 97'

CHI - Jean Diouf (caution, foul) 102'

NY - Mijhair Jimenez (caution, foul) 120+2'

New York Red Bulls II: Austin Causey; Juan Mina, Juan Gutierrez, Jair Collahuazo, Matthew Dos Santos (Curtis Ofori, 106'), Nehuen Benedetti (Tanner Rosborough, 116'), Andy Rojas, Adri Mehmeti ©, Rafael Mosquera, Nate Worth, Roald Mitchell (Mijahir Jimenez, 71')

Unused Subs: Brooklyn Schwarz, Aimar Modelo, Tanner Rosborough, Tobias Szewczyk, Benny Rodriguez, Dennis Nelich, Ryan Scuro

TOTAL SHOTS: 24 ; SHOTS ON GOAL: 8 ; FOULS: 18 ; CORNER KICKS: 9 ; SAVES: 6

Chicago Fire FC II: David Molenda; Jean Diouf, Trip Fleming ©, Josue Pfrommer (Hugo Berg, 113'), Mbongeni Kanyane, Dylan Borso (Dean Boltz, 114'), David Poreba, Sam Williams, Damian Nigg, Charles Nagle, Jason Shookalook

Unused Subs: Robert Turdean, Juan Zapata Calle, Brody Williams, Emir Herrera, Milan Napoe, Owen Pratt

TOTAL SHOTS: 12 ; SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 ; FOULS: 17 ; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 3

Referee: Benjamin Meyer

AR1: Zachary McWhorter

AR2: Christian Little

4th Official: Thomas Snyder

Check out the New York Red Bulls II Statistics

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