Red Bull New York II will host Huntsville City FC in the MLS NEXT Pro Playoff Eastern Conference Play-In Round on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at MSU Soccer Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET, with live coverage provided on OneFootball and MLSNEXTPRO.com.
Playoff Format and Stakes
The 2026 postseason introduces a new Play-In Round format for the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs, featuring a match between the eighth and ninth seeds in both the Eastern and Western conferences. Red Bulls II enter the matchup as the defending champions. Should the New York side defeat Huntsville, they will advance to face the top-seeded Crown Legacy FC on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at the Sportsplex at Matthews, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. ET on OneFootball and MLSNEXTPRO.com.
Regular Season Context
The two clubs met once during the 2026 regular season on Decision Day at MSU Soccer Park, where Huntsville secured a 2-1 victory. Winger Pedro Castro scored the lone goal for Red Bull New York II in the 90th minute during his MLS NEXT Pro debut. Prior to securing their postseason berth, New York finished the regular season strong, clinching the third seed in the Eastern Conference following a 5-3 penalty shootout win against FC Cincinnati 2 on September 13, 2026, where substitute forward Christian Gallagher scored in the 81st minute and goalkeeper Tobias Szewczyk stopped the opening penalty.
Huntsville City FC qualified for the Play-In Round after finishing the regular season in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with an 11-10-6 record totaling 41 points, bolstered by three wins in their last four away matches, including a 4-1 victory over Inter Miami CF II on September 13, 2026.