Only four games into 2017, the all-conquering season New York Red Bulls II enjoyed in 2016 is a quickly receding memory. The team lost just three games in the regular season last year; in its new campaign, it has lost the last two.
In their defense, the Red Bulls reserves are not built for season-to-season consistency: the team's job is to produce players for the first team, over the short, medium, and long terms. Almost every lineup the side has ever put out since it started playing in USL in 2015 reflects that goal, typically blending MLS-contracted players with those attached directly to the II team, accompanied by a garnish of promising Academy prospects.