Mar 8, 2026; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; Red Bull New York forward Cade Cowell (7) reacts during the second half against CF Montréal at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
HARRISON, NJ — The growing pains were bound to catch up with Red Bull New York after the Michael Bradley era got off to a near-perfect start. They did just that on Sunday evening at Sports Illustrated Stadium in a 3-0 loss to a CF Montreal team that had been outscored 8-0 in its first two games of the 2026 MLS season.
“Today’s a hard lesson, but an important one for sure just in terms of the understanding for our group,” Bradley said. “Obviously, we have our ideas in terms of the football that we want to play, the game that we want to try to make. In a few too many areas, our level comes down even just a little bit, and if we’re not quite as good at dealing with the moments of the game that play out in the way that the opponent wants to, the margins get tight.
“Combine that with giving away bad goals at bad times against a team that hasn’t had a particularly good start to the season, to even give them a little bit of hope, that’s not how we want to start.”
For all the possession and probing around the Montreal penalty area — Red Bull had 63% possession — it could muster just four shots on goal against a defense that is “very extreme” in its man-to-man, per Bradley. The final ball was clearly lacking in Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s first start at center forward in place of Julian Hall, the 17-year-old phenom who accounted for each of New York’s three goals this season.
Hall was put in the midfield to the right of 16-year-old Adri Mehmeti, with Bradley citing the matchup with Montreal, which plays man-to-man, as the best possible time to get Choupo-Moting back in the lineup. Hall isn’t necessarily a natural midfielder, but it was the next best option to keep him in the Starting XI with Ronald Donkor dealing with an injury.
“We had moments where our ideas and some of the things that we tried to do were good, but certainly for the day, we didn’t create enough,” Bradley said. “We didn’t manage to take control of the game and turn it into big chances. A few too many almosts. A few too many times where if we’re a little bit sharper [we score]… That part let us down a little bit.”
But the defense regressed, too, on a night in which Robert Voloder made his first Red Bull appearance at center back in place of the injured Dylan Nealis.
Justin Che barreled into Ivan Jaime in the fourth minute for a clear penalty, which was slotted home by Prince Owusu.
Jorge Ruvalcaba pulled down former Red Bull midfielder Wiki Carmona on the right wing, then the defense simply watched as his low free kick curled through a forest of legs before nestling just inside the left post in the 44th minute.
“We didn’t manage any part of that in a good way,” Bradley said.
The most egregious mistake came in the 68th minute when goalkeeper Ethan Horvath attempted to play out of the back despite a noticeable press from Montreal. His pass to Adri Mehmeti left the 16-year-old midfielder with no chance, as he was muscled off the ball by Carmona in the box, and with the next touch, slotted a left-footed shot into the back of the net.
“It’s good that we’re confident enough and want to have the ball,” Voloder, who was just a few feet away, said. “But this is a learning process for everybody in that sometimes, you can’t do it every time. It happened now. Can’t go back.”
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