LEESBURG, Va. – Jeremy Rafanello had a pair of goals while Jake LaCava notched two assists as the New York Red Bulls II took a 4-1 victory against Loudoun United FC on Saturday afternoon at Segra Field to complete their 2021 USL Championship season in style.

The game opened at a rapid tempo and in just the fourth minute the hosts had the first good chance as Darluis Paz turned his defender while receiving a pass from the left side of the penalty area by Gaoussou Samake and hit a turning shot that was saved by New York’s AJ Marcucci. Less than a minute later, though, the Red Bulls II went ahead when LaCava led a counterattack down the right and delivered a perfectly-weighted cross for Omar Sowe to tuck home a finish at the back post.

It took only three minutes for Loudoun to hit back when Jeremy Garay won possession in the New York half and quickly picked a pass to his right for Ted Ku-DiPietro on the edge of the penalty area. Ku-DiPietro cut a low cross toward the penalty spot where Jackson Hopkins fired home first time into the left side of the net.

LaCava had a chance to quickly restore New York’s lead in the 11th minute only to sky his finish from 12 yards, while six minutes later Samake rang the crossbar for the hosts after breaking forward into the left side of the box to receive a pass from Paz. The Red Bulls II then had back-to-back chances that were both denied by United goalkeeper Jermaine Fordah, who first kept out a long-range effort from Rafanello before directing LaCava’s follow-up header behind for a corner kick, but in the 27th minute the visitors struck again as they caught Loudoun’s defense napping on a quickly taken throw-in from the right by Mandela Egbo. LaCava directed the ball on to an unmarked Rafanello who clipped home his finish into the left corner from 14 yards.

Loudoun’s bad luck with the woodwork continued in first-half stoppage time as first Hopkins hit the left post with a first-time shot off a pass by Paz from a central position eight yards out before Samake rattled the crossbar again with a rebound opportunity.

New York looked to regain the initiative in the second half and LaCava almost added to his two assists in the 66th minute on a low shot from nine yards that Fordah denied with a kick-save, but with 17 minutes to go Daniel Edelman made it three for the visitors as he stole possession as Loudoun tried to break out of its defensive third and quickly shifted onto his left foot for a low shot that just snuck inside the left upright.

The hosts tried to find a way back into the game in the final 16 minutes, but weren’t able to find a way through the New York defense, and in second-half stoppage time Rafanello capped the win for the Red Bulls II as he controlled a lifted ball from the right channel by Sam Williams on his chest moving into the top of the penalty area and while his initial shot was saved, the ball caromed back off the attacking and into the vacant net to wrap up the game.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Jeremy Rafanello, New York Red Bulls II – Rafanello scored a pair of goals and had eight shots overall with one key pass and also won 9 of 14 duels and 3 of 3 tackles in an impressive all-around display.

Scoring Summary
NY – Omar Sowe (Jake LaCava) 4’
LDN – Jackson Hopkins (Ted Ku-DiPietro) 7’
NY – Jeremy Rafanello (Jake LaCava) 27’
NY – Daniel Edelman 73’
NY – Jeremy Rafanello 90+5’

Full Box Score