Given his performance in the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs, the importance to the New York Red Bulls II of midfielder Vincent Bezecourt was clearly on the rise. This season, however, the second-year pro has already found another level, raising his game as a key part of the club’s attack in its championship defense.

A former standout at St. Francis College (Brooklyn), where he caught the eye of the Red Bulls’ staff, Bezecourt had a solid first regular season with the Red Bulls II. His six goals provided solid secondary scoring as he came on regularly as a second-half substitute to help put opponents away, while he also notched two assists.

Now one of the main starters, though, Bezecourt has already notched more minutes of action in one-third of the season than he did in all of the Red Bulls II’s run to the Regular Season Championship. He’s scored one fewer goal in 12 appearances through New York’s 1-0 victory against the Richmond Kickers, but that game also saw him notch his league-leading sixth assist this season.

Bezecourt’s rise in chance creation – he sits fourth in the USL with 28 – and assists can be partly credited to the addition of set-piece duties, in the same manner as his fellow chance creation leaders Danny Barrera (39, SAC), Michael Nanchoff (37, TBR) and Charlie Adams (30, SLC). But Bezecourt is putting his left-footed deliveries into idea positions for his teammates to take advantage from open play as well, as evidenced by his pass to set up Junior Flemmings’ goal against Orlando City B earlier this season.

Having turned 24 last Saturday, a big season could be key to Bezecourt following the likes of 2016 USL Defender of the Year Aaron Long into the organization’s MLS squad. As it stands, he’s well on the way to giving the Red Bulls’ brass a serious decision to make at the end of the season, while also playing a pivotal role for the attack-minded squad.