The New York Red Bulls defeated FC Cincinnati 4-2 at Sports Illustrated Stadium on April 12. Julian Hall scored his fifth goal of the season, and Emil Forsberg added a free kick goal to help secure the win.
The match is significant as it keeps Hall tied for the most goals in the Eastern Conference and second-most in Major League Soccer this season. Hall also became the youngest player in league history to score five or more goals in their first six appearances of an MLS season, achieving this at just 18 years and 11 days old.
Head Coach Michael Bradley said, “Really, really happy to score four goals. Happy to score four at home. Really proud of the group for the response.” He also praised his team’s preparation during recent training sessions: “They worked so hard during the international break. They were so into it, so engaged, and now tonight, when we get our chance in front of everybody to show what we’re about and make a real strong statement, that part was really good.”
Cade Cowell contributed by forcing an own goal from FC Cincinnati after crossing into a dangerous area. Mohammed Sofo opened his scoring account for 2026 with a stoppage-time goal following assists from Robert Voloder and Ronald Donkor. Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath made four saves throughout the match.
Forsberg’s free kick brought his career MLS total to 21 goals, tying him with Lloyd Sam for third-most among midfielders in club history. With this victory, New York improved its record against Cincinnati to eight wins, four losses, and three draws overall.
Looking ahead, Bradley said: “It’s a busy period coming, obviously we know that. We have Open Cup starting as well. We’re excited. There’s nothing better than playing games and we have a really good group. We’re going to continue to push, training every day and we’re going to continue to try to improve every single guy.” The Red Bulls will next play Inter Miami CF at Nu Stadium on Saturday.
