Equipped with youth, speed and confidence, Red Bull New York is flying high to open the 2026 MLS season under first-year head coach Michael Bradley.

Bradley and his men will look to continue their perfect start and maintain top spot in the Eastern Conference standings by securing a victory against bottom-of-the-table strugglers CF Montréal on Sunday.

Joining South Ward Central to preview the match is veteran play-by-play announcer Callum Williams, who has been broadcasting matches across the league for 16 years. Williams will be on the call for MLS on Apple TV when the two sides square off at Sports Illustrated Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET.

Red Bull New York’s High Press Thrives Under Michael Bradley

Red Bull New York enters the match as heavy favorites, given the danger posed by their dynamic attacking trio of Jorge Ruvalcaba, Julian Hall and Cade Cowell, with Emil Forsberg and Adri Mehmeti pulling the strings behind them.

“This is a game, and I say this with all due respect that Red Bull New York should win quite comfortably,” Williams stated.

“They’re very much back to this high press, no nonsense, almost rock and roll type football with a little more possession than I think was originally anticipated. I think anybody is going to struggle against this team this season at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

“There’s so many positives going around the football club at the moment. The fact that the youngsters are coming through, they’re blossoming and doing very, very well indeed. I still struggle to believe that Mehmeti is not 17 yet. Watching him play and doing the Revolution game last week, I thought he looked like a seasoned 27-year-old out there. It’s exciting, it’s fresh, it’s fun to watch. I’m very excited to see what Red Bull New York can do on Sunday.”

New York has opened the young season with 5.45 expected goals. The only MLS side with a superior xG is the San Jose Earthquakes. Montréal, meanwhile, owns a league-worst minus-8 goal differential. 

“Montréal just continues to capitulate before our very eyes, don’t they?” Williams said. “They’ve just continued on this awful, awful downward spiral. There’s reasons for it with regards to some bad choices with investments and some field time decisions. I feel sorry for the Montréal fans at the moment because, quite frankly, they deserve a lot better.”

Williams expects CF Montréal head coach Marco Donadel to alter his gameplan to frustrate Red Bull New York’s high-octane attack.

“I spoke to Marco Donadel, and I think he is gearing up for a game in which they’re probably going to have to change things and adapt things,” Williams said. “Low block, direct, and that’s okay. It wouldn’t surprise me if they come into this game in a 4-3-3. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if they set up more defensively. They’ll play for set pieces, they’ll try to make it difficult for Red Bull. There will be a lot of fouls, they’ll try to break up the game as much as they can and play for set pieces and be direct.”

Prince Owusu Poses a Considerable Threat

Despite Montréal being considerable underdogs, 6-foot-3 forward Prince Owusu could cause chaos to the Red Bull backline should he get adequate service.

Owusu scored 13 goals in 34 league matches last season and tallied 17 goals in 40 matches across all competitions.

“They get themselves into the wide areas when they can and serve the ball into Owusu, who is going to have to do a lot of holding of the ball,” Williams explained. “It’s going to be a different kind of challenge for Justin Che and Dylan Nealis. Owusu is a handful, and he doesn’t get the credit that he deserves. He’s going to have to do a lot of work on and off the ball.”

If Red Bull can keep Owusu quiet and continue the front-footed attacking play that they unleashed against Orlando City SC and the Revolution, they should be able to make it three wins out of three to open the Michael Bradley Era.

Enjoyed this story? Follow us for the latest updates! | Bluesky | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook