Bradley urges Red Bulls to be the team that plays ´really good football´ against Miami

New York Red Bulls head coach Michael Bradley has urged his side to build on a great performance and be the team “that just plays really good football” ahead of their clash with defending MLS champions Inter Miami on Saturday.

NYRB picked up a confident 4-2 win over 10-man FC Cincinnati in their last outing, with Julian Hall, Emil Forsberg, and Mohammed Sofo all getting on the scoresheet.

The victory came as a much-needed recovery for Bradley’s side following their humiliating 6-1 defeat to Charlotte FC the week prior.

NYRB currently sit seventh in the MLS Eastern Conference, trailing fourth-placed Miami by just one point.

“It was great to score four goals, but we want to be the team that just plays really good football,” Bradley said reflecting on his side’s victory.

“You know, the side that creates chances and finds different ways to get into the box and be really dangerous.

“We felt really good about a lot of things over the first five games, but our pure ability to finish off a few more plays, our ability to be a little sharper in the final moment, that’s what we’re after.

“Losing in Charlotte the way that we did before the international break and having to sit on that one for two weeks, that’s not easy.

“And they the players were incredible; they worked so hard during the international break, they were so into it, so engaged. And now when we they got the chance in front of everybody, they made a real strong statement.”

Inter Miami, meanwhile, could not quite find a sparkling inauguration for the Nu Stadium as they could only salvage a 2-2 draw with Austin FC, courtesy of an 82nd-minute Luis Suarez leveller.

The Herons sit fourth in the East, two points off leaders Nashville SC, as they look to extend their unbeaten run.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Inter Miami – Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi scored in each of his first four career matches against NYRB (five goals) –one of only two MLS teams he scored in each of his first four matches against (the other being Philadelphia Union).

Across his career, the only opponent Messi has scored against in each of his first five matches facing them is Eibar (six) between 2014 and 2017.

New York Red Bull – Julian Hall

Hall scored his fifth goal of the season in NYRB’s win over Cincinnati last Saturday.

No other player 18-years-old or younger has more than two goals this season, with all such players excluding Hall combining for seven total goals among them.

MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN

Inter Miami will be hoping to finally crown their new stadium with a win, and they are pegged as favourites to pick up three points on Saturday.

The Herons have won their last three regular-season meetings with NYRB, outscoring them 15-4 across those matches – equalling the most goals ever scored by one team over another in a span of three league meetings in MLS history (also LA Galaxy vs Colorado in 1998).

Mascherano’s side were forced to come from behind twice to earn their 2-2 draw with Austin FC last time out. Since the start of last season, Miami have trailed in 20 regular-season matches but have lost only eight of them (W6 D6).

The Red Bulls, meanwhile, bounced back from their disheartening loss to Charlotte with a confidence-boosting victory. Their four goals against Cincinnati equalled their combined total scored across their first five matches of the 2026 season.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Inter Miami – 65.6%

Draw – 18.6%

New York Red Bull – 15.8%