USL Playoffs: Red Bulls II and Swope Park reach final

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Oct 17, 2016

An MLS second team is assured of winning the USL championship for the first time. New York Red Bulls II and the Swope Park Rangers, Sporting Kansas City's first-year team, reached the final with conference championships. Red Bulls II will host the final Sunday at Red Bull Arena (TV: ESPNU: 8 pm. ET).

Veteran Red Bulls keeper Ryan Meara made two saves as NYRB II won a shootout for the second week in a row, 4-3.

Louisville struck in the 11th minute on Paco Craig's header off free kick from Aodhan Quinn, but NYRB II evened the score in the same manner as Vincent Bezecourt sent in a free kick fellow Frenchman Florian Valot finished with a header to level the match in the second half. The overtime featured three red cards -- two to Lou City and one to Red Bulls II.

Oct. 16 in Harrison, N.J.
NY Red Bulls II 1 Louisville City 1 (NY Red Bulls II wins 4-3 on penalties). Goals: Valot (Bezecourt) 74; Craig (Quinn) 11.
NY Red Bulls II -- Meara, O'Toole (Plewa 64), Long, Carroll (Simpara 120), Najem (Schmoll 105), Adams (Williams 97), Metzger, Bezecourt, Etienne, Allen, Valot (Bonomo 96).
Louisville City -- Ranjitsingh (Dobrowolski 54); Smith, Reynolds, Craig, Morad; Abend, Quinn, Dacres (Kaye 71), Rasmussen (Newnam 105+1), Davis (Lubahn 81); Hoffman (Lancaster 64).
Red Cards: NY Red Bulls II -- Williams 118; Louisville City -- Reynolds 104, Craig 120.
Att.: 2,709.



Swope Park advanced with a 3-0 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 at Swope Soccer Village. The Rangers got two goals from former Chivas USA forward from Kris Tyrpak and a late strike from Jamaican Dane Kelly. Canadian Tyler Pasher set up the second and third goals.

Adrian Zendejas earned the shutout with his eighth win in eight starts since arriving from Tijuana's U-20 team in June.

October 15 in Kansas City, Mo.
Swope Park Rangers 3 Whitecaps FC 2 0. Goals: Tyrpak 8, Tyrpak (Pasher) 32, Kelly (Pasher) 89.
Swope Park Rangers -- Zendejas; Grant, Didic, Ballo, Pasher; Appiah (Molano 85), Duke, Gonzalez (Selbol 19); Tyrpak (Barrett 70), Kelly (Little 90), Ayrton (Granitto 72).
Whitecaps FC 2 -- Richey; Chung (Diaz 67), De Wit, Seiler, Wynne; Levis, Baldisimo (Sanner 79), Froese (Frano 75), Haber (Safiu 55), Bustos; Greig.
Red Card: Swope Park -- Selbol 90+.
Att.: 2,922.