Julian Hall Scores Twice as Red Bull New York Knock Riverhounds Out of U.S. Open Cup, 3-1

HARRISON, N.J. — Three minutes was all it took. Emil Forsberg bent a free kick over the wall in the 25th minute, Julian Hall doubled the lead in the 28th, and Red Bull New York never gave the defending USL Championship winners a way back. The MLS side beat Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 3-1 on Wednesday night at Sports Illustrated Stadium to advance to the Round of 16 of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Hall, the 18-year-old from Manhattan, added a second goal two minutes after halftime, and Trevor Amann's 79th-minute header for Pittsburgh was the only blemish on a controlled night for Michael Bradley's team. It was the first-ever meeting between the two clubs, and it ended the Hounds' cup run in the same round they had reached in each of the past four years.

Forsberg Opens the Door

Pittsburgh had the first real look. Owen Mikoy nearly scored off an early corner, but his effort was blocked around the post, according to the Riverhounds' match report. After that, New York took control of the ball and of the tempo. Pittsburgh Soccer Now described the hosts as pinning the Hounds deep from the opening whistle.

The breakthrough came from a set piece. Forsberg stood over a free kick from about 25 yards and curled it over the wall for a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute. The club said it was the Swede's second free-kick goal of the season across all competitions and his second career Open Cup goal.

Before Pittsburgh could reset, it was 2-0. Nehuén Benedetti found Hall on a well-timed run between two defenders, and the teenager finished in the 28th minute. The Riverhounds' best answer before halftime came in the 36th minute, when Robbie Mertz's right-footed shot spun just wide of the right post.

Hall Puts It Away

Any thought of a Pittsburgh comeback lasted about two minutes into the second half. Forsberg turned provider in the 47th minute, slipping Hall in, and the forward, who stayed just onside according to the Riverhounds' report, beat Nico Campuzano despite the keeper getting a foot to the ball, for his second of the night and a 3-0 lead.

Hall's brace was the second of his season. Red Bull New York said the goals were his first two career Open Cup goals and gave him seven goals across all competitions in 2026, with six goal contributions in his last four appearances.

Campuzano kept the score from getting further out of hand, making two strong saves to deny Omar Valencia and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty after New York's lead had reached three goals.

Amann's Consolation

The Hounds finally broke through in the 79th minute. Eliot Goldthorp delivered a free kick and Amann rose to head it in under the crossbar. It was Amann's first goal for the club, and he was named the match's Man of the Match by the Riverhounds. Albert Dikwa had a redirected shot go wide in stoppage time, but New York saw the game out.

Ronald Donkor was cautioned in the 87th minute for New York. John McCarthy, who started in goal, lost his clean sheet but extended his unbeaten run in the Open Cup to 11 matches, a span in which New York is 7-0-4, according to the club.

What Bradley and Hall Said

The win was Bradley's first in the Open Cup as a head coach, and he made a point of praising the work Hall does without the ball. "He's been a really, really important player for us," Bradley said, according to the club's postgame recap.

Hall pointed the credit back toward the bench. "I give a lot of credit to Michael and the coaching staff for helping me throughout preseason," he said, according to OnNJ Sports.

The Numbers and What Comes Next

The victory pushed Red Bull New York's all-time Open Cup record to 33-24-5 and extended its unbeaten run in the competition at home to 15 matches, with an 11-0-4 mark in that span, according to the club. It was the franchise's 27th Open Cup appearance.

For Pittsburgh, which entered the night eighth in the USL Championship's Eastern Conference with a 2-3-1 league record, the defeat closed a fourth straight run to the Round of 32. The Riverhounds noted they had not been shut out by an MLS opponent in their last six such meetings, and Amann's header kept that streak alive even in defeat.

The reward for New York is a local one. Red Bull New York will host New York City FC in the Round of 16 at Sports Illustrated Stadium, with U.S. Soccer to confirm the date and time. "We are really excited," Bradley said of the derby, according to the club. Before that, his team was set to visit CF Montréal on Saturday, April 18, while the Riverhounds were scheduled to host Detroit City FC the same day at Highmark Stadium.

Photo Credit: Ariel Fox/Undrafted