MATTHEWS, N.C. (Interstat) — Nathan Richmond scored in the 13th minute and Adrian Mendoza added another goal before halftime as Crown Legacy held off New York Red Bulls II 2-1 on Sunday. Crown Legacy built its lead with goals in the 13th and 31st minutes, then withstood a second-half push from the visiting Red Bulls II. Richmond finished with one goal in 90 minutes, while Mendoza had one goal and one yellow card in 75 minutes. The result gave Crown Legacy a 1-0-0 record in the competition and across all competitions, while New York Red Bulls II moved to 1-1-0 in the competition and overall.

Richmond opened the scoring in the 13th minute for Crown Legacy. Mendoza doubled the lead in the 31st minute, and the Crown Legacy midfielder was booked in the 33rd minute. New York Red Bulls II’s Dieujuste also received a yellow card in the 33rd minute. The Red Bulls II trailed 2-0 at halftime and made two changes at the break, with D. Nelich and O. Valencia entering the match. P. Castro followed as a substitution in the 53rd minute for New York Red Bulls II. Crown Legacy made its first change in the 61st minute, bringing on M. Smalls.

New York Red Bulls II continued to rotate its lineup, with N. Worth entering in the 63rd minute and C. Faello coming on in the 77th. Crown Legacy made a pair of changes in the 75th minute, replacing W. Cleary and Mendoza, and added D. Longo in the 88th minute. Richmond remained on the field for the full 90 minutes and finished with one goal. Tanner Rosborough gave New York Red Bulls II a late lift with a goal in the 78th minute; he played 37 minutes and scored once. Mendoza’s 75-minute performance included one goal and a yellow card. The Red Bulls II could not find an equalizer in the closing stages.

New York Red Bulls II’s Wender received a yellow card in the 47th minute. The visitors pressed after Rosborough’s goal but were unable to break through against a Crown Legacy side that protected its one-goal advantage. Crown Legacy finished the match with two goals from its first-half surge, while New York Red Bulls II’s lone goal came after the break. The game featured three yellow cards and nine substitutions, including five for New York Red Bulls II and four for Crown Legacy. The pace slowed in the final minutes as Crown Legacy held possession and kept the visitors from creating a clear final chance.

Crown Legacy’s record in this competition is now 1-0-0, and its record across all competitions is also 1-0-0. New York Red Bulls II’s record in this competition is now 1-1-0, and its record across all competitions is also 1-1-0. New York Red Bulls II had beaten Huntsville 3-1 at home in its previous match of the season. The Red Bulls II could not carry that scoring form into the second half of Sunday’s match, when Rosborough’s 78th-minute goal was not enough to erase the two-goal deficit.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Crown Legacy 1, New York Red Bulls II 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Crown Legacy with a 63.6 percent probability to win. The total score of 3 went over the over/under line of 3.5.