MONTCLAIR, N.J. – Red Bulls II continued to have problems trying to find the net as they were blanked for the second game in a row.

They dropped a 2-0 loss to Bethlehem Steel FC, Friday night at MSU Soccer Park Friday night. It was the first time since 2015 that head coach John Wolyniec’s side was held scoreless in consecutive matches.

“Tough loss tonight for sure,” Vincent Bezecourt said.

Goals from former Red Bulls Academy product and brother of NYRB II defender David Najem, Adam Najem, and Santi Moar were the difference.

Wolyniec tried a new look, using a new front four of Junior Flemmings, Bezecourt, Douglas Martinez and Floran Valot, but his team could not find the net

“We’re putting a lot of pressure on teams, whether its on my side or through the middle,” David Najem said. “We’re pressing the teams pretty well, I think that maybe it’s a little too slow. We’re not getting it into the box quick enough, the corners are a fine end result for a play, but we want more shots on target, more half chances, whatever we can create, so it’s about how we can turn those corners into shot, shots on goal and start scoring off them.”

Added Bezecourt: “We need to improve and create space for ourselves and be more efficient in the last 30 yards, for sure.”

Bethlehem drew first blood early with Adam Najem opening the scoring in the fifth minute, placing the ball over the head of goalkeeper Rafael Diaz.

“Anytime a team scores an early goal it makes it that much more difficult to get clearer chances,” Wolyniec said.

Bezecourt nearly tied it in the 19th minute, pouncing on a rebound off of a Flemmings cross, but goalkeeper Jake McGuire knocked it away.

NYRB II’s next best chance came in the 41st minute as Valot rang the crossbar coming mere inches away from an equalizer just before the half.

In the 57th minute, Bethlehem’s Moar doubled the lead, chipping Diaz.

New York chased the game the rest of the way with David Najem forcing a tip-save from McGuire in the 68th minute, but couldn’t find the back of the net.

NYRB II heads to Canada to face Ottawa Fury FC at TD Place next Saturday at 2 p.m.

Game summary:

New York: Louro; Najem, Ndam, Abidor (68th minute, Scarlett), Bilyeu (58th minute, Kutler); Metzger, Basuljevic; Flemmings (72nd minute, Allen), Bezecourt, Valot; Martinez

Bethlehem: McGuire; Reymann, Trusty, Roberts, Jones; Tribbett, Chambers, Moar (72nd minute, Fontana), Najem, Nanco (78th minute, Samuel); Conneh (59th minute, Burke)

Scoring Summary:

New York:
Bethlehem: Najem 5′ Moar 67′

Discipline:

New York: Metzger 26′ (Yellow) Ndam 76′ (Yellow)
Bethlehem: Conneh 30′ (Yellow) McGuire 90′ (Yellow) Samuel 90′ (Yellow)

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.