In the 81st minute of Saturday's wild, back-and-forth MLS NEXT Pro Cup Final, 20-year-old Rafael Mosquera stepped up to the penalty spot with the match on the line for New York Red Bulls II.
Mosquera's team had already stormed back from a 2-0 deficit, but a late Colorado Rapids 2 goal against the run of play put everything in doubt.
As he's done plenty of times in 2025, Mosquera blasted the ball in the back of the net to restore a 3-3 draw and his squad's confidence heading into eventual extra time and shootout.
Mosquera locked up MLS NEXT Pro MVP honors for his brace being vital in RBNY II's thrilling comeback.
One of the most experienced players on the pitch Saturday night, Mosquera showed the poise you'd expect from the player trusted to step to the spot in a pressure moment.
His latest accomplishment capped off a career year where Mosquera finished the regular season with seven goals and 10 assists. At this point, he's a veteran, with over 50 MLS NEXT Pro appearances across all competitions for RBNY II.
What does the future hold?
Mosquera signed a first-team contract in August 2025, moving to the Red Bulls permanently after spending the past three seasons on loan from Panamanian side Plaza Amador.
Still a young prospect, Mosquera has shown flashes of what he can achieve, Red Bulls II coach Michael Bradley said after the game.
"Rafa is a really talented young player," Bradley remarked in Saturday's postgame. "He has really, really interesting qualities, and he's a great young man. I love working with him. His personality is awesome, and I think for him, this can just be the beginning.
"...Rafa's ability to just be dangerous and to use his speed, his dribbling, his good left foot. That part was, was really, really important. And I'm so happy for him that he was able to, on a really big night, come up with so many important plays."
