11115_isi_miazgamatt_mlsml062714144 Mike Lawrence/isiphotos.com
Major League Soccer

New York Red Bulls Will Have USL Pro Team in 2015

Despite suspicions that the Red Bulls' Austria-based ownership group is considering pulling back its investment in MLS, ASN learned that the club will have a USL Pro team in 2015.
BY Brooke Tunstall Posted
January 11, 2015
8:14 PM
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—The on-again, off-again plan for the New York Red Bulls to follow the lead of several other Major League Soccer clubs and add a reserve team in the third division USL Pro league appears to be back on.

Several sources in both MLS and USL here at the league’s annual scouting combine confirmed to American Soccer Now that the Red Bulls would be entering a team in USL Pro in 2015.

The Red Bulls will be the eighth MLS team to add a team in USL Pro. The Los Angeles Galaxy blazed the path last season and six other teams—Real Salt Lake, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal—have already announced plans to do so this year.

With the addition of the Red Bulls, USL Pro will have 24 teams competing in 2015 and plans to have two separate, geographically based conferences to emphasize regional rivalries and reduce travel costs.

“This league is more stable than ever and the commitment of the independent owners and the MLS clubs adding second teams is a big reason why,” said Austin Aztex coach Paul Daiglish. “To have a 24-team league at this level is very good for the growth of American soccer.” A USL spokesman confirmed there would be 16 independent teams in the third division circuit and 24 teams total.

The Red Bulls former sporting director Andy Roxburgh said last year that Red Bull planned to add a second team in 2015 but late last year the club confirmed reports that they would not be doing so.

However, the Red Bulls recently underwent a regime change, with new general manager Ali Curtis, a former MLS player, taking over earlier this month and quickly replacing head coach Mike Petke with former Montreal boss Jesse Marsch. The move didn’t sit well with much of the Red Bull fan base as Petke, a New York native and former player for the club, led the beleaguered franchise to the club’s only trophy when it won the Supporters’ Shield 2013.

The firing of Petke came amid reports, denied by both Red Bull and MLS commissioner Don Garber, that the Austrian energy drink manufacturer of the same name that owns the team had lost its zeal for MLS and was looking to sell the club. Despite the denials, failing to launch a team in USL Pro did little to dissuade the notion the club wasn’t looking to sell so this latest development, while not a guarantee the club isn’t for sale, at least underscores a commitment to investing the resources needed to run a top-shelf MLS team.

“Youth development is a big part of who we are as an organization and we want to create a situation that gives our players the best chance to get into a pro environment,” Curtis told ASN. He was speaking in general terms before ASN learned the club was adding a USL Pro team.

Since the advent of the designated player era in MLS, New York has been one of the bigger spenders, inking high-profile and high-dollar players like Thierry Henry, Rafa Marquez, and Tim Cahill. However, only Cahill remains on the roster and several league sources said the club was undergoing a philosophical change that would result in less emphasis on high-profile players and instead try to build with a more grass roots effort.

There is reason to believe this approach could be successful. Since MLS teams began running their own academies and being allowed to sign homegrown players, the Red Bulls have been one of the better youth programs in American soccer and have won multiple national titles and produced myriad youth national team players.

However, with the first team being consistently made up of veteran, mostly foreign players—last year midfielders Dax McCarty and Eric Alexander and goalkeeper Luis Robles were the only Americans to consistently start for the club—there was little opportunity for the Red Bulls' bevy of talented youth players to play for the first team. Few signed, and those that did, like current U.S. U-20 center back Matt Miazga, rarely played.

As a result, there are currently more talented players in the college ranks from the Red Bull youth program than any other MLS academy. This illustrates the need for a USL Pro team as it will allow the Red Bulls to give their academy graduates an alternative to college soccer or a place to play once they choose to turn pro—be that before their college eligibility is expired or after their senior years.

“Youth development is very important to us,” Curtis said. “Bob Montgomery, who runs our youth program, has done a fantastic job. We expect the players from that system to eventually start playing for the first team. When that is, we don’t know yet but we haven’t made this investment to not take advantage of it.”

Last month the Red Bulls signed highly regarded midfielder Sean Davis to a homegrown deal following his senior season at Duke. But because of that deal, and the presence of McCarty and Alexander, the team had such a glut at central midfield that it didn’t pursue Maryland senior Dan Metzger, a fellow academy product who is now expected to be first round draft pick next week and could move into the top 10.

But there are several other players in college soccer the club could pursue to play for its USL Pro team to help prepare them for MLS. Georgetown target forward Brandon Allen, a junior all-American and former U.S. U-20 player, is one of the top Red Bull academy players in the college ranks.

There were multiple rumors circulating here at the combine that Allen had reached a deal with Red Bull. However, both Curtis and Georgetown coach Brian Wiese denied those rumors to ASN.

“He’s an NCAA player and it wouldn’t be appropriate to comment on any negotiations but we haven’t signed him” said Curtis. “But we’re aware of him and when he turns pro we’ll be interested and consider him.”

Other top college players Red Bull could pursue are Akron sophomore midfielder Adam Najem; Allen’s teammates at Georgetown, sophomore Alex Muyl and freshman Arun Basuljevic; Michigan freshman goalkeeper Evan Louro; Virginia left back Scott Thomsen, who helped the Cavaliers to a national title; and Maryland junior Mael Corboz, a crafty midfielder who is lethal on set-pieces.

“We’re following all of them and will decide which ones can help us and we should begin talks with,” Curtis said.

Brooke Tunstall is an American Soccer Now contributing editor and ASN 100 panelist. You can follow him on Twitter.

Post a comment

AmericanSoccerNow.