Skip to main content

Jensen: "I'm Hungry" to Prove His Place in New York


New York Red Bulls starting goalkeeper David Jensen is not a name that most were familiar with weeks before the opening kickoff back in March but he's quickly become a favorite among teammates and fans. The dynamic Danish keeper has made his skills known and dramatically kept the game level against Atlanta to earn the team's first win of the MLS is Back tournament.

"I'm super hungry ," said Jensen when asked about adjusting the the unique situation of the 2020 MLS season. "It's a new team, it's a nice way to play football and I'm just hungry. That motivates me."

That motivation was a key part to gaining the starting position. Initially, many thought that the starting job would go to Ryan Meara, the perennial back-up goalkeeper for New York who has watched relative unknowns usurp his position in the past. At first it was Luis Robles in 2012 who grabbed the starting job and now Jensen in 2020. Both times Meara's situation was clouded due to injury which opened the door for alternatives. While nothing is set in stone, Jensen appears to have the starting spot as long as he continues to play well.

The system in general appears to also fit into the Danish keeper's strengths. Describing himself as a sweeper at times, Jensen plays aggressively and with little fear. That trait is something that the young Red Bulls team of 2020 has shown quite often through their first three games.

"We like to make pressure high on the pitch," said Jensen. "It allows me to go a little higher on the pitch, which I'm pretty comfortable with. I'm the type of goalie that likes to be aggressive in the box and to break through with the ball behind the defense. That suits me well."

Winning also suits New York well and they've won two of their first three games overall in 2020. Despite having a young, unproven team, head coach Chris Armas' mantra of how close the group is continues to show through the players. Jensen's comfort level despite barely being around the team is proof of that and proof that the team is moving in the right direction. Whether this leads to championships remains to be seen. However, few predicted that the team would be so successful early on in the campaign.

"He joined our team and he understood that he was coming to a team he would have opportunity," said Armas on Jensen as a starter. "In football, and life, it's about opportunity and he got his early on when we needed him to hop on. Ryan Meara took a little soft tissue injury at the end of preseason and David steps in for Ryan and the team has gotten some nice results."

Jensen will more than likely have another chance to show that he should remain the starter as New York plays a late game on Thursday night against the Columbus Crew. Both teams earned wins in their first tournament game and are gearing up for a clash as two of the more dynamic offenses in the league. 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Red Bulls Acquire Midfielder Frankie Amaya from FC Cincinnati

photo by Matt Kremkau The rumors have become reality as Frankie Amaya has become a New York Red Bulls player. The news comes after Amaya signs a new deal with New York following a trade from FC Cincinnati for $500 thousand in allocation money this season and $450 thousand in 2022.  "We are very pleased to complete this deal," said Director of Sport Kevin Thelwell. "Frankie is a player we've watched closely, and we are confident that his skills and attributes are a good fit for our philosophy and style of play. We look forward to getting him into our environment and achieving success together in the years ahead." The 20 year-old midfielder was the first overall pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft and played in 40 total games for FC Cincinnati, scoring one goal over that time. Amaya was also a major part of the US Men's National Team U20's Concacaf Championship win in 2018. The potential is there and his age and ability match the direction New York has taken o...
1 comment
Read more

Tolkin and Edelman Called into Olympic Camp

photo by Matt Kremkau by Anthony J. Merced New York Red Bulls homegrown players John Tolkin and Daniel Edelman have been called into the US Olympic training camp ahead of friendlies later in the month. Tolkin, 21 years-old, has been called into Gregg Berhalter's camps in the past while Edelman will be making his first trip to the national level. Tolkin, now entering his fifth year as a New York Red Bulls player, has experience with the national team going all the way back to 2018 with the US Under 17 team. In 2023, he played four games for the Under 23 team and four games for the main national team as well. While he isn't a first choice pick yet, Tolkin's consistency hasn't gone unnoticed by US Soccer scouts and another solid showing could see him inch closer to a starting position. For Edelman it will be is first selection to such a camp. His experience with the Under 20's was extensive as he helped the team win the U20 Concacaf Championship in 2022. That tournamen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Editorial: New York Red Bulls are Fun to Watch

photo by Matt Kremkau by Daniel Feuerstein The New York Red Bulls 2024 season starts off and running. In their first three matches, they have looked different from their last five to six seasons of doom and despair when trying to attack or have a lapse in judgment on the defensive end. The two big editions for the club are undoubtedly the imports from Sweden in Centerback Noah Elle & attacking midfielder Emil Forsberg. Two players who are a part of the Swedish National Team have started off well in Major League Soccer. We all knew what we were getting right away from Forsberg. A high-energy creative and attacking midfielder who was already bought in from day one, when Director of Sport Jochen Schneider went to Leipzig and brought him over. He was already committed to making the trip to the United States to play his brand of soccer, and so far he hasn't disappointed. Even though he has come close three times off of free kicks, hitting the crossbar twice and being saved by the ke...
Post a Comment
Read more