Sean Nealis shows why he is the Captain of the Red Bulls

photo by Matt Kremkau

by Daniel Feuerstein

On Saturday, March 25th, you saw a local kid who was drafted and grew up within the academy of the New York Red Bulls show you what he is made of. He showed everyone what it means to be a Captain of the club and showed all of us how he takes that armband seriously.

Not only has he grown into being a solid center-back for the club, but he also showed why his teammates and the coaching staff trust him to lead the club every 90 minutes either at Red Bull Arena or on the road. What we saw on the pitch at Charlotte FC was a testament to how he handled certain issues that went against his side when it came to fouls that should've been converted into ejections.

When Omir Fernandez took a studs challenge into his right leg from Brandt Bronico, you saw Sean Nealis work the referee to ask him why there wasn't a card of any kind, while he was having a check with VAR. Then he got more animated when Cameron Harper got fouled hard into his head when Derrick Jones led with an elbow, that's where the Captain showed his displeasure and made sure that he told the ref he should've shown the red card and not the yellow.

Sean Nealis also showed some toughness on the pitch when he was a part of the defensive wall being set up in front of his net. When the ball was shot at him he took it right in the face. Even though he was down for a couple of minutes, he was able to get back up and went through concussion protocol to make sure he was alright. He was able to get up without an issue and finished the match.

After the one-goal draw, Sean Nealis talked to the media about the match at Charlotte FC. " Yeah, I feel good. Just got hit in the head. I feel fine." Said Sean Neails, "Yeah, I think the first half we kind of had them where we wanted them. We had a few chances there. Elias scored a good goal with this pressing the second half, we had a couple chances to kind of get that second goal. Unfortunately, couldn't get it but I think we got to learn from this and be stronger defensively all the way through. For the goal, I missed the header that could have done better there. We all could have done better stepped up and we're kind of disappointed and only getting one point here."

I believe Gerhard Struber and the players made the right choice in choosing Sean Nealis to become the new captain of the club when Aaron Long moved on to LAFC. It feels really good to see a homegrown player and a local kid from Long Island gets this big chance to lead this club into battle for 90 minutes each and every match.

Comments

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...

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...

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...

Red Bull News Network

Search This Blog