Red Bull News Network

by Anthony J. Merced Gotham FC have announced the signing of US Women's National Team star Crystal Dunn on a multi-year contract that will take her through the end of 2026. Dunn, who was previously playing with the Portland Thorns, is one of the league's most decorated players and returns to her native New York/New Jersey to continue her career. "This place is one that I hold close to my heart," said Dunn. "I am looking forward to playing alongside top players that will bring the best out of me, as we all work together to push the club to achieve even more success this upcoming season and beyond." Dunn has a career that spans the United States as well as Europe. She was initially drafted by the Washington Spirit, where she made 54 appearances and scoring 17 goals. From there she moved to Europe with Chelsea FC in London for just one season before returning to the NWSL with North Carolina Courage. Most recently she was with Portland where she made 34 appearan...

by Anthony J. Merced RB Leipzig have bolstered their midfield with the signing of 24 year-old Eljif Elmas from Napoli. Macedonian agreed to a four year deal with the East German club, taking him through the 2028 season. Elmas made his debut professionally at the age of 16 in his home country before moving to the Turkish league with Fenerbahce in 2017. He made 45 appearances, netting five goals in a little under two years with the club. From there he moved to Napoli under the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti in 2019. In his time there he scored 19 goals and notched 11 assists, lifting the Serie A championship along the way last season. "Moving to the Bundesliga and joining RB Leipzig is the stuff of dreams," said Elmas. "The club is known for the special football they play. They like gengenpressing, play with pace and have a strong attack. All of that suits me down to the ground." Elmas will join a midfield in need of offense after an early season injury to Dani Olmo. He...

photo from West Ham United by Anthony J. Merced Gotham FC midfielder Kristie Mewis has parted ways with Gotham FC before signing with West Ham United in the English Women's Super League for the 2024 season. Mewis joined Gotham in 2022 and made 31 appearances, including helping the team win their first NWSL Championship in 2023. "Gotham has been the most rewarding community to be a part of for the last two years," said Mewis. "I'm full of gratitude knowing the future is bright and I was able to be a part of it. And most importantly, I'll never forget our first championship together." Mewis' lasting memory will be assisting Katie Stengel's 107th minute goal in the semi-final against Portland Thorns to take the club to their first final. She was also an important part of the US Women's National team, scoring her penalty kick goal in losing effort to Sweden in the round of 16 at the FIFA Women's World Cup. Mewis has also lifted the Concacaf W...

by Anthony J. Merced MLS has been notified by US Soccer that their attempts to replace first teams with MLS Next Pro clubs in the US Open Cup for the 2024 season has been denied. The plan would see reserve teams take the place of MLS first teams, allowing for less fixture congestion throughout the season according to the league. However, that appears to not be the case as the league and federation are continuing negotiations. "MLS is committed to finding a viable solution for the 2024 tournament and is working to find a pathway that addresses its goals and concerns," said a statement from the league issued on Wednesday. "Moving forward MLS will remain focused on increasing opportunities for up-and-coming players, a key component of the league's player development strategy that ultimately benefits the US national team program." MLS has masked their decision to pull back from the tournament as a way of benefiting MLS Next Pro reserve clubs, giving them more opport...

photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photo/Getty Images by Anthony J. Merced Rumors are swirling of two big signings for Gotham FC in OL Reign midfielders Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett. The two who are considered some of the best, not just in the league but in the US women's national team, would continue the trend of top level talent coming to Gotham as part of the plan to make the club a hub for top women's talent. The report from Meg Linehan of the Athletic emphasizes the difficulty that OL Reign currently has with signing free agents due to the flux in team ownership. The transition from OL Groupe to the Predmore family has been slow, with the announcement of the former minority owners taking full control only being announced back in October. This instability has led many to believe that they may not be equipped to make the best offers to their current free agents. On top of this Gotham FC have shown little reservation in courting talent. The middle of the 2023 season saw them acquire ...

by Anthony J. Merced RBNN podcast is joined by Kartik Krishnaiyer of World Soccer Talk to discuss the recent news of MLS pulling out of the US Open Cup. They also discuss the signing of Emil Forsberg as well as other New York Red Bulls news.  RBNN: The Podcast · RBNN Podcast 12-18-2023 with Special Guest Kartik Krishnaiyer

photo by Matt Kremkau by Anthony J. Merced New York Red Bulls forward Tom Barlow has been traded to the Chicago Fire for $250 thousand in allocation money over the next two seasons. The embattled striker had been rumored to have a move away from the team after his option for 2024 was picked up by the club at the end of the season. Barlow made an appearance in every MLS regular season game in 2023, scoring three goals in that span. The 28 year-old has been with the club since 2019 and with New York Red Bulls II before that. Over that span he played in 123 first team games, scoring 14 goals and notching two assists. Injuries to Corey Burke and Dante Vanzeir saw head coach Troy Lesesne rely on Barlow for large chunks of the campaign, despite his inability to score goals. "Tom was a true professional and had a great attitude," said Head of Sport Jochen Schneider. "We are wishing him and his family the best in this next step of his career." This news follows the signing ...