|
RBNY TRAINING REPORT – THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
After training at RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center in Morris Township, N.J. on Thursday, Red Bull New York Head Coach Michael Bradley and midfielder David Ruiz spoke with the media prior to New York’s road match against Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday.
News and Notes
• New York are 5-7-2 all time in regular season matchups against Seattle.
• The Red Bulls are 1-1-0 against Western Conference teams this season.
• On September 2, New York acquired Inter Miami CF midfielder and Honduran international David Ruiz via loan until the end of the 2026 MLS season.
• Forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is coming off back-to-back matches with a goal contribution off the bench. Including an equalizing assist in the Red Bulls 1-1 draw over Chicago on August 22.
• Defender Julián Bazán has strong in aerial duels as of late. In his last four appearances he has recorded 15 aerial challenges that ranks tied for the fifth-most in MLS between Matchday 20-23. The defender has won 11 of these challenges for an aerial challenge win percentage of 73.3% that is tied for the fifth-best in MLS.
Red Bull New York Head Coach Michael Bradley
On adding midfielder David Ruiz…
Yeah, we're excited to add David to the group. We're trying to add as many good players, as many good people, as many good teammates, as many good competitors as possible, and so when we got to the end of the window and certain opportunities arose, David was a player that has been on our list for a while, and so we were able to use the opportunity to bring him and add him to our group to what we're doing here. So we're really excited. For a young player he has good experience in the league. He's played with a lot of good players. He's played under a lot of good coaches, and we're really excited to add him to our midfield group.
On Seattle…
I think when you look at Seattle right now, the two big things that I look at this week are Dejan Joveljić. Obviously, arrived last week, played his first game against Chicago. Immediately scores two goals. Shows his quality. Shows his ability to find chances and score goals in this league, you knew it before, and you can see already that he is going to be a really important player for them, and is going to provide a big boost, given what this last period has been like for them, and the other player that I look at is Christian Roldan. Obviously, he is their talisman, and so you know, getting him back for some minutes against Chicago, I would expect that he is in a place where he can start the game against us. Christian means a lot to that club, a lot to that city, and so you know, to have him back on the field will be a really important thing for their team. And so, you know, obviously, it's been a difficult period for them. But I know enough of their players well enough. And I don't know Brian (Schmetzer) great, but I've played and competed against him a lot over the years, and I know that they'll be doing everything they can to make sure that they're ready to really really push and make a run here as the season moves into the last third, and so we're ready and we're excited for the challenge.
On acquiring defender Devin Padelford on loan…
We’re really excited to add Devin to the group as well. You know, Julian (de Guzman) and everybody inside the club. Tiger (Fitzpatrick), Sam (Goldberg), Jimmy (Mulligan). Like it was a really strong group effort at the end of the window here to try to maximize every opportunity, and so bringing Devin in gives us another MLS proven young player who has athleticism. He has competitiveness. He has some versatility in terms of his ability to play left back, left center back, and so we're really excited to add him into what we're doing as well.
Red Bull New York Midfielder David Ruiz
On joining New York…
I feel like just the way they play. I like their system. I feel like I'm a box-to-box midfielder, so I like to attack, defend, be intense, aggressive, and I sort of fit that style of play. And that was most of my drive, you know, to come and get in that system, get to really play with their philosophy, and I thought it was a great move for me to come compete for a spot and yeah, very happy to be here.
On Head Coach Michael Bradley…
He's a natural leader. He wore the armband for U.S. and he really just pushed me a lot, gives me a confidence and everything, and it's just something that I really needed and wanted. And yeah, I really look up to him. I played against him when he was in Toronto in 2023, and it's somebody that I really look up to.
On lessons learned from playing with Inter Miami CF…
Yeah, so like you said, I've lived an everyday life with a lot of players like Sergio Busquets, Rodrigo De Paul, of course Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, and. yeah, I was there with them for like three years, so I got to really ask them questions, really get to know them more as a person. How do they take care of themselves on and off the field? How do they think in certain situations? And of course, I've mentioned it before. Like I've always been a box-to-box midfielder, and I like to press. I like to run around, like you know, for people to see how hard I like to work, you know. But it got to a point where, of course, when you have Messi by your side, you see him play. He walks majority of the time, but he's always a step ahead, and that's something that he helped me a lot with to start running less and start running like smartly, you know. So I don't get tired quick and I'll be more efficient, you know. And besides that, from De Pauk, he played in my position, so I got to see him and really learn a lot from him as well. I'm way more mature now. You know I'm not 19 years old anymore, but I got to learn a lot, and I think it'll help me translate that to my playing style, which I already try to apply everything that I've learned from them, and yeah, I feel like it'll be something great for me for this next chapter in my career, and it'll be a great help. You know, I'm very grateful to be in the in the situation I was, and just looking forward to coming here and giving my best to help the team.
|
