Midfielder Matt Kassel, one of the crown jewels of the Red Bulls’ vaunted youth academy, was practicing with the club this past week. A lot has changed for the 19-year-old Bridgewater (NJ) native since he last trained with them; he’s visibly bigger, noticeably stronger and an NCAA champion.
Whether any of that helps the University of Maryland standout earn a Generation Adidas contract from the club this offseason remains to be seen. But both Jeff Agoos and Juan Carlos Osorio have talked this year about the importance of adding young Americans, and Osorio reiterated it this week.
“It was good to get back on the field with a lot of new guys but a good core of the same guys. It was welcoming when I came in: It was a fun time,” said Kassel, who’ll go back to Maryland as a sophomore to help his Terps defend their NCAA crown. But Kassel admitted training with the big club has put the taste for pro soccer in his mouth.
“Obviously. You look at it and say I want to be here at the end of the day. I know at some point in my career hopefully I will be here, or anywhere in a professional environment. Then I’ll have the opportunity to help younger kids like myself build up from the footsteps that I’ve been brought up into,” said Kassel, who’s been in touch with sporting director Jeff Agoos. “Obviously I’m at the college level now, and we’ll see where my college career leads me at the end of the day. You take it day-by-day. Whatever happens, happens. You never know. In a professional environment, they could come calling next week. You’ve got to take it like is. We’ve spoken. We’re just going to play it day-by-day, and see what happens.”
Kassel trained with the Red Bulls last summer, and after the club offered him a developmental contract, he turned it down and went to Maryland. But he said the experience proved helpful in his freshman campaign, as he had a team-high-tying seven assists on a club that won the national title.
“Yeah it definitely helped me a lot, because there’s bigger, stronger and more physical guys, and the speed of play here is obviously a little faster than the college level,” Kassel said. “But the transition helped me a lot to progress to where I was in the college season.
“I’m fortunate as not every college player, or not many people can do the things I’m able to do here with the Red Bulls; really what the Red Bulls allow me to do. Obviously it helps me. You can’t get better competition than playing professionally. It’s better than college or anything else you could possibly do. It keeps me fit, it keeps me in shape and it keeps me sharp.”
He’ll stay sharp this summer playing for the Red Bull Under-20 team, then head back to Maryland. Kassel has been in touch with Agoos, and now Osorio has had a better chance to see the talented teen work against his first-team players.
Both said before the season started that they’d targeted several young American players to add, but found trading for U.S. talents in MLS even more expensive than they’d expected.
This week Osorio commented on the surprising haul they got for underachieving Dominic Oduro _ first and second-round picks _ and was looking forward to bolstering a core of young Yanks that includes ex-Terp Jeremy Hall, Luke Sassano and perhaps rookie Nick Zimmerman.
“As far as what we got for Dominic, I thought to make a strong team is by far one of the most difficult jobs of a head coach,” Osorio said. “Hopefully next season, with that (extra) first pick we can keep strengthening the team with more American players, and more players like Jeremy Hall and like Sassano, players that in a couple years time will be very good for this club.”
Zimmerman might join that group. The rookie midfielder made his MLS debut at halftime of Thursday’s loss in D.C. and acquitted himself well. He not only held the ball well but made dangerous runs and even tested the keeper with a cubtback and long-range shot on goal.
“I was very pleased with nick’s performance,” Osorio said. “I think he did well, he showed some composure on the ball and he sowed what we believe he is capable of, which is he’s a good passer, and he also has very good ball-skills that allowed him to get out of tight areas and tight situations.”