On-fire Red Bull New York forward Julian Hall is caught in a tug of war between the United States national team and Poland.
The 18-year-old is eligible to represent either national team and holds dual citizenship due to his mother Agnieszka’s Polish ancestry.
Hall’s full name is Julian Zakrzewski Hall.
To date, the 5-foot-9 goal-getter has made 13 combined appearances for the United States Under-15 and Under-17 youth national teams and has scored five goals.
Poland Makes Personal Appeal To Recruit Hall
Hall recently turned 18 on March 24, and the Polish Football Association is pulling out all the stops in an attempt to lure him to represent the Eagles at the national team level.
Polish Football Association president Cezary Kulesza recently travelled to New York to meet with Agnieszka, and he presented her with a jersey with “Zakrzewski 16” on the back. Hall wears the same number for Red Bull New York.
“I met in New York with Julian Zakrzewski Hall’s mom, Ms. Agnieszka,” Kulesza posted on Twitter/X. “It’s impressive how she supports her son on his soccer journey. We were of the same opinion – that the surname Zakrzewski looks beautiful on a white-and-red jersey.”
Hall is yet to make a decision on his national team status and has often expressed his admiration for legendary Polish striker Robert Lewandowski. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he will choose Poland over the United States.
USMNT Icon and Red Bull New York Head Coach Michael Bradley Urges Hall To ‘Follow His Heart’
Red Bull New York head coach Michael Bradley was asked on Tuesday about Hall’s decision process. Though Bradley made 151 appearances for the USMNT and captained his country between 2015 and 2019, he is at least not publicly pushing Hall in either direction.
“I would give Julian the advice to follow his heart,” Bradley said during Tuesday’s press conference. “For any football player who has the possibility to play for two countries, I personally can’t imagine what goes into a decision like that.
“I was only able to play for one national team. That’s not something that I have experience with. For me, when it comes to any big decisions in life, you think about things, and you reflect, and then ultimately you make a decision based on your heart and where you want to go and what you want out of your life and what you want out of that decision.
“When you make the decision, then you go for it and don’t look back.”
Rising Red Bull New York Star Yet To Make Final Decision
Hall has made 11 appearances across all competitions for the Red Bulls this season and has scored eight goals combined between MLS and U.S. Open Cup duty.
He scored twice in New York’s 3-1 Round of 32 U.S. Open Cup victory over Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on April 15.
Earlier this season, he was asked by CBS Sports Golazo about his national team future.
“I appreciate both of my cultures,” Hall said. “You know, I’ve visited Poland many, many times. But regarding to the playing part, I mean, I kind of would say whatever happens, happens. I respect both nationalities so much.”
Hall and the Red Bulls will face a challenging test at home on Wednesday night at Sports Illustrated Stadium in the Round of 16 against Hudson River Derby rivals New York City FC. Wednesday’s match kicks off at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
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