Adri Mehmeti has quickly established himself as one of Major League Soccer’s most promising rookies while playing a key role throughout Michael Bradley’s first season as Red Bull New York head coach.
The high-potential midfielder has looked the part since he made his MLS debut on February 21 against Orlando City SC. As a 16-year-old, Mehmeti recorded his first career assist in the Red Bulls’ 2-1 away victory at Inter&Co Stadium.
Mehmeti Thriving During Breakout Rookie Season
The now 17-year-old has racked up four assists through the first 15 MLS matches of his blossoming career. Only captain Emil Forsberg and winger Cade Cowell have recorded more assists for the club in MLS play with five apiece.
Mehmeti spoke one-on-one with South Ward Central following Monday’s training session at RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center in Morris Township, New Jersey.
“I think it’s been pretty easy to adapt,” Mehmeti said of his rookie season. “All the coaching staff and all the players make it so comfortable. I can go into an environment and strive and go out and play with freedom.”
Last season, Mehmeti captained Red Bull New York II to winning the MLS NEXT Pro Cup with Bradley guiding him for the second half of the season after he replaced Ibrahim Sekagya as head coach of the reserve team following Sekagya’s promotion to a full-time first team assistant coach role.
How Bradley Helped Mehmeti Make the MLS Jump
The experience of playing under Bradley at Red Bull II has allowed him to fully grasp the intricacies of the Red Bulls’ aggressive system, which often produces rapid vertical transitions.
“Being in the second team with Michael really helped me as well, so I could get to know him even more,” Mehmeti explained. “When we both made the jump to the first team, he brought the game plan from the second team to the first team because the philosophy doesn’t change. He’s been doing really well with all the young guys and everybody. We’re going in a really good way.”
With the Red Bulls set to return to MLS action against the rival Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night, the post-World Cup restart feels almost like a new season.
“We took this as a second preseason,” he said. “When we had our 18 days off, everybody got their rest. Then we came back, and it was straight back to work. We’re working on our ideas again, working on our style of play with and without the ball.
“Again, we’ve been doing really good. Everybody’s been into it. Every second of training every day, everyone’s so committed. When we go into Philly, we’re going to go right where we left off. We’re going to give everything we have in that game.”
Mehmeti Ready for Rivalry Match Against Philadelphia, Focused on Red Bull New York’s Playoff Push
Mehmeti isn’t overlooking the Union even though the reigning Supporters’ Shield winners currently sit last among all MLS clubs in 30th place with only seven points gained.
The Red Bulls enter Wednesday’s clash at Subaru Park in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
“This rivalry is always a big game,” he stated. “It doesn’t matter where they are in the standings, where we are in the standings; we always know it’s going to be a fight. We know how they play, and we’re going to have to match that and play with quality when we have the ball and be brave.”
With kick off set for 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Red Bull New York has a chance to earn their fourth victory in five matches and extend their unbeaten streak to five.
“We’re so excited to get back to football,” Mehmeti said. “We want to continue right where we left off and hopefully make the playoffs and go from there.”
If Mehmeti can continue supplying line-breaking passes while controlling tempo in the midfield, he’ll play a big role in determining how high the Red Bulls finish in the regular season standings.
Phase two of his rookie season begins now.
More Red Bull New York Coverage
Enjoyed this story? Follow us for the latest updates! | Bluesky | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Leave a Reply