Just win… period. That’s the mentality driving Red Bull New York defender Justin Che in his first season at the club.
Since arriving last December from Danish side Brøndby IF, Che recognizes the desperation within the Red Bull squad to return to the MLS Cup playoffs after 2025 ended in the club’s first playoff-less season in 15 years.
“We want to make playoffs more than anyone,” Che told South Ward Central in a one-on-one interview at RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center in Morris Township, New Jersey.
“It’s my first season here, but I want to see the club succeed. I want to hopefully win a championship, and the fans deserve it more than anyone else. So our performances also need to reflect that. We need to take it step by step, game by game.”
The Red Bulls recently lost consecutive matches away to the Philadelphia Union, and most recently, at home last Saturday against Charlotte FC. A positive result against visiting Orlando City SC on Saturday would represent a step in the right direction.
Che: ‘Millions of Players Would Kill To Have This Opportunity’
When Che and his teammates arrive at the Red Bulls’ state-of-the-art training facility, they know that every resource is at their fingertips.
RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center features a 4,635-square-foot gym, eight grass fields with various playing surfaces designed to emulate opposition pitches, hydrotherapy areas, a sand pit, hot and cold plunge pools and a sauna.
“There’s definitely no excuses,” he stated. “You come here, you work hard, you have everything. You need to push yourself to the absolute limit each and every day because millions of players would kill to be here in this opportunity.
“This facility is a big game changer. It’s one of the best facilities in the world, you could say. I mean, the resources that we have here, we have everything. For us to have this is definitely a big blessing that we need to cherish and just put it in with our performances. So, it’s definitely helped us out so far.”
Che feels fortunate when looking at his surroundings around the 80-plus-acre complex, which opened in late April.
He is equally grateful to be playing under head coach Michael Bradley, who made 151 international appearances for the United States men’s national team and enjoyed a well-traveled playing career across Europe’s top leagues and Major League Soccer.
Che: Bradley ‘Lives and Breathes Football’
Bradley’s aggressive, high-pressing system reflects the demanding culture he has established in his first season in charge of Red Bull New York.
“Mike lives and breathes football,” Che stated. “I mean, he played at such a high level. He’s a very successful player. But I think his transition into coaching has been a good one. He’s done a lot for this club so far.
“The way he sees football, he’s trying to instill in us to always just play with 100 percent effort each and every play, always high pressing. The Red Bull DNA, you could say. I think Mike really pushes that on us and makes us work very hard. So I think that definitely helps the team as a whole, but also each and every player individually.”
As evidenced against Philadelphia and Charlotte, mistakes happen in football. How a team responds to correct itself is what matters.
Bradley has called on the experience of assistants Ibrahim Sekagya and Mike Sorber to help focus on the details in training sessions and in film sessions.
“You make a mistake, you learn from it and put your best foot forward so that it doesn’t happen again,” Che explained. “They help us out, especially in video or Ibrahim in set pieces. Both of them are experienced players who have played at a good level. So their input definitely helps our team.”
How Che Unwinds Away From The Pitch
Bradley’s system is go, go, go. Practices can be both demanding and draining. When the hard work is done, Che unwinds by fishing along the Jersey Shore and relaxing on the beach.
“New Jersey has many beautiful things,” he said. “Like Sandy Hook, for example. I go there sometimes on my off day, do a little bit of fishing with some friends. Especially now in the summer when the weather is nice, we go there for a swim, just enjoy the beach. I like the beach a lot. So, I think there’s a lot of good things in the area.”
Che has performed as a stabilizing piece of the back line. From now through early November, he’ll need to continue playing that part to make sure the Red Bulls don’t hit more snags along the way in the hope of reeling in a playoff berth.
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