The fast adaptation of Matthew Dos Santos to life in Major League Soccer has been a pleasant early-season surprise for Red Bull New York supporters.
On the other hand, there is Red Bull New York head coach Michael Bradley, who envisioned a path for Dos Santos to reach the first team while he served as Red Bull New York II head coach last season.
“In Adri’s (Mehmeti) case, in Matty’s case, I spent a lot of time with them last year,” Bradley said. “I had six months with them, so I saw firsthand every single day their quality, their attitude. I saw that when you challenged them and pushed them, they got even better. I saw that when you try to help them with little things or coach them on certain details, you didn’t have to repeat yourself many times. They picked things up pretty quickly.”
The 17-year-old left-back has looked the part through 137 minutes of play across the first two MLS matches of the season. After taking part in his second career MLS match during Saturday’s 1-0 home opening victory against the New England Revolution, he has hit his short-term agreement limit.
“Matty obviously plays his second game, so we will sit down together very early in the week,” Bradley said of the impending roster decision. “We’ll figure out the best way to move forward.”
Dos Santos Receives High Praise From Bradley
Bradley mentioned that he is managing Dos Santos’ minutes to prepare him for the demands of a 34-match regular season grind.
“Matty was very, very good,” Bradley stated. “We made the sub just because we’re continuing to build his tank and his fitness. So, Juan Mina comes on, helps us finish the game. Jahkeele [Marshall-Rutty] goes to the left. So all of those guys, they may not be the ones who people think or talk about right away, but they all had really, really good games.”
Dos Santos understands that he’s new on the scene and that Bradley and the club will place him in the best circumstances to develop and succeed over a long career. Bradley possesses wisdom gained from his well-traveled playing career, and he spent six months as Red Bull New York II head coach, closely studying Dos Santos’ mental and physical attributes and his application in game settings.
“One hundred percent,” Dos Santos said of his trust in Bradley, the coaching staff and the organization. “It’s the trust that I get from the coaches, the trust that I get from my teammates. Being in the academy for that long and then transitioning to the second team, you have to trust the Red Bull process, the Red Bull system, so that’s what I’ve been doing, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do.
“I control what I can do on the field. The decisions are made up to them.”
Given Bradley’s trust and belief in his young players, it wouldn’t be surprising if he leans on Dos Santos heavily throughout the 2026 season. So far, Dos Santos has earned every bit of his coach’s trust by proving that he’s capable of displaying composure and awareness on both ends of the pitch.
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