Versatile defender Justin Che feels grateful to be back in contention for the Red Bull New York starting XI after a hamstring injury interrupted his season for nearly two months.
Che started last Saturday in the Red Bulls’ 1-1 home draw against Hudson River Derby rivals New York City FC. It was his first start for the club since he suffered the hamstring injury away to Toronto FC on March 14.
“I loved it, man. I missed it,” Che said during Thursday’s media availability. “You know, football’s my life. I dream of it. I think about it 24/7, so being apart from the team for those two months was pretty tough for me. Day in, day out, I, along with the medical staff, worked hard to get me fit to be able to be back on the field and play well. So I was very excited, I was happy just being back out there and doing what I love.”
Red Bulls Benefit From Che’s Positional Flexibility
Che is capable of playing at center-back, right-back and on the right wing. The 22-year-old has been asked to play a variety of positions in his well-traveled career at previous stops FC Dallas, Bayern Munich II, Hoffenheim, Brøndby, ADO Den Haag and Patro Eisden.
“In my time in Europe, I’ve kind of played both primarily right-back in the last recent years, you could say at Bayern I played more center-back,” he recalled. “At Hoffenheim was more right-back — last couple years have been more right back.”
Mikey Varas Influenced Che’s Development
Che was first switched to center-back by current San Diego FC head coach Mikey Varas, who at the time was an assistant coach at FC Dallas. The 6-foot-1 defender made his MLS debut for FC Dallas on August 29, 2021, as a substitute away to Austin FC.
“I think now, especially in our modern football, to be able to play many positions is very important to be a versatile player, to play wherever the coach needs you and to be able to perform in any position,” Che explained. “I guess the transition for me wasn’t really a big one because I’ve played there before in the academy.
“Mikey Varas transitioned me into a center-back. At first, I was playing winger, so you could say right-back is a combination of both center-back and and winger. To be able to play multiple positions, which I’ve done pretty much my whole life, is something that I’m used to and I think it’s very important in our modern football.”
Che has been a stabilizing piece for the Red Bulls through his first seven MLS games with his new club. He’s often been paired with Dylan Nealis, who also has more experience lining up at right-back, and veteran Tim Parker has provided rock-solid performances of late.
Red Bulls Eye Strong Finish Before 2026 FIFA World Cup Break
On Saturday, the Red Bulls will wrap up their schedule before the 2026 FIFA World Cup break away to Sporting Kansas City. New York currently sits in sixth-place in the Eastern Conference standings, just below fifth-place rivals NYCFC by virtue of the Pigeons owning a superior goal differential.
Che isn’t overlooking Sporting Kansas City even though Kansas City is second from last in the Supporters’ Shield standings and has the worst goal differential of all MLS clubs at minus-21.
“I say it time and time again — you can never rule out a team,” Che stated. “A team that has nothing to lose is the most dangerous team. I think, especially in this league, any team could beat any team. So it’s the last game before the break, but it’s something where I and the group are focused on hopefully getting the three points and to finish off on a strong note for the second half of the season.”
Saturday’s match at Sporting Park is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
More Red Bull New York Coverage
Enjoyed this story? Follow us for the latest updates! | Bluesky | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Leave a Reply