After his 89th-minute goal earned Red Bull New York its first victory since August 1, Ronald Donkor spoke to the media via Zoom before he signed off by kissing the Red Bull badge on his jacket.
“Red Bull… muah,” he said as he pounded the crest above his heart and kissed the club’s logo that features two bulls colliding.
It’s clear that Donkor wears his heart on his sleeve every time he charges from box to box, and his outward emotion is evident each time he puts in a shift in midfield.
Donkor’s Late Goal Earns Crucial Victory for Red Bulls
The 21-year-old Ghanaian scored the lone goal in New York’s 1-0 road victory over the Columbus Crew on Saturday night at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.
Right-back Dylan Nealis slipped a through ball to right-winger Cameron Harper on the right edge of the 18-yard box. Harper then cut the ball back to an open Donkor, who fired the shot past Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.
The victory was desperately needed after the Red Bulls had won just one game out of nine prior to their visit to Ohio’s capital.
“We’ve been working a lot, and I would say I’m proud of everyone in the team,” Donkor said after the victory. “From our goalkeeper to all our strikers and our defenders, we’ve been working and we know our mistakes. We’ve been working to correct everything. We just have to keep going, and we will see.”
Donkor Earns His Second MLS Team of the Matchday Nod in 2026
On Monday, Donkor was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for Matchday 26. It is the second time he’s received the honor this season. He previously earned Team of the Matchday status in late April.
The 5-foot-8 midfielder has scored two goals and provided six assists through 23 MLS matches in 2026. He has completed 85 percent of his passes, and his 39 key passes are a club high.
Donkor and the 10th-place Red Bulls (30 points) will look to improve their position in the Eastern Conference standings in a heated matchup against Hudson River Derby rivals New York City FC on Friday.
The Red Bulls and the Pigeons will square off at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time at Yankee Stadium. If Red Bull New York secures a victory in the Bronx, it would leapfrog its rivals, as NYCFC currently sits in eighth place with 32 points.
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