Two days after arriving in the United States, the New York Red Bulls presented Dante Vanzeir to the media.
In New York, you must stand up for yourself and, please, don’t hold yourself back if you want to succeed in this city. Dante Vanzeir, the newly presented striker for the New York Red Bulls, did precisely that during his introductory press conference this Tuesday (21) at the Red Bulls Arena and, in perfect English, set the bar pretty high for himself, “without putting pressure.”
“I have my personal goals every year I set for myself. I’m a guy who is realistic but also ambitious, and I think without putting pressure on myself, 15 goals in a season as a striker is a good number.”
This past January, the New York Red Bulls snagged Dante from the Belgium club Union SG after the Reds signed the 24-year-old striker. The amount paid (US$ 5 million plus add-ons that can go up to US$ 6.25 million) can make Vanzeir the most expensive player ever bought by the MLS club, topping the previous record set by Alejandro “Kaku” Romero for whom the Red Bulls ended up paying US$5.50 millions to the Argentinian side Huracán back in 2018. Asked what attracted him to cross the Atlantic toward the US, Dante explained:
“I think New York Red Bulls and Red Bull, in general, had a nice plan for me. Their ambitions, their style of play, and the culture and the club fit in my style too. It was one of the main reasons to join this club, and besides, I think the MLS is a league that also fits me. I had to get my chance here and prove myself in another competition”.
11 days
Having just arrived in the US this past Sunday (19), Vanzeir didn’t have much time to acclimate with his new teammates. Head coach Gerhard Struber points out the Belgian will need “days or a week” to be ready to play for the Red Bulls, which start its 2023 season next Saturday (25) against Orlando City in Florida. Their home opener will occur the following Saturday (4) at the Red Bull Arena when the always dangerous Nashville SC will be in town for the match.
“I’m looking forward to first meeting all the fans at the stadium. I think we have a nice fan base, and I would like to show them my qualities”, said Dante Vanzeir about the chance to play against Nashville in 11 days.
(Cover: Gustavo Guimarães/Território MLS)
