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White Strikes in First Start for Red Bulls

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 08/30/18, 8:19AM EDT

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55th-minute game-winner against Dynamo continued forward’s upward trajectory

HARRISON, N.J. – After 17 goals to earn the 2017 Premier Development League Most Valuable Player award and Golden Boot for the New York Red Bulls U23 to recording eight goals this season for the New York Red Bulls II, Brian White’s eye for goal has seen him quickly move up the organization’s ranks.

So, it hardly came as a surprise on Wednesday night when handed his first start for the Red Bulls in Major League Soccer that the 22-year-old came through with the winning goal in a 1-0 victory against the Houston Dynamo and Red Bull Arena that sent New York to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

“It was the goal to get here, and to get a good shift in, 90 minutes, get a game-winner, have all my friends and family here, I couldn’t picture a better night,” said White after the game. “Happy to get three points, happy to move top of the table.”

Making his second official appearance after coming on as a substitute late in the Red Bulls’ road contest against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on August 18, White got the nod as Head Coach Chris Armas rotated his lineup heavily in the midweek portion of a spell of three games in seven days.

Playing alongside the likes of Tyler Adams, Sean Davis and Alex Muyl and Cristian Casseres Jr., all of whom previously competed for the Red Bulls II, White was in the right place at the right time to tuck home a simple finish off a low cross by Muyl in the 55th minute that gave him his first MLS goal.


Brian White celebrates his first goal in Major League Soccer for the New York Red Bulls, which proved the winner against the Houston Dynamo. | Photo courtesy New York Red Bulls

“Honestly, I just saw Alex was working down the line,” said White. “He ended up beating his man, I just tried to stay alive and stay on my toes and he played a perfect ball in to me, I just had to tap it in. Credit to Alex, all the work he did there set me up perfectly.”

White and Casseres were joined in making their first MLS starts for the Red Bulls by Andreas Ivan, and all three drew praise postgame from now United States international Adams, now one of the club’s most recognizable players after having been the first signing in Red Bulls II history in 2015.

“Unbelievable performances by all three tonight,” Adams said. “Obviously, [Ivan] has been around the group for not that long now and for him to come into the game like that, a fast-paced game, takes some adapting. He did well. Cásseres, he’s done excellent with the USL team and he fit seamlessly into what we do. Amazing that all the little details with what the USL team does transpires into this masterpiece and you can see some adapting for him but it’s his first game, go out there and enjoy it.

“And Brian, he’s making saves in USL, he’s scoring goals in USL, now he’s scoring in MLS,” added Adams, referring to White’s performance earlier this season that saw him deputize in goal late on for Evan Louro against the Richmond Kickers and end the game with a goal, an assist and a save. “It’s amazing for him to go out and do what he did and as a striker, he does a lot of the dirty work that goes unnoticed. Obviously, everyone remembers the goal, but he helped our team defend tonight.” 

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