Scoring your first MLS goal as a 16-year-old is a pretty special thing, but doing so to help your team earn a comeback draw on the road makes it even more special.
Julian Hall did just that on Wednesday night, scoring in the 88th minute to help the New York Red Bulls fight back against CF Montreal for a 2-2 draw. Hall, 16, became the first player his age to score an MLS goal since Freddy Adu did so with DC United in 2004, showing his immediate potential as a young talent in the league.
“It’s a surreal feeling, you know, getting a goal in a moment like that,” Hall said. “I’m just really proud. I got to score my first goal for the team.
“It’s an honor to hear my name and that sort of category,” Hall added when relayed that he joined Adu in the category of 16-year-old goalscorers. “And I’m just really thankful and I’m grateful for an opportunity like this.”
The Red Bulls faced a two-goal deficit at halftime but rallied in the second half to earn their seventh draw of the season, which is tied for the second-most in the Eastern Conference. 21-year-old Wikelman Carmona cut the deficit in half before Hall tied the match only one minute after entering the field as a late substitute.
A former Red Bulls academy talent, Hall now has five goals combined between the first and second teams since debuting last year.
“No, we don’t pressure to be honest, we have expectations,” Red Bulls head coach Sandro Schwarz said about Hall’s impact as a young player. “This is clear and we want to improve him every day. This is the only pressure what we have with him to be honest. When you work so hard every day, then this is natural. Then the next step was that he scored and then he gets more minutes and it’s good. It’s good to see, it’s good for all the academy players that you have to work very hard every day in your team, the second team, under 17, under 15.
“When you start in the academy, this is what I said our…
Source link : https://sbisoccer.com/2024/06/julian-halls-first-mls-goal-rescues-red-bulls-in-montreal
Author : Larry Henry Jr
Publish date : 2024-06-20 11:23:11
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