New York Red Bulls Academy would like to congratulate long-standing youth partner, Ironbound Soccer Club, on becoming a founder member of the newly formed United Soccer League (USL) Academy League, set to launch in Spring 2021. With the launch of USL Academy, USL has created an elite youth platform with a clearly defined pathway for its top youth prospects to reach the professional game.
For more information on the USL Academy League, please click here.
Albert Coutinho, Club President, Ironbound Soccer Club:
“It is an honor for Ironbound Soccer Club to be part of this prestigious initiative. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our kids, our club, and community. We are humbled by the vote of confidence the USL has in our soccer program to help deliver on this effort.”
John M. Soares, Director of Operations, Ironbound Soccer Club:
“Ironbound Soccer Club’s main goal is, and always be, to provide players with opportunities to play at the highest possible level. We feel as a club the USL Academy League will provide a platform for our players to advance to the next level. Partnering with the New York Red Bulls Academy in this venture gives our players and staff access to additional opportunities not normally available. As a founding member of the USL Academy League, Ironbound Soccer Club looks forward to continuing to develop players that will perform at the highest level.”
Steve Amorim, Director of Coaching, Ironbound Soccer Club:
“Participating in this league effort will help Ironbound Soccer Club to identify top prospects and provide more players with an opportunity to compete against professionals at a younger age. The effect is a thriving farm system that develops players for future competition.”
Grant Findlay, Academy Manager, New York Red Bulls:
“Understanding the culture and pedigree of the club, we truly believe Ironbound Soccer Club’s acceptance into the USL Academy League will take our partnership to new heights by ensuring true alignment with the Red Bulls Player Development Pathway. Through the coordination of a fluid dual-carding mechanism, Ironbound Soccer Club’s USL Academy teams will further extend our combined efforts and outreach to a larger elite level player identification and development pool.
In addition, the acceptance of Ironbound Soccer Club to the USL Academy League format will also harness a safety net for late bloomers coming through the club’s development system which in turn will act as the catalyst to propel even more players towards a career in the professional game.”
Ironbound Soccer Club has a rich history in the recruitment and development of elite level soccer players within the tri-state area. The club has consistently equipped the Red Bulls Academy and Pre-Academy teams with top talented individuals. The most recognizable Ironbound Soccer Club product to progress onto the professional game via Red Bulls Academy and the New York Red Bulls first team is current U.S. Men’s National Team player and RB Leipzig star, Tyler Adams.
More recently, John Tolkin, a Red Bulls Academy graduate who signed for the first team in January 2020, was also nurtured within the heart of Newark, New Jersey (less than 1-mile away from Red Bull Arena).
Since 2014, Red Bulls Youth Programs and Ironbound Soccer Club have worked closely in partnership to enhance the experiences of both players and fans as well to strengthen the Newark community’s connection with the First Team.
The partnership initiatives annually include: five (5) Red Bulls Youth Programs trainers fully dedicated to player development coaching 11 U12 travel teams, two (2) 8-week Regional Development School (RDS) Talent Identification Centers focused predominantly on technical development and skill acquisition, one (1) cost-free Urban Soccer Program (USP) summer camp, and three (3) coaching education meetings.
