Jeremy Rafanello signed with New York Red Bulls on March 3, 2021 after spending the 2020 USL Championship season with Indy Eleven.
The forward has enjoyed his first two weeks with his new teammates as they prepare for the beginning of the 2021 season.
“It has been really good, the team is definitely coming together, and my teammates have been really accepting of me,” Rafanello said. “I think these past two weeks have been something to grow on and things have been going really well.”
Ahead of the 2021 season, NYRB II played in their first scrimmage against Union II. Rafanello scored the lone goal in the match giving the club a 1-0 win.
“I was fortunate enough for Jake [Lacava] to slide it right across to me and luckily to get it against my former club, so it was a great feeling being able to get my first goal and get a win as well in our first preseason match,” Rafanello said.
Being new to the system, Rafanello has been using his time to learn the system and keep improving on his game.
“I have definitely been learning how to play the Red Bull way,” Rafanello said. “I have been around it before, but actually being in the system now, I’m starting to get the hang of it.”
Rafanello and the rest of the team will look to keep preparing toward the 2021 USL Championship opener on April 30, as they face Hartford Athletic in another preseason scrimmage on Friday, April 16.
