The New York Red Bulls Regional Development Schools (RDS) hosted their spring RDS Goalie Wars at Red Bulls Training Facility in Whippany, NJ on June 3, 2023. The event continues to expand as a U10 age group was added for the first time with age-appropriate 7v7 goals in place.
The event was filled with excitement, intense goalie matchups, amazing strikes, and even more spectacular saves, as goalies competed in a 1v1 format to determine the highest-scoring goalkeeper. In total, 88 goalkeepers across 3 age groups, U10, U12, and U14 matched skills in front of an appreciative crowd of parents and supporters.
The U10 age group debuted in remarkable style as spectators witnessed the first-ever sudden shootout in the final. Eli Raz of Brooklyn Italians and Matthew Gonzalez of Howell United locked horns after ending the final tied on points, with the former coming out on top in a nail-biting finish.
The other age groups saw Cooper Hazelton of STA and Felipe Zumbado of CSA Bergen winning the U12 and U14 brackets respectively. Both Hazelton and Zumbado are now multiple-time Goalie War winners.
Miguel Gutierrez, New York Red Bulls Academy Goalkeeper Coach, presented the trophies at the event and praised the RDS program’s alignment with the club's vision and philosophy.
Goalie Wars is an event that allows talented young goalkeepers to demonstrate their potential while offering a fun and engaging activity for players of all skill levels. The game rules place equal importance on ball striking and distribution as it does on stopping shots, which is increasingly vital in the modern game.
RDS Goalie Wars will be back in the fall. Until then, check out our page for more information: https://www.newyorkredbulls.com/news/red-bulls-rds-goalie-wars
