Nineteen-year-old New York Red Bulls midfielder Cristian Casseres Jr. finished in 11th place in the MLS’ Top 22 Under-22 players.
Halfway to the top. Is the glass half-full or half-empty? For New York Red Bulls’ third-youngest player, Cristian Casseres Jr., the glass is half full.
The 19-year-old midfielder was ranked directly in the middle of the MLS’ Top 22 Under-22 players rankings at 11th place. Casseres Jr. collected four assists and three goals last season in 23 appearances, which included 21 starts.
Last season was the teenager’s second MLS campaign. In 2018, he only played in three games, starting one of them. After Tyler Adams’ departure, playing time opened up for Casseres Jr.
Some would even say Casseres Jr. was supposed to be Adams’s replacement. Adams finished second last year in the MLS 22 Under-22. Casseres Jr. didn’t excel in his sophomore season, but he did show promise.
The youngster was named the Red Bulls’ Defender of the Year. He also scored the fourth-most goals and provided the sixth-most assists on the team. He managed to finish 11th on the lists while being the fifth most-used midfielder, and seventh most-used player overall.
One of the midfielder’s top performances came against Los Angeles F.C. on Aug. 11, a game in which he racked one goal and one assist in a 4-2 loss. He also showed out in a game against New York City F.C., when he notched a game-winning assist on July 14.
Casseres Jr. scored his first career MLS goal this season on April 6th. In a game against Minnesota United F.C. The Caracas native expressed that scoring this goal was his favorite moment of the year. It certainly wasn’t a bad season from the teenager.
Casseres Jr. also inscribed his name in the USL’s 20 Under-20 in 2018, finishing 12th.