MLS<\/a> NEXT Pro debut for Michael Bradley\u2019s second team. In November, he was called into the United States\u2019 U-17 international training camp in Dubai.<\/p>\n\u201cTo continue getting call-ups to this age group when the majority of the team is playing in Europe or has signed a pro contract, and to make my debut and get this offer, all those things happening in quick succession really made me realize that it was right there in front of me,\u201d Sokoloff told amNewYork in an exclusive interview. \u201cI now know how possible my dream really is. Growing up, I had this whole idea that I wanted to play pro. I wanted to play for the Red Bulls. I think I did a good job when I was younger at taking it step by step and not looking too far ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
New York City is ingrained in every fiber of Sokoloff\u2019s being. The Brooklyn native grew up attending Red Bulls games with his family before joining its academy ranks at eight years old.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
The \u201chustle and bustle\u201d has molded him. So has the blue-collar makeup of the majority of its residents.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s this mentality of the city, the way everyone has a chip on their shoulder \u2014 that\u2019s something I love and embrace,\u201d he said. \u201cThat translates into my game and who I am as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n
He has needed it, too.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Sokoloff is in no way the prototypical can\u2019t-miss youngster coming up through the Red Bulls and American ranks. He was the first to tell me that he is not the biggest, nor the tallest, nor the fastest, but he makes up for it with \u201cpassion and leadership, grit and determination.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not really like any of the guys that have come up as a homegrown at Red Bull before,\u201d he continued. \u201cGrowing up, there was this big stereotype that Red Bull looks for big, fast, physical guys that love to press. That\u2019s still true, it\u2019s part of our identity\u2026 but we try to play more football now\u2026 I\u2019m a smaller player. I\u2019m not the best physically, not the tallest, not the strongest, not the fastest, but I think I read the game well. I\u2019m very good with the ball on the dribble, and I can create chances, score a lot of goals for an attacking midfielder. I just like to entertain people. I\u2019d like to think that I\u2019m fun to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n
His skill set suggests he will excel in Bradley\u2019s system after being promoted from second-team manager to first-team head coach earlier this month. As one of the most decorated American midfielders in the country\u2019s soccer-playing history, the 38-year-old first-time head coach promises to bring a far more aggressive and offensive style to the entire Red Bulls system.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWith that change in style, I think that benefits me. You can tell how much [Bradley] focuses on that,\u201d Sokoloff said. \u201cHe likes to call them football sessions where we just go out, and everything\u2019s involved with, how do we play with the ball?\u00a0The pressing against-the-ball mentality is already there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Success with New York should translate to continued looks with the youth national team. While Sokoloff hopes to establish himself quickly as an every-match option with Red Bull II, his sights are also firmly set on representing the United States at the U-17 World Cup in Qatar.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been involved with the national team for a while, and that\u2019s something that I hope to continue,\u201d he said. \u201cIt gives me a lot of pride to represent the country. I just hope to start and end the year with those call-ups and to be at those trips. That would mean a lot to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more on Paul Sokoloff and Red Bull New York, visit AMNY.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Photo courtesy of Red Bull New York ONLY IN AMNEWYORK What once seemed like an unattainable dream for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":79389,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[6583,9,11,10,4505,39453,36179,6585,400,319],"class_list":["post-79388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-mls","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-headlines","tag-new-york-news","tag-new-york-red-bulls","tag-paul-sokoloff","tag-red-bull-new-york","tag-red-bulls","tag-soccer","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79388\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Paul](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AD_6040-1.jpg\" "\\"Red")
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