The New York Red Bulls have not met their true potential yet, according to Head Coach Jesse Marsch.
Despite a 4-0 drubbing of rival New York City FC in the New York Derby on Saturday, Marsch's message to the team was all about continuing to improve.
"What gives this team, I think, a high potential in terms of what we can become, and listen, my message to the team afterwards was 'Great job, but we still have a long way to go to be the team that I think we can be, and there's a lot of improvement out there, still,'" Marsch said. "We'll keep working through things, but the eagerness of us to continue to improve is going to be really important."
Marsch truly credits the organizational philosophy of investing in youth and development.
"I try to take every opportunity that I can to talk about our club, because it's very special," Marsch said. "What's been created here is very special, and I think we are at the forefront of player development in this country. We invest in players. It's what we do here and it's who we are, and it requires everyone to believe in it and everyone here does. This is our identity. This is what we do. This is what we're about and we do it well. We do it really well."
One of the shining stars for New York in 2018 is Florian Valot, who as a youth player put in time with academies for some of the biggest clubs in Europe before landing in the states at Rider University. After college, the Red Bulls identified him as a target and he has developed through the system to become a first-team starter.
"I was not expecting to be here at that point of the season," Valot said. "But I think I was well prepared for the last two years playing with USL and I think it paid off, actually, really quick.”
Marsch said that the young players coming up through the system is a exemplary occasion for the organization.
"It's a proud moment for the club when you can see those guys that are growing up before your eyes and taking on bigger and bigger roles," Marsch said.
