It’s the sequel to Damien Perrinelle, Gideon Baah, and Aurelien Collin that no New York Red Bulls fan wanted to see.
Center back Aaron Long hobbled out of bounds after an awkward lunge in the closing minutes of New York’s 1-0 loss in Philadelphia, and the worst possible news came down on Monday when it was reported by Kristian Dyer that the United States international would miss the remainder of the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
In many ways the posterchild for the Red Bulls’ developmental strategy after evolving from journeyman USL midfielder to world class defender since signing with the club in 2016, it’s an understatement to say Long was a huge part of the team’s plans for 2021.