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More than just Red Bulls: Meet all the New Jersey players in MLS as season begins

jane havsy, morristown daily record
·7 min read

Major League Soccer wants to build its international profile as it begins its 28th season this weekend.

There were players from 82 countries on league rosters last season, and representation on 12 World Cup teams. MLS is the most globally diverse men's professional sports league in North America, and is also higher than other soccer leagues around the world.

However, there were 350 Americans and 46 Canadians in MLS last year, growing 20% over the past five years. California has the most, with 52. New York produced 21 players, and New Jersey and Texas tied for third with 19.

More than 15% of all MLS minutes were played by Homegrown signings, players who have been part of a youth academy program. In the past five years, games played by Homegrowns have doubled, minutes played rose by 90%, and goals scored increased by 50%.

The Red Bulls have a long history of signing and retaining Homegrown players, with 30 dating back to 2009. Midfielder Sean Davis of Holmdel, who is now with Nashville, is the Red Bulls' all-time leader in Homegrown appearances, with more than 200 across all competitions.

Like Davis, there are plenty of MLS players who were born in New Jersey who are not playing for their hometown teams – or with neighboring New York City FC or the Philadelphia Union.

Here's the New Jersey list:

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Jozy Altidore

New England F (Livingston)

▪Born in Livingston and raised in Boca Raton, Florida, Altidore made his professional debut at age 16 with the MetroStars (now Red Bulls).

▪Altidore was most recently on a six-month loan to Puebla in Liga MX.

Nov 28, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Union midfielder Alejandro Bedoya (11) passes the ball during the first half against the Nashville SC in the conference semifinals of the 2021 MLS playoffs at Subaru Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Union midfielder Alejandro Bedoya (11) passes the ball during the first half against the Nashville SC in the conference semifinals of the 2021 MLS playoffs at Subaru Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Alejandro Bedoya

Philadelphia Union M (Englewood)

▪Born in Englewood and raised in Weston, Florida, Bedoya had five goals and five assists in 17 matches for Fairleigh Dickinson before transferring to Boston College.

▪An attacking midfielder, Bedoya has 22 goals and 26 assists in seven seasons with Philadelphia. He has started 179 of the 186 games in which he has appeared since joining the Union on Aug. 3, 2016.

Bento Estrela

Red Bulls M (Bloomfield)

▪Signed on Feb. 9, 2021, Estrela is the youngest Red Bulls Homegrown and the fourth-youngest signee in MLS history at 14 years and 364 days.

Chris Gloster

New York City FC D (Montclair)

▪Raised in Montclair, Gloster made his Red Bulls II debut on Aug. 13, 2016, becoming the youngest American to start in a USL game (16 years, 16 days).

▪Gloster joined NYCFC in 2020. He made 11 regular-season appearances last year, scoring his first MLS goal.

Matt Miazga

Cincinnati D (Clifton)

▪Miazga had four goals and five assists for Clifton High School before joining the Red Bulls' academy. He got into 38 matches as RBNY won the 2013 and 2015 Supporters' Shields.

▪After 169 appearances across Europe, Miazga transferred from Chelsea in England to Cincinnati in August 2022. He made 10 regular-season starts last fall.

Kevin O'Toole

New York City FC F (Montclair)

▪A Montclair High School alumnus, O'Toole was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year and a unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection after captaining Princeton University to the league title in 2021.

▪O'Toole was drafted in the second round (34th overall) by NYCFC. He played every minute of NYCFC's last seven games, including the 2022 playoffs.

Jun 23, 2021; Saint Paul, MN, Saint Paul, MN, USA; Austin FC midfielder Jared Stroud (20) dribbles the ball against Minnesota United defender Romain Metanire (19) in the second half at Allianz Field.
Jun 23, 2021; Saint Paul, MN, Saint Paul, MN, USA; Austin FC midfielder Jared Stroud (20) dribbles the ball against Minnesota United defender Romain Metanire (19) in the second half at Allianz Field.

Jared Stroud

St. Louis City M (Chester)

▪A Delbarton School and Colgate University graduate, Stroud had 22 goals and five assists in 62 appearances with Red Bulls II.

▪Stroud was selected by Austin FC in the 2020 MLS Expansion Draft. He had a goal and four assists in 27 appearances, 13 starts. He was dealt from Austin FC to expansion St. Louis City on Nov. 22.

Peter Stroud

Red Bulls M (Chester)

▪The youngest of four soccer-playing brothers from Chester, Stroud signed a three-year Homegrown deal with the Red Bulls on Jan. 14, 2023.

▪The first to win back-to-back ACC Midfielder of the Year honors, Stroud had six goals and 12 assists in three seasons at Duke. He was the runner-up for the 2022 MAC Hermann Trophy.

John Tolkin

Red Bulls D (Chatham)

▪A member of the Red Bulls academy since 2015, Tolkin signed a Homegrown contract in 2020 at age 17. In 2022, he set career highs in appearances, starts (31) and minutes (2,748).

▪Tolkin made his senior United States men's national team debut on Jan. 28 versus Colombia.

Mason Toye

CF Montreal F (South Orange)

▪Toye has 16 goals and five assists in 80 regular-season appearances (37 starts) with Minnesota and Montreal.

▪He had 33 goals and 16 assists as a freshman and sophomore at Morristown Beard, then transferred to Seton Hall Prep. He was named Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year.

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Michael Bradley

Toronto (Princeton)

▪ A product of the United States' U-17 national team residency program in Bradenton, Florida, Bradley turned pro at 16. He was selected 36th in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft by the MetroStars.

▪He has played for seven teams in six countries. He has 16 goals and 40 assists in 12 MLS regular seasons. A longtime captain of the USMNT, Bradley has 17 goals and 23 assists in 151 international appearances.

Nashville SC midfielder Sean Davis (54) shoots the ball at the goal during the second half of the match against the Atlanta United at Geodis Park Saturday, May 21, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn.
Nashville SC midfielder Sean Davis (54) shoots the ball at the goal during the second half of the match against the Atlanta United at Geodis Park Saturday, May 21, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn.

Sean Davis

Nashville M (Long Branch)

▪Born in Long Branch and raised in Holmdel, Davis was part of the U.S. U-17 residency program.

▪He joined Nashville before the 2022 season as a free agent after spending his first seven seasons with the Red Bulls. He has five goals and 25 assists.

Daniel Edelman

Red Bulls M (Warren Twp.)

▪A Homegrown signee, Edelman made his MLS debut against San Jose on Feb. 26. He played in 16 matches and started 10, logging 988 minutes last season.

Evan Louro

Cincinnati G (South River)

▪Louro grew up in Elizabeth and South River, and played for the Red Bulls' academy. He totaled 12 shutouts and a career 1.17 goals-against average in 46 appearances over three seasons at Michigan.

▪He signed a one-year deal with Cincinnati on Aug. 22, 2022. Louro won the Golden Glove with a .74 goals-against average and a league-record 891-minute shutout streak with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Championship in 2021.

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Jake Nerwinski

St. Louis City D (Lawrenceville)

▪Nerwinski played striker at Notre Dame High School, amassing 29 goals and 24 assists – the top point-scorer in school history at the time.

▪A right back, he has made 158 appearances across all competitions for Vancouver, who drafted him seventh overall in 2017. He anchored the Whitecaps' back line to six shutouts in 2022, winning the Canadian Championship and securing a spot in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League.

▪He signed a two-year, free-agent deal with expansion St. Louis City on Nov. 28.

Serge Ngoma

Red Bulls F (North Plainfield)

▪A member of the Red Bulls academy since U-13 in 2017, Ngoma made his MLS debut on Feb. 26, 2022. He scored his first career goal against Atlanta on June 30, the third youngest in Red Bulls history (16 years, 357 days). He is also the third youngest in MLS history to score a game winner in the 85th minute or later.

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Tyler Miller

D.C. United G (Woodbury)

▪A 6-foot-4 goalkeeper, Miller signed a two-year, free-agent deal with D.C. on Nov. 23. He earned 41 shutouts in three seasons with Minnesota and two with Los Angeles FC.

▪A four-year letter-winner and two-year captain at Bishop Eustace, Miller set the school record for appearances.

Jeremy Rafanello

Philadelphia Union F/M (Delran)

▪Rafanello signed a one-year Homegrown contract on Aug. 23, 2022 with options for 2024 and 2025. He had 11 goals and seven assists in 56 matches with Red Bulls II and Indy Eleven in the USL Championship.

▪Raised in Delran, Rafanello had 15 goals and four assists in his lone season of high school soccer (2015).

Sept. 19: Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Tomas Romero guards the goal during the second half against the Portland Timbers at Providence Park. The Timbers won, 2-1.
Sept. 19: Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Tomas Romero guards the goal during the second half against the Portland Timbers at Providence Park. The Timbers won, 2-1.

Tomás Romero

Toronto G (Cherry Hill)

▪Born in Cherry Hill but a youth national player for El Salvador, Romero is the youngest goalkeeper to play, start and win a United Soccer League match while playing for Bethlehem (Pa.) Steel. Romero made a penalty-kick save to lift Georgetown to a 7-6 shootout victory against Virginia in the 2019 NCAA final, its first national title.

▪He appeared in 18 matches for Los Angeles FC in 2021, but none last season. He was selected by Toronto in the 2022 Re-Entry Draft.

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: MLS 2023: Meet the New Jersey soccer players