With the Red Bull squad with an average age of 23.7 years old, defender Cameron Harper is already a veteran Major League Soccer.
The 23 Harper has already appeared in 100 career matches in all Red Bull competitions, and he is the 19th defender in franchise history and has reached the mark.
This is the position Harper described as “crazy” and described as reflecting it all the way to Saturday's home opener against Nashville.
“I feel like most of the other teams. I'm going to be a young guy,” Harper said. “I think I'm a veterinarian now. I think anyone who was part of the last five games in the playoffs last year was putting pressure on, on the field, on the field, off the field.”
Harper has been a key player for the Red Bulls since becoming a regular starter in the 2023 season, starting all five Red Bulls playoff matches last season, recording a total of 485 minutes on the pitch.
The Red Bulls defender also gave the team a bit of versatility with his ability to play in several different areas of the pitch.
Harper logged time during the 2024 MLS campaign.
Head coach Sandro Schwartz hinted that Harper's versatility will be used again as the club returns to the MLS Cup final after a playoff run last season.
“It's good to have these profiles of players who have this flexibility in our roster and can play multiple positions,” Schwartz said. “It's good to have this profile with him. We have to first answer our structure and find out which players are in the best position in this structure.”
What's incredibly valuable for the Red Bulls is the fact that Harper can identify with the younger members of the roster and convey knowledge he has gained over the years. In particular, he mentioned Julian Hall and midfielders Tanner Rossborough and Aiden Jarvis.
“I'm trying to create a really good environment for them, something they can come out,” Harper said. “I'm always open in the way I treat them, if they need to see me and tell someone about something, if they need input, I'm always open. I'm always there to give advice. I'll see them in training, and in preseason, a lot of these kids will be ready soon.
“So I'm trying not only to push them forward, but to be someone who's collaborative and trying to help them get along in the middle and develop them.”
Harper appeared to have been injured in his home opener against Nashville SC on Saturday while stopping the ball with Nashville striker Samuel Salridge late in the first half.
He had to be helped from the field and didn't go back to the second half.
The Red Bulls face a lot of pressure this season after stunning the world of football on their way to the arrival of their first MLS Cup since 2008 during last year's postseason.
Schwartz said the team expects a lot from themselves after last year, but the past has been reiterated.
“We expect a lot from our side. “But in the end, it's now a new season. There are new faces and we don't compare the end of the season. [last year] And our beginning [this] season. It's starting a new way. ”
