EXCLUSIVE: Austin Causey Steps into Key Role

New York Red Bulls II goalkeeper Austin Causey is in both an enviable and unenviable position of having stepped into a key role for the club heading into the MLS Next Pro Championship game on Saturday. Before the Eastern Conference semi-final, the 24 year-old goalkeeper had made scattered appearances for the club, now replacing Aiden Stokes who left for the Under-17 US Men’s National Team to be in the U-17 World Cup. Now, he is thrust into a major role, heading into his third game as a starter which just so happens to be the league’s playoff final.

“I was told the game plan a few weeks before playoffs started,” said Causey about his new role in the club. “Luckily I had some time to prepare for that. Throughout the year I played about five games when Stokes was traveling during the year or different injuries. For me it was always about that mental preparation of just whenever I’m called upon to just be ready.”

Ready was what he needed to be as his first playoff start was against the Chicago Fire 2. In that game he faced a barrage of shots from the offense, with only one noticeable slip-up during the game’s second equalizer. Head coach Michael Bradley brushed it off as something that just happens in big games, showing just how confidence he is in Causey’s ability to lead the club to their second lower division title.

Causey has journeyed around the lower division ranks in recent years. His career started with USL League One’s Richmond Kickers before venturing into the independent side of MLS Next Pro with Lexington SC. He only made one pro appearance with Richmond but stepped in for nine games at Lexington. He joined New York Red Bulls II this season and has quickly seen himself become and important part of the success to the club in the playoffs.

“Any opportunity to play is amazing,” said Causey of his chances in the playoffs. “My goal is, no matter what the situation is, to go out there and play my best.”

Causey is an unlikely player in MLS Next Pro. At the age of 24 many would consider him a player that should already be entering his prime. However, as a goalkeeper and an American player, we’ve seen how age is just a number considering the conditioning of the American player pool. Coupled with the fact that it is a final and the Easton, Massachusetts native knows that it is a serious moment for him to prove himself on a big stage.

“It’s the same as any other situation,” said Causey on the final. “It’s a big game but it’s also another game. The preparation stays the same, the daily routine stays the same. Practicing for everything all stays the same, regardless of the situation. I know, for me personally and everyone else around us, we’re preparing the best we can to go out, play another game and hopefully take that cup home with us.”

Red Bulls II will play Colorado Rapids 2 in the MLS Next Pro final on Saturday at Sports Illustrated Stadium. The last time a final was played in the building was in 2016 when Red Bulls II dispatched Swope Park Rangers. It was a team filled with future stars, including Tyler Adams, Aaron Long, Sean Davis, Kevin O’Toole and Ryan Meara. Now the team hopes to raise another third division trophy and continue to prove that the pipeline of players is stronger than ever for the MLS side.