Red Bull New York have announced the trade of former team captain Sean Nealis to rivals DC United. The move sees the defender leave the club for $350,000 in General Allocation Money.
Nealis made 187 appearances for the club, ranking second for a defender in the club’s history. His time with New York started in 2019 when he was drafted out of the MLS SuperDraft, making his way through the ranks of New York Red Bulls II before stepping into a major role on the first team.
“Sean handled himself with class every day and represented the club the right way,” said Head of Sport Julian de Guzman. “We are grateful for his time here and wish him all the best going forward.”
Nealis will not be the first tenured defender to leave Red Bull for their rivals. Mike Petke played with the Metrostars until 2002 before joining United for three seasons between 2003 to 2005. He would later go on to coach the team in 2013 and 2014.
During his time, Nealis played under three different coaches, captaining the club in 2023 and playing a major role in the club going to MLS Cup in 2024. He etched his name into history against the LA Galaxy, becoming the second player in club history to score a goal in the final.
photo by Matt Kremkau