Marshall-Rutty Sees Red Bull as “Huge Honor”

New Red Bull defender Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty isn’t taking his chance at a club of this stature lightly. The 21 year-old has already gotten his first taste of New York pressure as the club won their first game in Orlando 2-1. It was a late rally that had the club sweating but thanks to Marshall-Rutty’s effort, the three points were won.

“It’s a huge honor to play for this club,” said Marshall-Rutty when asked about his short time with the team. “I was familiar with a few of the boys as well, playing in the league for such a while, but also playing with the coach and some of our assistants, and playing against the players. It’s been good. It’s a good mix of young guys and older guys who are top, top players.”

While only 21, Marshall-Rutty has already amassed an impressive resume. Over 120 total MLS appearances, making his debut at the age of 17, a similar situation for many of the players currently on the squad. Now, years later, he presents as a veteran despite having many more years to grow.

This weekend presents a new challenge as Marshall-Rutty will more than likely step into the starting XI again, this time against New England Revolution in Red Bull’s home opener.

“I think we’ll be able to sustain it for longer periods of time,” said Marshall-Rutty when asked about the pressure exerted against Orlando. “Maybe that’s why you see it in the second half at times, we didn’t show what we did in the first half, but still I think there are a bunch of positives in the second half. We closed the game out and we took three points, which was the most important thing.”

The defensive turnover has been major for New York. The departure of major names along with the arrival of new faces, gives Marshall-Rutty a unique experience under head coach Michael Bradley. In some ways he is coming into a fresh start as they hope to create a new identity. In others it is a classic franchise, still trying to find their way to glory 30 years later.