HARRISON, N.J. – The Red Bulls will open preseason for the 2021 MLS season Monday, March 8, with training at the Red Bulls Training Facility in East Hanover, N.J.

Preseason will include a trip to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. as well as training in New Jersey prior to the start of the regular season April 17.

Many Red Bulls players are participating in workouts at the facility this week, after completing a voluntary early quarantine and testing phase in-line with Major League Soccer protocols.

Following two weeks of training at the facility, the team will travel by charter flight to IMG Academy in Bradenton March 20. The squad will train and play matches at the Academy through April 3.

In accordance with MLS protocols, all players are required to quarantine and conduct individual training prior to the start of preseason March 8. Similar to the 2020 MLS season, COVID-19 testing protocols will play an important role in preseason and the MLS regular season. All players, technical staff and essential club staff will continue to be tested every other day, including the day before each match day. Clubs also will take chartered flights for preseason trips and all road trips until further notice.

The Red Bulls will open their preseason schedule games with an exhibition match at the training facility March 19 and will have four matches in Florida. They will face Nashville SC, Miami FC (USL Championship), and have a split-squad day with matches against Inter Miami CF and the Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL), at IMG Academy.

After returning home, New York will host a closed-door match at Red Bull Arena April 10 prior to the start of the MLS season. Additional opponents will be confirmed as other teams announce their preseason plans. Additional match details will be released closer to the matches.

Preseason schedule

March 19 – RBTF – Opponent TBA
March 24 – IMG Academy – Nashville SC
March 27 – IMG Academy – Miami FC
April 3 – IMG Academy – Inter Miami CF/Tampa Bay
April 10 – Red Bull Arena – Opponent TBA

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.