Cristian Cassares, Jr. scored for the Red Bulls in the lone loss for Orlando City SC this season. (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)
By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor
Venezuela’s loss is the Red Bulls’ gain.
Cristian Casseres, Jr. has returned to the MLS club after his national team was eliminated from Copa America, and the 21-year-old midfielder has brought back some important lessons from the tournament.
“I learned a lot of things because I didn’t play in my normal positions, which are the No. 6 or No. 8 roles,” he told the media Thursday. “I played a little up ahead like a forward, and what I learned is that I could get more into the box and defend a little more on the flanks. It’s something that I learned. As the games passed by, I started to improve. It’s something that stuck with me, and I’m bringing back here to the team. I hope I can keep getting in positions to score more goals.”
That could happen as early as Saturday as Casseres and the Red Bulls visit Orlando City SC at Exploria Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Casseres wouldn’t trade his experience in Brazil for anything in the world.
“Very happy to participate in my first Copa América because at only 21-years-old, very few players are able to say the same,” he said. “It was a beautiful experience. It was a short tournament. We all know that it was very difficult. We gave good performances.”
But not good enough.
Venezuela did not win a match. The team dropped a 3-0 decision to host Brazil June 13 before tying Colombia, 0-0 June 17 and Ecuador, 2-2, June 20. The side was eliminated by Peru via a 1-0 loss June 27.
“At the end we couldn’t make it to the next round, but we took positive things,” Casseres said. “We improved as the games progressed, and even though we didn’t get the results that we wanted, we left satisfied because we improved and with little frustration because we couldn’t qualify.”
But the experience Casseres gained was immeasurable. In every game, Venezuela faced challenges by some of the best players in the world.
“It was a very good experience because a lot of young players hope to play games like those [against Brazil],” he said. They’re games that you live differently against a national team like Brazil. To face players like Gabriel Jesus, Neymar, it’s a very good experience, and the duel I had against him [Gabriel Jesus], I went with everything I had in me.”
While Casseres played in four matches for Venezuela, he hasn’t played for the Red Bulls in more than a month. He most recently competed with them in a 2-1 home win over Orlando City. He scored a goal in that match, the second-place Lions’ (6-1-3, 21 points) lone loss. The Red Bulls (4-5-1, 13) sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, not having won a road match (0-4-1)
“It’s a very complicated opponent, very difficult,” he said. “They’ve always been [a tough opponent], but we’re going there with the same ambition of winning and getting those three visiting points, which is something we’ve yet to do this year. I hope we can get them against Orlando, and I’ll give my all like I’ve always done.”
in his fourth season with the Red Bulls, Casseres is off to his best start, accruing three goals in seven matches and starts over 612 minutes.
In three games and 97 minutes in 2018, he did not get on the scoresheet. He finished with three goals and four assists in 2019 and added two goals and three assists last season.
“It’s something I set up as a main objective since the start of the season,” Casseres said of his production. “I set a certain amount, but I won’t say it. I hope I can accomplish it or even surpass it. I hope I can score this weekend.”
