HANOVER, N.J. — Dante Vanzeir knows his challenge with the New York Red Bulls is heightened, given the investment his new club made in him.
At $5 million, Vanzeir is the second-largest purchase in the club’s history. His move from Belgian club Royal Union Saint-Gilloise to New York also helped silenced criticism that Red Bull was not investing enough in its MLS outfit.
Since Bradley Wright-Phillips left New York following the 2019 season, the Red Bulls have lacked a true threat in front of goal. Patryk Klimala, bought for over $4 million from Celtic, was supposed to be that threat, but he was jettisoned to Hapoel Be’er Sheva this offseason following two lackluster years in MLS.
Vanzeir, at 24 and with one cap for Belgium on his resume, certainly comes with some big expectations. His MLS debut off the bench two weeks ago was greeted with a standing ovation from the fans at Red Bull Arena.
In the last two seasons in Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League, Vanzeir has been among the best forwards in the competition. Across 39 league matches, he tallied 23 goals and 12 assists.
Despite having suitors in Europe, Vanzeir felt a move to MLS was perfect for his career. The striker even believes it could be the spark that leads him to the World Cup in three years.
“Everything fit well,” Vanzeir told Pro Soccer Wire of his move to New York. “I will never make a decision based on money or the name of the team — all these things.
“I will make my decision based on where I think I can improve and where my qualities and my playing style fit. I think [the] New York Red Bulls had it all. And also, in general, MLS was a competition that’s still growing a lot. I also like the type of play … I like a lot of open play and where we try to win and attack.
“And I think in Europe, especially with relegation rules, you have a lot of teams that are not willing to lose instead of [trying to] win. So, I think that was a huge difference with European competition and the challenge that I want to take. I think I can even grow as a person besides the soccer and even as a player in this country and in this club and league.”
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Since 2015, the Red Bulls have eschewed the idea of star players and splashy transfers, opting for a yeoman-like approach where the team concept supersedes the importance of big names. But Vanzeir has been brought into the New York squad not just to press and counter-press, but to elevate the team offensively.
“I think expectations are always there. If it’s not from other people, it’s from myself but I don’t see it as pressure. I see it as a compliment because I did well [with] other teams so they expect me to do it now here in this team. It’s not really pressure, I think it’s a healthy thing to keep growing,” Vanzeir said.
In the fall of 2021, Vanzeir made his international debut with Belgium in a World Cup qualifier against Wales. Conventional wisdom would hold that staying in the Belgian league or making a move in Europe could open the door for more national team call-ups.
Vanzeir, however, is forging his own path. With the World Cup coming to North America in three years, a move to the U.S. had even more appeal.
“I think the most logical path in Europe is go to a bigger team in Europe and try to impress the [national team] coach and everything like this. But yeah, I wanted to do it a little bit different way and I think even with the World Cup that’s coming to the United States, I can have maybe an advantage,” Vanzeir said.
“I would know already some things here and maybe it will help me. I hope the coach of Belgium will also see that the level in MLS is not that low like 10 years ago.
“And even a stupid example, Argentina, the guy that plays in MLS and Atlanta (Thiago Almada) … he won the World Cup and he was involved in the squad, so I think that the point is that the level is for sure good in MLS.”
