Long Island’s Pele won’t be playing at Red Bull Arena next season.
Glen Cove native and club folk hero Mike Grella was among ten cut by the Red Bulls on Monday, as the team shed some interesting names along with much dead weight before next season.
Grella had an injury-plagued season with the Red Bulls in 2017, featuring in just eight matches before he was ruled out with a left knee injury in June. Prior to the injury, Grella was one of the Red Bulls’ most surprising — and productive — players on its roster after he signed as a trialist in 2015. The 30-year-old scored at least seven goals between 2015-2016 before the injury derailed him this past season.
Joining Grella are a duo of contributors from the past season, Designated Player Gonzalo Veron and veteran defender Damien Perrinelle. Perrinelle spent four seasons with the Red Bulls before his contract expired at the end of 2017.
The Red Bulls also cut ties with defenders Sal Zizzo and Gideon Baah, along with midfielders Dilly Duka, Dan Metzger, Arun Basuljevic, Vince Bezecourt and Zeiko Lewis, the club’s first-round selection in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft.
Sporting Director Denis Hamlett said the club is in discussions to bring Veron and Bezecourt back next season.
“We know how much we ask of our players, and these guys have given a lot to the club during their time here,” Hamlett said in a statement. “We thank them for their service and wish them the best moving forward.”
The team announced that it has exercised options on Sacha Kljestan, Connor Lade, Aaron Long, Danny Royer, Sean Davis, Derrick Etienne Jr. and Evan Louro. They also completed the transfer for defender Michael Amir Murillo, who spent the past season on loan from Panamanian side San Francisco FC.