Q&A with MLS draft pick Christian Barreiro

It’s been an exciting few weeks for Penn senior Christian Barreiro, who first got invited to the Major League Soccer Combine (for the best college prospects in the country) and then got drafted by the New York Red Bulls in Tuesday’s supplemental draft. Even more exciting was the fact that Penn teammate Thomas Brandt was taken the same day by the Philadelphia Union. It was the first time in MLS history that two Penn players were selected in the same year.

Barreiro still has his work cut out to make the Red Bulls’ final roster when the season opens in March. But the playmaking midfielder, who had 20 goals and 18 assists in his Penn career, has already withdrawn from his classes and says he’s fully invested to make it in America’s top-tier soccer league. Recently, I got the chance to talk to Barreiro about his big opportunity.

When did you first hear that the Red Bulls might be a possibility and was your reaction when you found out the news?

Well, I was actually in class. I was in finance. I was tracking the draft on my computer and actually my agent called me first before I saw my name pop up on the draft tracker. And he was like, ‘Hey, congratulations.’ I didn’t really know what happened and he said I got drafted by Red Bull. Then I went back to class and refreshed it and it was there.

When do you go out there to start training camp?

I head up to New York this Sunday and I think I’m gonna have physicals the next day and things like that. And then I’ll start training Monday or Tuesday.

You’re a pretty big Union fan, right? Do you have to stop being a Union fan now that you’re on the Red Bulls?

Naturally, I live in Philadelphia. The Union are always on because they’re the local team, so I watch a lot of them. I also watch a lot of the Red Bulls and I have the utmost respect for the organization and the players as a whole. I’m a fan of the entire MLS. I have an allegiance to the Red Bulls now because that’s who I got drafted by and I have to respect that.

Are there some guys on the Red Bulls that you really admire?

Oh, absolutely. The first guy that comes to mind is Thierry Henry. I’ve been watching him since I’m very young and he’s doing great things now. Dane Richards is impressive. [Rafael] Marquez is impressive. There are a lot of impressive players there that I’ll be able to train with.

What does it mean for both you and your Penn teammate Thomas Brandt to get drafted on the same day by MLS teams?

It’s huge for us. It’s been a dream of ours for so long. And to hear both of our names called, it’s just great. I was really happy for Tom. I was in class and he got drafted before I did so I sent him a text saying, ‘Congrats, I’m so proud of you.’ And then I got called a couple of minutes later. It was great.

When did you first think being a professional soccer player was possible?

It’s been a dream of mine for so long. I came into college wanting to be a professional soccer. Players like Danny Cepero and Matt Haefner, they were from Penn and went into MLS. It’s not like the Ivy League produces the most amount of MLS players but I wanted to be one of those players to come out of the Ivy League and represent it well. I thought my junior year I maybe had a real shot of it. I continued to train hard over the summer with Reading [United A.C.] and I was able to excel this year.

What will you try to do in training camp to make sure you stick with the Red Bulls?

I just have to rely on my fundamentals. I’m a creative playmaker that can also play winger. I can be a striker. I just have to be dynamic. I have to show I’m willing to do whatever it takes for the Red Bulls, to show how fully dedicated and committed I am. I’m just gonna run my heart out.

As an undersized guy, do you think it will be an uphill climb to really establish yourself at the next level?

I mean, there are always plenty of players that are smaller around the world who are able to adapt. You just have to be one step ahead. You need to use your strengths well. My game is not the win every head ball. My game is keep it on the ground, play to feet and move off the ball and be tricky

What was the MLS Combine like, being around all the best college players in the country?

It was a great experience. To come together over a couple of days and just meet with some of kids from some of the elite soccer programs in the nation – it was great to be at such a high level and deal with everything.

And do you feel like you performed well at the combine?

I feel like I improved over the course of the days. Everybody showed up and the first game was pretty hectic. We hadn’t played together ever and there wasn’t really a flow to the game. But as the days proceeded, we meshed with each other. Unfortunately my team didn’t get the best results but I can tell you in the third game we left it all on the line.

Did you get a chance to talk to certain coaches from certain organizations when you were out there? Did you have an idea which teams were most interested in you?

I talked to a couple of coaches. I didn’t talk to the Red Bulls up there but obviously they had me in mind. I’m just really excited given the opportunity by the Red Bulls and I’m ready to make the most of it and represent Penn soccer to the fullest.

What do you think you would have done if you didn’t get drafted?

I still would have tried to pursue other soccer opportunities, whether in the USL-Pro of maybe in another country. But it was a big what if. Now that I have the opportunity with the Red Bulls, I’m just fully invested in that opportunity and hoping I can make the most of it.

How much do you credit the Penn soccer program for getting you to this point?

I credit it so much. [Head coach] Rudy Fuller, [assistant coach] Rob Irvine, my fellow teammates – they have been so supportive of me on and off the field. I couldn’t ask for more.