ONLY IN AMNEWYORK
Dante Vanzeir is still searching for a decent Belgian restaurant around these parts, but thankfully, everything else is falling into place for him.
Now in his second season with the New York Red Bulls, the 25-year-old Belgian striker is enjoying as good a start as any striker in Major League Soccer. Through five matches, he has one goal and six assists — including a franchise-record four during a 3-0 win last month against Inter Miami — which leads the league heading into Saturday’s match at Red Bull Arena against Chicago.
He had three assists in his previous two seasons — one with 11-time Belgian champions, Royal Union Saint-Gilloise before joining the Red Bulls on a four-year, $5.3 million deal.
“Normally from my past experiences, I’m the guy that finishes the actions,” Vanzeir told amNewYork. “I’m the end station. I don’t know, now most of the time, I’m more involved in the actions and the plays we make. It’s part of new tactics [with new head coach Sandro Schwarz]. We see a lot of improvement in the way we’ve played. We’re not just pressing anymore. We’ve evolved and we’re playing more attractive football and that’s a big part of why I’m more involved.
“Last year I had to wait a lot for the action to come to me. Now I’m involved more in the action.”
Last year provided unfulfilled waits for both Vanzeir and the Red Bulls. Signed to be the No. 9 striker that the franchise had been starving for, he did not arrive at his new club until just before the start of the 2023 season.
When he did, knee and hamstring issues inhibited his play. He was then suspended six games for using racist language in an April match against the San Jose Earthquakes— an incident he took full responsibility for while admitting that those remarks were not his intent while speaking his non-native language.
Upon his return, he never put it together, scoring just two goals with an assist in 19 league matches.
“For me, it was more difficult to get to know the guys and get to know the feeling on the pitch with them,” Vanzeir said. “Then with the injuries and suspension, it was very difficult to find a rhythm. For every player, but for sure a striker, to score goals, you need rhythm, you need confidence. It was hard to build trust and a feeling of connection with teammates. That was very difficult.”
It certainly did not help that home was nearly 3,700 miles away — and living on the outskirts of New York City provides unique and different challenges compared to Beringen, Belgium.
“Emotionally, let’s say, I’m a guy that can deal with that, let’s say,” Vanzeir began. “But living in a country where don’t really know or a city you don’t really know, you have to find your habits again and in your spare time you have to fill it up with different things as compared to in Belgium.
“My first year was a big experience in terms of learning and getting a feeling of how life and soccer is combined in the US, especially in New York. A lot of ups and downs last year, but that made me stronger for sure. I have no excuses now this year. I’ve learned everything I need to know.”
A full offseason of work allowed Vanzeir to train and further assimilate into his new home. It also helped that a new head coach in Sandro Schwarz arrived to institute a new possession-driven system that unlocks more opportunities for the Belgian, New York’s returning star Lewis Morgan, who missed most of 2023 with a hip injury, and the club’s marquee offseason signing in Swedish talisman, Emil Forsberg.
“I had a lot of time to work on myself, to be prepared for the start of the season,” Vanzeir said. “That helped me out a lot. We also have some good quality now with Emil and Lewis coming back from injury. For me as a striker, it’s a pleasure to play with those guys around me. At the end of the day, scoring goals and creating chances is our task.”
The trio has helped the Red Bulls get off to a brilliant start in 2024 as they rank No. 1 in the Eastern Conference with 14 points through seven matches. Off the pitch, Vanzeir is meshing his worlds together a bit more with friends and family making the trip out to New York to help ring some Belgium to the States.
But some good restaurant recommendations around the metropolitan area still couldn’t hurt.
