USL Feature

Thursday, September 3, 2015

New York Red Bulls II forward Stefano Bonomo comes from a line of top-level athletes in his family. Bonomo’s father Paolo, as well as his grandfather who he had never met, were former professional skiers.

Paolo represented Italy’s national ski team, so between his skiing days and devoted interest in his son’s line of work – coaching for a portion of his youth days – Bonomo says he has had the type of tutelage that many others do not have the privilege of receiving.

“He’ll share all types of stories with me, if I need a motivational talk where he thinks I can push myself in a certain area,” Bonomo said. “He’s talked about when he was skiing back in the day and how he lived his life. I can’t thank him enough for how he’s pushed me and has given me a competitive edge.”

The Red Bulls II are now enjoying the fruits of Bonomo’s competitiveness and play. The 22-year-old forward has played in New York’s past six games, with the team posting a 3-1-2 record during that stretch.

NYRB II’s strong run of form dates back to a few games before Bonomo signed on July 29, but Bonomo has been a welcome factor for the club as it pushed its way to third place in the USL’s Eastern Conference.

“It’s been a smooth transition getting up to speed here and getting my fitness up,” Bonomo said. “From a locker room standpoint, everyone is nice, down to earth and really everything you expect from a professional team.”

Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls selected Bonomo in the second round of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, but there was a level of uncertainty with the pick. Before the draft and MLS Combine, and after his senior season at Cal, Bonomo said that he and his agent were on the lookout to head to Europe. So for half a year, Bonomo competed in trials spanning England, Poland and Italy.

“I squeezed in the Combine [in my schedule], went to Europe and stayed there for roughly six months, trying out with different teams,” Bonomo said. “I was probably traveling for two months, and unfortunately I picked up two injuries that didn’t help. I tested my luck out there, so when nothing came through, I came back home.”

Fortunately for both the Red Bulls organization and Bonomo, the two sides maintained contact throughout this process, specifically with NYRB head coach Jesse Marsch.

“We kept in touch three or four times when I was out in Europe and my agent spoke with the club and kept on eye on its progress,” Bonomo said. “Jesse is a great guy. He really had high hopes on me being here right away, and coming back here has been a great decision.”

Bonomo’s first interaction with Marsch dates back to 2011, during a U.S. U-18 Men’s National Team camp. Marsch was first impressed with Bonomo’s intangibles then, and four years later, the Red Bulls coach selected him in the MLS SuperDraft.

“I was hoping he remembered who I was because the U-18 camp was so long ago,” Bonomo said. “At my interview at the Combine, he remembered me right away from the camp, and it went really well. Jesse was one of my favorite coaches because of his positivity. That was my first time with a national team, so I was nervous. But he gave me confidence and positive feedback, and that really helped.”

Bonomo is now showcasing his versatile skillset with NYRB II, logging two goals, an assist and three starts in 345 minutes of play. The 6-foot-2 striker has a mix of crafty play and target qualities that can make defending him difficult.

“I’m a forward who likes to have the ball at my feet a lot and connect with players,” Bonomo said. “I’ve always liked taking advantage of any opportunities I get in front of the goal.”

As a team, the Red Bulls II head into Week 25 with an 11-8-6 record and 39 points, good for third in the conference. Over the past eight games, NYRB II is 5-1-2, and the club is hoping that run of form can be maintained heading into the final three regular-season games.

NYRB II prepares for a difficult match Saturday against second-place Louisville City FC at Red Bull Arena. Louisville is coming off a playoff-clinching 4-0 victory against the Harrisburg City Islanders. New York will then be on the road for its final two games against FC Montreal (Sept. 9) and the East-leading Rochester Rhinos (Sept. 19).

“We need to be taking every game as though we are in the playoffs,” Bonomo said. “We have three games left and we need to play everyone one of them as if they are playoff games. If we do that, we’ll get our three points each time and carry that momentum into the playoffs.”