Bronx native living his dream on the N.Y. Red Bulls
BY JASON COHEN
Soccer was not only an outlet for
Omir Fernandez to stay safe in the
South Bronx, the sport also ran in his
blood.
That passion led him to the professional
ranks where today, the
22-year-old Mott Haven native is a
member of the New York Red Bulls of
Major League Soccer (MLS). Fernandez
made his professional debut in
2019, and on March 12 of that year, he
scored his first professional goal in a
4-2 defeat to Mexican side Santos Laguna.
On May 25, 2019, he netted his
first MLS goal in a 2-0 victory over FC
Cincinnati.
The youngster has come a long way
from playing soccer at a park on 114th
Street in Harlem.
“When I started playing soccer
with my friends, I wanted to be a professional
soccer player,” he told the
Bronx Times.
At age 6 his family moved from
Harlem to Mott Haven. Fernandez
said it was somewhat similar to Harlem,
but there was always loud music
at, the area was dangerous and there
was always a lot of people in the street
at night.
According to Fernandez, what kept
him on the right path was his busy
schedule, his family and the pitch.
While his dad Omir never had the
chance to play professionally, he and
his wife, Maria, passed the love of the
game onto their son.
“Everything that I do and what
I am is because of them,” he said.
“They’re the reason I am the player I
am.”
Fernandez began playing soccer
at 4-years-old when he joined a small
league that played at Jefferson Park
in Harlem. Then, from age 6 on, he
played travel soccer and it soon became
his life.
He was a small kid, who was fast
and just wanted to score goals. Fernandez
BRONX TIMES R 26 EPORTER, JAN. 7-13, 2022 BTR
attended Columbia Secondary
High School in Morningside Heights
in Manhattan where his sole focus
was soccer.
At age 13, he joined the New York
Red Bulls Academy in New Jersey and
trained with them five days as weeks
for five years. Going to New Jersey to
train was not easy, but the juice was
worth the squeeze, he said.
Many people that were members
of the Academy team are now on the
club today.
“Since I was 13, I’ve been learning
how to play the Red Bull way,” he
said.
Fernandez didn’t know much
about colleges, but schools heavily recruited
him. He was the No. 26 recruit
for the class of 2017 nationwide, and
the No. 2 ranked player in New Jersey.
He ultimately chose to play for
Wake Forest. In his sophomore season,
he became a starter, playing in
21 games and scoring 12 goals with
six assists. While at Wake Forest, he
began to sense he had a good shot at
making it professionally. During that
time, Fernandez also played for the
New York Red Bulls U-23 team.
On Jan. 26, 2019, Fernandez signed
his first professional contract with
New York Red Bulls. At the age of just
20, Fernandez’s lifelong dream had
come true.
“I’ve always wanted to play for
the Red Bulls,” he said. “When I saw
the opportunity, my parents knew we
couldn’t pass it up.”
While he is humble and takes nothing
for granted, some days he still
can’t believe he plays for the Red
Bulls.
“It’s way better than whatever I
dreamt it would be,” Fernandez said.
“It’s amazing to play for the New York
Red Bulls. They’re the team I grew up
watching. To think, really, me this
kid from the Bronx. I can never forget
where I came from.”
New York Red Bulls’ Omir Fernandez dribbles the ball against NYCFC.
Photo courtesy NY Red Bulls
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