When Inter Miami superstar Gonzalo Higuaín attempted to bait him into a fight during the course of an argument over a contentious offside call on Saturday night, New York Red Bulls center back Sean Nealis couldn’t help but laugh at the theatrics. It was an increasingly-common moment of maturity for the Long Island-raised center back who has become the centerpiece of a defense that has managed to stay dominant despite constant personnel change.
Despite well-documented struggles over the summer, the New York Red Bulls still have a positive goal differential thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Carlos Coronel and a backline that has remained solid no matter who is thrown in the mix.