Meet Goalkeeper Rafi Diaz: First Dominican To Sign With Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer (MLS) will have a Dominican for the first time. The New York Red Bulls signed goalkeeper Rafael Diaz to an MLS contract.

Diaz is a 25-year-old goalkeeper, native of Rockaway, New Jersey who excelled in NCAA soccer with St. John's University before sticking to professional soccier in 2014 with Orlando City SC, in the third division.

On Tuesday, January 24th, the MLS Soccer Club announced the news where Diaz would earn at least US $65K minimum wage for the season, which runs until October. “Rafi has done well to learn and improve over the last two seasons,” Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch said in a club-issued statement. “He has proven to be a good professional and we look forward to him continuing his development with the club this season.”

The Red Bulls training camp opened in Tucson, Arizona, and will run through Feb. 4 with 27 players. The club, previously known as New York / New Jersey MetroStars, has had in its ranks players like French Thierry Henry and Colombian Juan Pablo Angel.