Week one of the MLS season couldn't have gone more perfectly for Red Bull New York. A 2-1 victory and all three points in Michael Bradley's coaching debut with the first team. And the cherry on top? On Monday, it was announced that 17-year-old striker Julian Hall was named MLS Player of the Matchday for week one.

Hall was joined by fellow teenager Adri Mehmeti, who was making his MLS debut, in the MLS Team of the Matchday.

It was a shock on Saturday night when Bradley started three U17 players, Julian Hall, Adri Mehmeti, and Matthew Dos Santos, against Orlando City. It was a bigger shock to see Hall selected over Eric Choupo-Moting, a player who scored 18 league goals last season.

With his newfound confidence from his coach, Hall ran with the opportunity. The Manhattan, New York native scored two goals in the first half, including the game-winning goal in the 40th minute. In just one game, Hall has equaled his goal total from 2025.

With just over a month until his 18th birthday, Hall became the sixth-youngest player to win the award in MLS history, only behind players like Freddy Adu, Cade Cowell, Alphonso Davies, and former Red Bull star Jozy Altidore.

For Julian Hall, this is a massive accomplishment, not only because he scored the two goals, but also because he looked like he belonged on the field.

Last season, it was a struggle for Hall to get minutes on Sandro Schwarz. Hall started just four games in league play and was mainly a late game substition in 2025. All indications point to Hall being an important cog in Michael Bradley's plans in 2026, and that is a huge development for the club.

It's clear that Hall put in major time and effort this offseason at the Red Bull training facility, and it's already starting to pay off for Michael Bradley and the club.

About the Award:

The MLS Player of the Matchday is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while an Instagram fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.