New York Red Bulls train for first time on Red Bull Arena

The new Red Bull Arena was used for the first time by the New York Red Bulls on Tuesday.

The 25,000-capacity stadium is set to be officially unveiled at the end of the month with an exhibition match against Brazilian club Santos but the players got a first-hand look at their new surroundings and it did not disappoint.

“It was awesome,” defender Andrew Boyens said. “We’ve been looking forward to this moment for a long time and the boys walked out there and you get chills. You look up and know this is our home. It was nice to get out there, get a feel of the field and take it all in.”

Defender Kevin Goldthwaite added: “It’s finally tangible, and that’s fantastic for the guys. Just being able to go to the locker room, see the training room and to use the facilities is great for us. Coming off the season we had last year, it kind of gives us added motivation.”

Skipper Juan Pablo Angel was over the moon about it and was excited to begin playing on the new surface.

“Oh my God, I was probably the biggest critic of Giants Stadium since my time here and rightly so,” said Angel.

“It’s going to change the perspective of the game because there’s nothing you can compare it within this country,” he added. “Hopefully we as a team can put performances on the field that will match this beautiful venue because at the end of the day we’re going to get judged on results.”