The Breakdown: Roald Mitchell Signs Homegrown Contract
Roald Mitchell is the latest New York Red Bulls' academy product to sign a first-team deal.
The New York Red Bulls have signed Red Bull Academy product and Wake Forest University forward Roald Mitchell to a homegrown contract, the club announced on Saturday.
The contract is reported to run through 2026, with options for 2027 and 2028. The signing marks the 34th homegrown signing in franchise history.
According to Transfermarkt, Mitchell is represented by Damani Ralph of CAA Stellar who also represents Cory Burke, AJ Marcucci, and Sean Nealis.
Mitchell, 21 and a Montclair N.J. native, just finished his Junior year at Wake Forest where he was one of only two Demon Deacons to start all 19 games in 2023. He led Wake Forest in goals (9) and was named to the All-ACC Second-Team.
The ACC is a notoriously difficult conference to compete in, and was home to both teams in the 2023 D1 Men’s Soccer’s tournament final (Clemson and Notre Dame) as well as other ranked teams such as Syracuse, Duke, Wake Forest, and Virginia.
At Wake Forest, Mitchell primarily played true to his number (#9), operating centrally and finding his opportunities in and around the 6-yard box. However, with impressive balance, and standing at 6’2” 170 lbs, Mitchell poses unique questions in the box with his frame as well.
Although there don’t seem to be many headers in the forward’s highlight reel, his height lends itself to reaching difficult tap-ins and accomplishing, at times, acrobatic finishes. And while tap-ins may not sound very exciting, those goals come as a result of Mitchell’s high awareness around the box.
His soccer IQ combined with his dynamism is a dangerous mix for any forward. Additionally, Mitchell’s balance helps him achieve those finishes and keep plays alive in the box, leading to second-forward-type assists as well.
At Wake Forest Mitchell’s greatest growth came with his back to goal. He became a much better target man often dropping deep to receive the ball and distribute it to wingers. Adding this to his game made him a more well-rounded player compared to when he entered school where he was more known for his pace in behind and nose for goal.
The area where it looks like Mitchell could use the most improvement seems to be consistency in his finishing, which is to be expected at this stage in his development.
So where does he fit into the New York Red Bulls roster?
There are currently six forwards in the team: Cory Burke, Cameron Harper, Serge Ngoma, Dante Vanzeir, Elias Manoel, and Julian Hall.
Of these six, very few have been a reliable source of goals. So on first principles, the signing of Roald Mitchell is an attempt to add another goal-scoring variable into the team. He has already accumulated minutes with Red Bulls II (10 appearances, 2 goals, 2 assists) and will likely start there this season. But with strong showings and improvement in the finishing department, Mitchell could win minutes with the first team.
He seems to be well positioned as a second striker if Sandro Schwarz opts to play a two-forward formation. He has also led the line for Wake Forest and he will likely get the chance to prove it with Red Bull II this season.