Over the past month, New York Red Bulls midfielder Felipe has done a lot on the field for the Red Bulls, scoring goals and stepping up his play in the center of the field. Now he’s taken on a new task, that most sacred duty that is the sixth estate. Felipe was a reporter covering the team, at least for a few moments.
While the media gathered around defender Ronald Zubar, who scored a goal on Sunday in an emphatic 4-1 win over rival New York City F.C., Felipe stood off to the side. When offered a voice recorder to join in on the media scrum, Felipe flashed a grin and instantly took the recorder. He waited patiently then asked Zubar, who had a tremendous game defensively, about scoring the game’s second goal. The French centerback, always quick with a joke, fired back that the particular question being asked was already posed earlier in the media scrum. “I want it from the player’s standpoint,” Felipe said without so much as a blink.
Zubar, with the cameras rolling, gave in to his teammate.
“It was great, man it was a great feeling. You know the feeling to score goals,” Zubar said.
Then Zubar said that he was disappointed to not get a standard goal celebration with Felipe. Very often when a Red Bull scores, Felipe will kneel down and pretend to polish the cleat of the goal scorer. It is a beloved tradition among the locker room. Zubar’s goal came on a corner kick, a head that was perfectly placed beyond NYCFC’s Josh Saunders.
“I couldn’t shine your head so I’m going to shine it now,” Felipe said, proceeding to towel off the towering Zubar
Red Bulls’ Felipe jumps in as reporter, interviews teammate Ronald Zubar
