Israel international Omer Damari (white jersey) was loaned to the New York Red Bulls on August 4, 2016. (Photo: UEFA.com)
HARRISON, New Jersey -- The New York Red Bulls have added two a pair internationals in an effort to reinforce their roster for a run to the Major League Soccer playoffs and the last three group-stage matches of the 2016/17 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.
On Wednesday, New York completed the transfer of Austria’s Daniel Royer from FC Midtjylland of the Danish Superliga.
Royer has spent the bulk of his career in the Austrian Bundesliga, scoring 15 goals and notching 20 assists in 104 appearances with Austria Wien and SV Reid. He won the Austrian Cup with Reid in the 2010-11 season.
"We're pleased to add Daniel to our team," said Red Bulls Sporting Director Ali Curtis. "He's a talented player that is in the prime of his career. His ability to play different positions in the midfield gives us both quality and depth. Daniel is a very intelligent and mature young man, and we look forward to him joining the club."
After moving to Midtjylland last summer, the 26-year-old scored two goals and three assists in 36 appearances across the Superliga, Champions League qualifying, and Europa League.
Royer has played in both the Champions League and Europa League, and has earned six caps.
On Thursday, the Red Bulls added forward Omer Damari on loan from RB Leipzig of the German Bundesliga for the rest of the MLS season.
Damari, who has 20 caps and nine goals for Israel, joined RB Leipzig in January 2014. He spent a half-season with the club before going on loan to Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga, where he scored four goals and four assists in 16 appearances in 2015-16.
“We’re really looking forward to Omer joining the team,” Curtis commented. “We follow a lot of the Red Bull-associated clubs pretty closely, so we’ve gotten to see him play on a number of occasions, and we think he can add a lot of quality to what we’re doing in the final third.
“There was good teamwork and communication in terms of bringing him aboard,” continued Curtis. “Fortunately, at the end of the day, we’re able to add a quality striker, also in the prime of his career, and we think he can help us this year.”
The 27-year-old has won the Austrian league championship, the Austrian Cup, and Israeli Cup.
Before moving to Leipzig, Damari spent the 2014-15 season with Austria Wien, where he was teammates with Royer.
Damari will be the first player in the Red Bull global system to play for Leipzig, Salzburg and New York.
Prior to his time in the Austrian Bundesliga with Wien, Damari played for two Israeli clubs, Maccabi Petah Tikva and Hapoel Tel Aviv. He scored 85 goals in 180 appearances between the two clubs.
