Two North Jersey teens will be joining Major League Soccer teams before they’ve even graduated from high school.
Goalkeeper Tobias Szewczyk signed a one-year MLS Next Pro contract with the Red Bulls today. The 15-year-old will move up to the first team as a Homegrown in 2026, with a deal that runs through 2029.
New York City FC midfielder Jacob Arroyave, 17, is a step ahead, signing a first-team Homegrown deal last week. It runs through 2027, with an option for 2028.
Arroyave grew up in Passaic playing for Cedar Stars Bergen. He joined NYCFC II in MLS Next Pro in 2023, scoring two goals in 12 matches last season. He had an assist in NYCFC II’s victory against FC Motown in a U.S. Open Cup first-round match.
Szewczyk on familiar path to Red Bulls
Szewczyk, a Morristown resident who came up in the Red Bulls Academy, is following a similar path to goalkeeper Aidan Stokes from Totowa, who also signed with Red Bulls II when he was 15.
The Jersey duo were both part of the Red Bulls’ 2023 U-15 MLS Next Cup title.
‘It’s surreal:’Totowa teen goalkeeper already a pro with Red Bulls
“We are happy to have Toby join the team,” Red Bulls II coach Ibrahim Sekagya said in a statement. “He is a talented young goalkeeper who has excelled at the academy level.”
Szewczyk has made four appearances with the U.S. U-15 national team, earning his first shutout, 2-0, against Croatia on May 15. He is training with Poland’s U-16 national team in Turkey this week.
Arroyave to NYCFC
Arroyave is recovering from an ACL injury, but is expected to return in a few months. He is among the 34 players on NYCFC’s preseason traveling roster, alongside goalkeeper Tomas Romero from Cherry Hill. NYCFC opens preseason against Real Salt Lake on Jan. 24.
“It’s an amazing feeling to sign my first professional contract with New York City,” Arroyave said in a press release. “The club built a very good environment that I could grow in, and it translates into training with the first team.”
