Aaron Ray Long

Aaron Long's path to the top of American soccer began away from the professional game entirely — he played college soccer for UC Riverside and turned out for the amateur side FC Tucson before Portland Timbers picked him in the second round of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. From there his rise was rapid. Promoted to the Red Bulls' first team in 2017, he was made captain and by 2018 had been named MLS Defender of the Year, selected to the Best XI and picked for the All-Star game, as the club won the Supporters' Shield.

His form forced his way into the US national team picture, and he became a regular at centre-back, earning 35 caps and scoring three goals, including a brace against Trinidad & Tobago at the 2019 Gold Cup that brought him a place in that tournament's Best XI. He was later named in the USA's squad for the 2022 World Cup.

Not everything went to plan. According to reports, Red Bulls blocked proposed transfers to Europe, including interest from West Ham United in 2019, in disputes over his valuation — a frustration for a player who had made clear his ambition to play abroad. That move never materialised, and Long instead left New York for Los Angeles FC as a free agent in January 2023. In Los Angeles he added a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title in 2024, continuing a career built on steady defensive work rather than a single marquee transfer.