Going pro after four years of UC Riverside college ball was always going to be hard — just how hard, Aaron Long didn’t know. The U.S. center back worked construction for two USL offseasons to make end’s meet in his first years as a pro. “I would do anything to extend my professional career,” said Long.
His last USL season was in 2016 for New York Red Bulls II, when he was named USL Defender of the Year. He won a starting position for the first team in the following 2017 MLS season. In 2018, he was named MLS Defender of the Year and received his first national team call-up, a wild change of fortune for someone who never participated in a national team youth camp.
