Completed Event: Men's Soccer at #14 Akron on November 30, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 2
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Final
Men's Soccer
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at #14 Akron
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Grella Finds Life in Soccer Again with Red Bulls
6/18/2015 9:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By Paula Ward
As the poorly directed pass rolled into no man's land in the Columbus Crew's defensive third, New York Red Bulls newcomer Mike Grella jumped onto the errant pass and chipped the home squad's goalkeeper without breaking stride like he'd done it a million times. Life on the soccer field, however, wasn't always so simple for the former Duke star.
A self-proclaimed “Italian-American Footballer” who hails from Glen Cove, NY., Grella was a talented striker for the Blue Devils from 2005-08. After four seasons at Duke, he graduated ranked seventh all-time in goals and eighth in overall points. He was also named the ACC Player of the Year and was a first team All-American. “I loved being at Duke.” said Grella. “At one point we were ranked No. 1 in the NCAA.”
With these impressive accolades Mike was selected 34th overall for the MLS SuperDraft by Toronto F.C. However, Grella had different plans for his future. He wanted to pursue his dream of playing professionally in Europe. In February 2009, after signing a full-time contract for well-known Leeds United, Grella was on his way to living out his childhood dream.
Crossing an ocean to pursue your dreams is an opportunity available to few and can be a daunting challenge. Leaving family, friends and life's everyday comforts can be terrifying and requires a strong frame of mind. Transitioning from the collegiate soccer landscape to the professional ranks had its difficulties for Grella. He found out it was “ultra competitive” and athletes must “understand their role.” Playing soccer soon became working for a livelihood and not just playing the sport he loved.
Grella spent the next two years with Leeds and while under contract was on loan to both Carlisle United and Swindon Town. Overall, he scored nine goals during his time with all three teams. His contributions were impactful, but while in Europe, Grella struggled to stay with one team. In 2011, he left Leeds to play for Brentford, as well as Bury of League One. Though he was only with them for a short time, Grella scored an impressive four goals with each team.
While in Europe, Grella was able to mix business with pleasure. Playing soccer allowed him to travel throughout Europe. His favorite place just so happened to be his parents' birthplace, Italy. “Italy was amazing. The food. The culture. The wine. The beer!”
But not everything was enjoyable. Despite performing well, Grella wasn't able find stability on the soccer field. In 2012, he signed a two-year deal with Scunthorpe United. After a mutual consent release at the end of the 2012-13 season, Grella and the team parted ways.
In total, Grella spent nearly six years playing in England. There came a time when change was necessary again. He briefly signed a contract with Vigorb F.F. of Denmark, but at the conclusion of the 2013-14 season, with the help of his wife and family, he felt he had no choice but to end his career overseas. “I missed seeing my family. My parents and my brother.” Surprisingly, it was the little things like Taco Bell and Wendy's that Grella also missed. The things that make home, home.
Having made the decision to play soccer abroad, it would only be natural to question that choice after having a less than ideal stint in Europe. All of the sacrifices he'd made to play soccer in a different country left him without a team and uncertain about his future.
Grella didn't have all the answers, but he knew that whatever he did next would require perseverance. “I'd bought a house and my wife was pregnant,” Grella said. He still had offers to continue playing in Europe, but none he felt were right for him. In order to continue working, he considered real estate, finance and even insurance. Grella had to keep going and embrace his new life back home, even if that meant wondering whether the sport he loved could still be a priority in his life.
On March 31, 2014 Grella tweeted, “It's in the difficult situations you find out what you're made of. Training, working hard and being patient for the right thing.”
Grella may have considered other career paths but soccer seemed to find its way back to him. The following month he signed a contract with the Carolina RailHawks of the North American Soccer League, whose home field was in the backyard of his collegiate stomping grounds in Durham. In May, he helped lead to the team to victory by scoring the opening goal in a match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
And that was just the beginning. In February 2015, after a very successful trial period, Mike returned to his home state and signed a contract with the New York Red Bulls. Success came quickly for Grella, earning a start in his first career game with the Red Bulls and following that with a goal in his second game – the game winner and the 1000th in club history.
Grella's soccer career has come full circle. Even when his future seemed unsure, he stayed true to his hard-working roots and never gave up. Whether he was playing for fun as a kid or competing as a pro athlete, he has always shown purpose to keep his dreams alive.
“Soccer is the only thing I'd be happy doing.”
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