LI brothers Dylan, Sean Nealis seek MLS championship with Red Bulls

WHIPPANY, N.J. — It was nil-nil in the second half, and then came the 58th minute on the Middletown High turf. Dylan Nealis sailed a free kick into the netting by the left post, and Massapequa held on for a 1-0 win over Fairport.

That was Nov. 17, 2013. The Nealis brothers, Dylan the sophomore forward and Sean the junior midfielder, were state champs in Class AA boys soccer.

“Just a special feeling,” Dylan said, “one you never forget.”

That team made history.

“There was always so much talent in Massapequa soccer and they never got the state championship, and that was our first state championship,” Sean said. “We had such a great crew that year, such a great celebration. Hopefully, we can repeat the success on Saturday.”

Because these brothers, who played just that one season together at Massapequa because Dylan moved on to academy soccer, are teammates again these days. And they’re shooting for a little bigger championship 11 years later.

They’re starting center backs for the Red Bulls, the authors of a surprise postseason run, becoming the lowest-seeded team to ever make the MLS Cup final. This seventh-seeded side will face No. 2 Los Angeles at the Galaxy’s home, Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California on Saturday. 

The brothers can make history together again. The Red Bulls are seeking their first championship in just their second appearance in the title round, the first since 2008.

“It would just be special,” Dylan said Tuesday at the Red Bulls’ training facility. “Another moment for us to share together, another moment for our parents to enjoy.”

Their parents, Mary and Jim Nealis, will indeed be there, just like they were in 2013, just like they are for the games at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

“We’re really happy for them,” said Mary, who will have her two older sons, Jimmy and Connor, along for the ride, too. “… It’s very exciting. It’s really an honor to go to these games. I know that the boys are very happy that we both go.”

Her two youngest sons have combined in a three center back alignment with Andres Reyes, who works between them, to help the Red Bulls post three clean sheets in four postseason games.

“They’ve been amazing,” midfielder Lewis Morgan said. “They’ve been the foundation of what this playoff run has been built on.”

Sean is 27. The 6-4 Hofstra alum came to the Red Bulls as a second-round pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. He became a regular starter two years later. He became the captain for the 2023 season and moved to vice captain this season with the arrival of midfielder Emil Forsberg.

Dylan is 26. The 5-11 Georgetown alum, who was a first-team All-American and won a national championship with the Hoyas, was the third overall pick in the 2020 SuperDraft by Inter Miami CF. He was traded to Nashville SC in April of 2021, then traded to the Red Bulls that December.

Dylan tied for ninth in MLS this season in aerial duels won with 69. Sean led the league in 2022 and ranked second overall from 2021 through 2023.

“In our principles and our style of play, it’s a very important part how they play, especially in our defense behavior,” Red Bulls coach Sandro Schwarz said. “Both of them [are] great guys.”

Schwarz praised their professionalism. Their connection on the pitch is what you might expect.

“Telepathy at one point,” Dylan said.

“And then,” Sean said, “it’s like we can have a go at each other . . .  knowing that we’re [not] going to hurt each other’s feelings because we both want to win.”

They’re also different types of guys.

“Dylan, being the youngest, had to fight for everything,” his mom said. “So he’s a little more on the feisty side. Sean has always been more calmer. He’s like the quiet type.”

But both take similar pride over building a wall on the back line.

“It’s cool to [hear] whether it’s opposing teams, opposing fans say it’s tough to get past the two brothers,” Dylan said.

Now comes his chance to score a championship hat trick of sorts.

“I’ve got high school, college,” Dylan said, “and hopefully I can check the MLS one off the list.”

Two brothers from Massapequa want to be No. 1 when it comes to the country’s highest level of soccer.

“This is an amazing opportunity for us, for the club, for all the guys on the team that worked so hard this year,” Sean said. “And it’s such a cool opportunity for my family, for both Dylan and I to kind of make an everlasting memory here and tell maybe our kids or grandkids one day how special this kind of run was. But we still have work to do on Saturday.”