JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A little less than a month after the New York Red Bulls showed support prior to their game with the LA Galaxy for Red Bulls II defender Konrad Plewa after the center back suffered a stroke, the 24-year-old provided a happy end to the story on Sunday as he made a return to action in NYRBII’s 2-0 victory against Bethlehem Steel FC.

Plewa, who suffered a stroke on July 30 after the team returned home from a game against the Richmond Kickers, entered in the 68th minute as a substitute for Kevin O’Toole. At Everbank Field on Monday afternoon, Red Bulls midfielder Sacha Kljestan – on international duty with the United States – said he was happy to hear about Plewa’s return to action.

“It’s amazing, because he’s part of our family,” said Kljestan. “We’re a tight-knit group from the USL team all the way up to the first team, and Konrad trains with the first team quite often, so he’s been around the guys for the last two years now, and he’s also a Seton Hall boy so we have that connection.”

Plewa has been a regular in first-team training since a year ago, having signed with the club after completing his college career with the Pirates. The support shown in t-shirts that read “two teams, one voice” on the front with Plewa’s name and number on the back illustrated the strong bond that has developed between the teams since the Red Bulls II kicked off last season.