Minnesota United came up short on Wednesday in D.C., but Head Coach Adrian Heath was encouraged by the play of his new-look central midfield pair and especially the team’s latest signing, midfielder Fernando Bob.
With a new-look backline in the wake of suspensions to defenders Michael Boxall and Francisco Calvo, Heath opted to start a pair of defensive-minded No. 6s — Fernando Bob and Maximiano — in midfield to add another layer of protection for the team’s defense. For Fernando Bob, it not only marked his MNUFC debut, but also his first game action since November 2017 with Ponte Preta in Brazil’s Serie A.
“I thought Fernando Bob was fantastic considering he has not played for a long while,” Heath said. “I thought our two central midfielders were very good and, on the whole, we defended very well.”
In 77 minutes before being subbed for Ibson — a move Heath made to try to try to spark his trailing side late — Fernando Bob showed the ability to connect long passes over the top once he settled in and started seeing more of the ball as well as an instinct for sniffing out and shutting down an opponent’s attack before it has the chance to get going.
He paired well with his countryman, Maximiano, in that regard. The start was Maximiano’s first since May 9 and first appearance since a 24-minute spell as a substitute on July 22 and both he and Fernando Bob seemed to have done enough in their run out against D.C. United to earn more minutes going forward.
“They were terrific considering the pair of them have not played 90 minutes for a very long time,” Heath said. “They got through it really well. I thought Fernando and Maxi were really good.”
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: FLOOD GATES OPEN FOR ANGELO?
Forward Angelo Rodriguez’s goal in D.C. no doubt got a monkey off of the Colombian Designated Player’s back. It was his first in five appearances since joining the club and there is a feeling that now that he has broken the seal, the floodgates are ready to burst open.
“I was a bit discouraged for not having scored, but I knew a goal was coming,” Rodriguez said. “But it does not matter if your team does not get the three points.”
Heath, a prolific striker himself in his playing days, noted after the DCU game that goals tend to come in bunches for forwards. He hopes Rodriguez’s breakthrough tally erases his frustration and gives him the confidence he needs to continue to find the score sheet.
Part of achieving that is MNUFC getting more players forward into the attack so that Rodriguez can take advantage of his standout hold-up play and physical presence to create more in dangerous areas and set himself up for opportunities.
“I think we have been doing that the past four games — we’ve been trying to do it,” Rodriguez said. “But sometimes you have to defend a lot. Other times we only attack with one or two players, but we will try to correct that. There are still games to be played and we’re going to keep fighting.”
