Seattle Sounders midfielder Víctor Rodríguez made what felt like a long-awaited return on Thursday night in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals of the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Rodríguez missed the final match of the regular season and the first leg of the semifinals in Vancouver last Sunday with a right lateral quad strain, a frustrating setback for a midseason signing who had hit the ground running on the left wing. He had scored two goals in his previous two matches before getting hurt — he missed the Philadelphia game in between to be home in Barcelona for the birth of his daughter — and helped make the attacking midfield trio of him, Clint Dempsey and Nicolás Lodeiro one of the best in MLS.
Rodríguez entered as a substitute in the 67th minute on Thursday, and the CenturyLink Field crowd let him know how excited they were to have him back.
“I would like to remember the feeling I had when I went onto the field and the ovation that the fans gave me,” Rodríguez said. “I still have goosebumps.”
He did not disappoint either. He completed all 26 of his passes, including 24 in the Whitecaps’ half, and assisted on Dempsey’s second goal of the evening that all but booked Seattle’s ticket to the Western Conference Championship for the second consecutive year.
“He brings composure on the ball,” Dempsey said of Rodríguez. “He can run at players. He can beat players one-on-one and create a mismatch. He has good vision to find people making runs. When he comes on, he brings a spark for us. When he’s healthy and on the field and we have a full team, we’re a fun team to watch.”
Added Lodeiro: “He’s a great player. We need him, so when he came in, he helped a lot because we had the ball all game after he came in."
Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer told Rodríguez to keep possession because he entered with Seattle ahead 1-0, but Schmetzer also wanted to ensure that the Sounders kept the pressure in the Whitecaps’ half and away from their own end. Rodríguez & Co. did just that, limiting any semblance of a Vancouver attack and delivering the death knell just before full time.
“It’s definitely frustrating to not be able to play when you’re not available and unable to support your teammates on the field,” Rodríguez said. “But of course I am very happy to play some minutes and achieve the ultimate goal, which is to move on to the next round.
“I’m very happy for us and our fans, thank you for your support. I’m very happy to go to the conference finals.”
