FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – With four goals over the last three games, New England Revolution midfielder Diego Fagundez has an excellent opportunity to continue his hot streak on the road on Saturday against a porous Montreal Impact side that has allowed 22 goals through 11 games (7 pm ET, MLS Live in US, TSN/RDS in Canada) .
Fagundez went scoreless over New England’s first nine games this season, but has since found space against opposing defenses while his teammates have heated up simultaneously. The result has been an opening of ample opportunities for the youngster.
“It takes pressure off you,” he told MLSsoccer.com on Friday. “When you play other teams you know they’re not just going to mark you, they’re going to have to mark all five of us. At the end of the day we still need to show that we can play and that we’re a good attacking team.”
Added head coach Jay Heaps: “We’re a team that’s built to be balanced. I think Diego takes good advantage of his matchups. When teams are worried about other players, Diego can get a little bit more space, a little bit more freedom.”
Having the likes of Patrick Mullins, Teal Bunbury and Lee Nguyen working alongside in the attack has allowed Fagundez to not only find his scoring touch, but also show off his playmaking and improving defensive skills.
Over the last five games, the 19-year-old Fagundez has added a team-high three assists to his register while getting off 16 shots in the process.
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“I’m just trying to get a streak going where I get better and better [each game],” said Fagundez. “The goals definitely help. Even before, when I was still not getting them, I think I was putting all the effort I could to help the team.”
For the third straight Saturday, New England will match up against a club that had played the Wednesday prior. Given Montreal’s current run of luck lately, the accumulated fatigue could mean more opportunities for Fagundez and company to continue their momentum.
“We’re just trying to go out there and get points,” said Fagundez. “We’re going to go up there, do everything we can to play and keep going the way we are.”
