CARSON, Calif. — Homecomings don't come much happier than the one Mario Rodriguez experienced this week.
It started with a surprise at the airport and concluded with a superb goal (see above) to punctuate a fine performance in the US Under-23 national team's victory Wednesday night over Mexico.
Rodriguez netted the opener at the start of the second half, nearly scored a couple more, and repeatedly stretched the Mexicans' defense with runs up the left flank as the Yanks romped to a 3-0 triumph at StubHub Center. He limped off with about 20 minutes to go, a precautionary move after he aggravated an existing hip-flexor ailment, but that could not sour a memorable evening in front of friends and family.
“It's an awesome feeling,” said the 20-year-old Rodriguez, who grew up in nearby North Hollywood but has been in Germany with Borussia Mönchengladbach since he was 18. “Just because I'm playing at home, and my family gets to see me play. They can't really go to Germany all the time, but it's a blessing to come here and play for the national team.”
The US struggled to find their game in the first half, then changed tactics, dropping back to tighten space between the lines, then using attacking pace to counterattack effectively. They soon prospered through Rodriguez, fellow forward Jordan Morris and playmaking midfielder Luis Gil. US coach Andreas Herzog likes what he sees from his front-line duo.
“I have a bunch of very good strikers, but these two guys are the starters, and they fit very well together,” Herzog said of Rodriguez and Morris. “They're very strong, very fast, score a lot of goals, and I thought today they showed again that they have a great future in the US, hopefully not only in my Olympic team, but even with the men's national team.”
Rodriguez says he and Morris “just click; that's it.”
“It's like a yin and a yang,” he added. “We've known each other two or three camps [with the U-23s], but I feel like I've known him for my whole life.”
Rodriguez scored in the 48th minute, deftly finishing from the middle of the box after Gil dropped a cross from the left flank into his path. Herzog was impressed by much more than just the goal.
“You can see Mario Rodriguez is a very strong, powerful forward who's able to shield the ball, to connect, [and] is very dangerous in the box, too,” the former Austria national team star said. “He had a lot of very, very good situations today, and if he plays like this, he has a great future.”
Rodriguez says he's matured greatly at Mönchengladbach and that he “really likes” how the Germans develop players.
“I'm getting a lot of minutes in [with the club's fourth-tier reserve team], which is good,” he said. “I'm just trying to get that one big step, which is going to the first team and practicing a lot more with the first team.”
The long trek to Southern California made for a nice break, starting with his arrival at Los Angeles International Airport. Nobody from U.S. Soccer was on hand to pick him up, and next thing he knew, there were his parents.
“They were just there out of nowhere,” said Rodriguez, whose family — his parents, brother and sister, plus some children the family cares for — was on hand at StubHub Center Wednesday. “It was a big surprise. I was really happy to see them.”
