If you were able to watch or be in attendance for the Loons’ 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City, then you definitely saw Joseph Rosales…because the man was everywhere on the pitch. The Honduran international was a problem for the opposition throughout Saturday evening, and after putting in a massive, end-to-end performance for MNUFC, Rosales has been honored with a spot in the starting XI for this week’s MLS Team of the Matchday.
We’re not sure if Rosales was wearing any kind of device that tracks your daily steps, but if so, his final steps for the day must have been off the charts. While he technically occupied the defensive wingback spot in the Loons’ starting XI, Rosales was able to showcase just how much his versatility matters to this club as he would demonstrate incredible poise when possessing the ball in the midfield and on the attack. With 34 completed passes and 89.5% accuracy average, Rosales would be a big reason the boys were able to ramp up their attack throughout the first half.
He also was a big reason the Loons were able to find the net before the game clock could even hit 2 minutes. Rosales would not only make play to earn the Loons an early corner kick, but his well-placed kick would find Robin Lod, who would redirect the corner to Boxy on the back post to put the boys on the board before the pregame smoke had even cleared the field. But, in terms of the overall performance, Rosales shined with the flexibility of his role on Saturday night, as a defender, playmaker, and attacking threat. It was the definition of a complete performance from a player that continues to develop into a big part of the new-look Loons’ success on the pitch, and in the Western Conference standings.
Congrats, Joseph! Keep doing your thing, you Loons!
MLS Team of the Matchday for Matchday 12:
F: Jáder Obrian (ATX), Christian Benteke (DC), Lionel Messi (MIA)
M: Santiago Rodríguez (NYC), Timothy Tillman (LAFC), Luciano Acosta (CIN), Federico Bernardeschi (TOR)
D: Alex Katranis (RSL), Sebastien Ibeagha (DAL), Joseph Rosales (MIN)
GK: Chris Brady (CHI)
Coach: Josh Wolff (ATX)
Bench: Jonathan Sirois (MTL), Kevin Long (TOR), Sergio Busquets (MIA), Keaton Parks (NYC), Jack Skahan (SJ), Denis Bouanga (LAFC), Corey Baird (CIN), Brian White (VAN), Petar Musa (DAL)
