A lot goes down on the pitch in any given match. For In the Moment, we talk to a player about a specific play from last week’s match and let them give an inside view of the play as it developed.
Francisco Calvo closed out the 2018 season with a pair of goals against Columbus Crew SC and it looks like he’s picked up right where he left off. Against the Whitecaps, he pushed forward often in transition, earning a penalty that drew the Loons level, taking two shots and scoring a go-ahead goal in the 66th minute.
Does the addition of experienced defenders like Ozzie Alonso and Ike Opara to the team help you feel secure when you have an opportunity to go forward like that?
Francisco Calvo: Of course I'm going to feel secure because they're good defenders, but in that moment I just pinched the ball and then I won it because [Lass Bangoura] had a bad touch. And then I don't want to stop if I win the ball over there. I'm not gonna stop.
Once you knock the ball ahead to Romario Ibarra, you cross all the way behind him to go up the middle of the field, almost the right side. What are you looking for at that point?
Calvo: I was looking for the goal and I know where to find the space to go and find it and I believe in Darwin always to play me that great ball.
It's fantastic. It's just a perfect ball. I believe always that he's going to play the ball in to me and then — what can I say? — it's a perfect ball.
Most of my years as a professional I scored a little bit more than two goals. Last year, I was upset with myself because I only scored two. Hopefully this year is different, but the main important thing for me is that the team wins the games.
