HOUSTON – Days before Houston Dynamo FC’s match against the Vancouver Whitecaps, head coach Tab Ramos told the press he wanted to see more from Memo Rodriguez.
“I’m not going to hold back,” Ramos told the media.
“I think Memo needs to do more because he can. I think he can be an elite player in MLS. Those elite players that play in those positions in between lines, they’re the ones that make plays — not just shots on goal, but get assists and all those things. I think Memo is capable of that. So, I’m going to keep pushing him.”
Rodriguez responded Saturday with a goal and an assist to lead La Naranja to a 2-1 win against the Whitecaps. It stands to reason Rodriguez heard his coach loud and clear.
“I think every game is different. For this game, I knew that I had to be aggressive in the attack,” Rodriguez said. “I think I did a great job doing that. Grateful for the help from my teammates who made it easier for me.”
It’s clear to see why Ramos asks more of Rodriguez. Entering Saturday’s match, the one-time Dynamo Academy product led the club in shots taken, second on the team with shots on target and fouls suffered.
Was Saturday’s performance by Rodrigzue what Ramos had in mind? Yes, but the coach saw opportunities where Rodriguez could still improve.
“I still think he has to take care of the ball better in the middle of the field,” Ramos said. “There were a number of situations where he gave the ball away, but we’re working on it. Memo is a hard worker and he’s improving every day.”
Rodriguez has started every match this season — logging 512 minutes — splitting time between midfielder and winger. Rodriguez prefers to play in the middle but has the skills to play out-wide and gladly fills the role when needed. On Saturday, the 5’8 midfielder was stationed out-wide.
“Sometimes I get caught in, you know, I want to keep the ball instead of moving the ball forward and being aggressive,” Rodriguez said. “He [Tab] wants our plays to go forward every time we get the ball and I think it’s our responsibility to keep doing that.
Ramos isn’t the only one on the team to want more from Rodriguez. Tim Parker, in his first year with the Dynamo, has recognized the talent Rodriguez possesses and
“We’re leaning a lot on Memo this year to get things going forward,” Parker said. “Sometimes in order to get him started, you got to lean on him and kind of push them and push them and push them to do those kinds of things. And obviously, we’re seeing a good side of Memo right now.”
The Dynamo (3-2-2, 11 points) would love nothing more than a similar performance from Rodriguez in the next two games as the club hits the road for back-to-back games. First up, Sporting Kansas City on May 29 followed by LAFC on June 19.
Jesus Acevedo Jr. is the Editor-in-Chief of The Bayoucitian. He’s an award-winning bilingual journalist from Houston, TX. A graduate of the University of Houston, he has written for the Houston Chronicle, La Voz de Houston, MLSsoccer.com, and ProSoccerUSA.
Before becoming a journalist, Jesus spent his early 20s drumming his way across Houston with two bands — Shortcomings and InsertNameHere. The memories that Jesus made as a musician were the seeds that started the idea for the comedy, Houmans: The Series.