HOUSTON – When Raul Rodriguez was signed this offseason, the idea was for him to be Houston Dynamo’s stalwart at center back. So, when he was deployed at right back on Sunday, it was a different feel for him and the club, but it came with good results.
With Houston looking for a new mix along the backline after giving up nine goals in their previous three matches, Rodriguez was moved to the flank, taking the place of longtime starter Kofi Sarkodie. Veteran David Horst slid into the Spaniard's spot in the middle.
Save for a nervy final 15 minutes, the shift worked. Houston’s defense frustrated a talented Toronto FC side in a 2-1 win and Rodriguez’s patience and poise stood out in an unfamiliar location.
“I’ve played, I don’t know, maybe five or six games in my life at right defender so I’m not used to it,” Rodriguez said. “There are different moments, different situations, but most of it is close to my usual position. It’s just you have more responsibility in an offensive sense but defending is very similar. I say a lot of times I am a lucky guy because I have the confidence of the staff and the coach. I want to play, I don’t care the place. And if it’s in right back, I’m feeling comfortable.”
Not only did Rodriguez feel at home in the new role, he also garnered positive reviews from outside observers, earning a spot on
MLSsoccer.com’s Team of the Week
.
The move also confirms another option for head coach Owen Coyle in fixing a defense that has conceded a Western Conference-worst 14 goals through 11 games. However, the Dynamo boss was clear it was a chance, in part, to give Sarkodie a rest after
Houston's narrow midweek loss to the San Jose Earthquakes
.
“When all was said and done we knew we performed really well against San Jose, a game we should’ve won. We felt we had to make changes just to freshen up,” Coyle said. “Kofi’s done terrific for a lot of games but we felt he needed a little break and Raul stepped in and we all know his qualities. That’s why you have a squad and a roster so you can change things and freshen up when you need to.”
Additionally, the move allowed Rodriguez to show off a new skill set after playing almost entirely as a central defender and occasionally dabbling as a holding midfielder during his time in Spain.
His strong and savvy play in the defensive half was no different than normal; after all, those fundamentals stay the same. Working the attacking side of the ball with
Boniek Garcia
ahead of him provided a new challenge, however.
“That’s the thing for me that is less usual,” Rodriguez said about getting into the attack. “Boniek, especially on this side, he makes crosses and goes and finds the one-on-ones. Maybe he doesn’t need me a lot, but at the same time I have to take that responsibility and make it easy for the team.
“These last games I think the thing we’re looking for is to be solid defensively. The first step was to feel comfortable stopping them and to feel like we’re a real solid team and be comfortable defending. Next, the second step is to help Boni in an offensive way.”
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A strong passer of the ball, Rodriguez has the skill set to make the move permanent and, while it’s not his normal spot, he's certainly open to making right back a home moving forward.
“Yes, why not,” Rodriguez said of making the move long-term. “It’s not my position. The only thing I can do is to be ready, be fit and to try to be in the best mood I can. That’s the choice the coach has to make so yes, why not? So if you put things together and I have to play right back and the team’s comfortable with me there, to me it’s no problem.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
