EDITORIAL – Diego Rubio scored his first goal for Colorado Rapids on March 17, against his former team in Sporting KC. He didn’t score another goal until June. Since June 1, a 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati, he has scored 6 goals in 9 appearances.
Diego Rubio: Scoring, Staying Humble and Relentless
In Colorado’s last home game, Rubio scored the game winner to give San Jose Earthquakes their second road loss in nearly three months. On the season, Rubio has 7 goals and 3 assists in 1483 minutes played in league play. Not bad for a budget striker who was mostly a substitute in 2018.
“That’s great for me, for the team. If my goals help the team win, that’s awesome,” Rubio told Last Word on Soccer after a recent home game.
“He’s been huge for us the last couple months. He’s got a good run of goals. He’s confident and he’s working so hard,” Rapids Interim Manager Conor Casey told Last Word.
System Change and Training:
Rubio had a tough start to the season, as did most of his teammates. He was moved all over the field but has settled in the last month as the secondary striker underneath Kei Kamara.
With Casey taking over for the sacked Anthony Hudson, Rubio committed himself in training with the team emphasizing service to the forwards and set pieces.
“Mentality wise, work wise during the week, and desire. You can that he wants it every day. He comes in, works hard. He’s giving the team everything he has, offensively, defensively. It’s great for him to get his rewards,” said Casey.
Staying Humble and Focused:
Through this good run of form, Diego Rubio has stayed hungry and focused on the team.
“I’m happy because we won, but I want to score more goals. I will never [relax] after I score a goal,” he said.
Like many healthy strikers, Rubio’s put the needs of the team first and has been quick to thank and compliment his teammates for putting him in a position to score.
“It’s about the hard work of the team, it’s not just about me. Sometimes the assist is more important than the goal,” referring to Keegan Rosenberry setting him for the game winning goal against San Jose.
With Kei Kamara leading the way up top, Rubio is becoming a quality secondary scoring option. He’s come a long way from warming the bench on Kansas City and not being able to find a goal in May. Diego Rubio should be part of the core of the team for the next Rapids full-time manager.
