Miles Robinson entered the 2023 free company interval as the highest participant available on the market and after making the swap to defending Supporters’ Defend winners FC Cincinnati, the veteran defender is already paying large dividends for them.
Robinson delivered the profitable objective on Saturday in FC Cincy’s 2-1 street victory over the Chicago Hearth, giving Pat Noonan’s squad their first three factors of the marketing campaign. After a lackluster goal-less draw with Toronto FC on opening weekend, FC Cincy rebounded in an enormous solution to declare a rivalry win at Soldier Discipline.
Aaron Boupendza and Xherdan Shaqiri traded objectives within the first half, however FC Cincinnati discovered a manner within the second half to seize a lead for good. Robinson’s right-footed end off of an in-swinging Luciano Acosta nook kick boosted the guests in entrance and made the 26-year-old a hero for the night.
“He’s a high participant,” Noonan stated postmatch to media about Robinson. “You might see it in actually how he defends. I assumed in area in a few harmful moments and after they performed direct he was on the mark with a few of these defensive moments in a single v one isolation, I assumed the popularity of how he was getting stress, releasing off the road to have the ability to problem among the balls with attackers coming below, you already know, in entrance of the backline, I assumed he did a extremely good job in these moments.
“Good footwork, preserving performs in entrance of them on the proper time,” he added. “After which clearly, he’s an asset on set items. He’s, you already know, already gotten on the top of within the first 4 video games, you already know, three or 4, which might have been objectives. So we’ll attempt to proceed to search out methods to free him up so he can discover objectives in that manner. However yeah, he had, you already know, one of many high performances of the day for me.”
Robinson entered final offseason with European and MLS curiosity after a profitable seven-year keep at Atlanta United. A former first spherical decide in 2017, Robinson lifted three trophies in Atlanta, together with MLS Cup in 2018 throughout Tata Martino’s reign as head coach.
His development in Atlanta United boosted him into the U.S. males’s nationwide staff plans, the place up to now he’s earned 28 caps and lifted two CONCACAF trophies (Gold Cup, Nations League). Now Robinson has an important alternative to be a key contributor for FC Cincinnati, who has already superior within the CONCACAF Champions Cup and can be among the many favorites in MLS and Leagues Cup later this yr.
With 4 factors earned out of their opening six obtainable, FC Cincinnati are happy with the beginning of the brand new marketing campaign.
“It’s vital to win video games early on, I say it on a regular basis, and also you don’t need too many video games to go by the place you’re looking out, you already know, and chasing that first win,” Noonan stated.
“So I believe that’s simply vital for the boldness of the group,” he added. “You recognize, happening the street, we have been a robust street staff final yr, and we talked about what received us to that time to have the ability to win video games and at instances, you already know, battle, however have the suitable mentality throughout these stretches, and I believe tonight was a extremely sturdy street efficiency and hopefully one thing that may propel us transferring ahead when it comes to simply progress from the primary two league video games, in addition to combining these Champions Cup video games.”