James Rodriguez remains a question mark after arriving at Minnesota United. The Colombian player appears to be of no value to Cameron Knowles and the club’s media environment is beginning to question the Colombian’s role in the team. He has played just one minute in the last two games.
Meanwhile, Minnesota United won the game without the Colombian player, who left to seek time to get fit for the World Cup against Colombia. So far he has not achieved that goal.
“It’s a shame he doesn’t play more.”
The MNUFC News account shared some harsh reflections on James Rodriguez’s current time with the MLS team. “Let’s be realistic about James Rodriguez. We don’t need him in this team. I’ve always felt that way. Chanqueray and Pereira have stepped up a lot. Knowles will have his critics, but I think he’s handling things well. This move feels more like a PR stunt for the club, and it’s working,” he said.
“It’s a bit of a shame that James doesn’t play more. Of course, that’s what we fans want, but it’s not that surprising. I think he can help the team in certain games, depending on the situation. We just have to moderate our expectations for him,” he warns.
“He wasn’t really going to come on when the team was clinging to a 1-0 lead on the road like last night. Knowles also showed a lot of guts. He’s got a world star sitting there and you keep him on the bench. You have to respect him. He just wants to win with the right players on the pitch,” he said.
“I would like to add to this thread that James has done a good job of remaining professional so far. You would expect a player like him to be more upset when he hasn’t played much. I don’t know exactly how he actually feels, but I haven’t really seen any signs of that,” he warns.
Reason for James Rodriguez’s absence
In a conversation with Gol Caracol, STP Pioneer Press journalist Andy Grader analyzed why James Rodríguez played such few minutes for Minnesota United: “James’ situation was complicated from the beginning: the time it took to obtain a visa, the need to get fit, and health issues after the international break. He played for Colombia from an early stage, but the hospitalization was a setback.”
“Minnesota United has won four games in a row, so there was no need for James to play in attack. They have a tight schedule, so if he did play it would be against Los Angeles on Saturday or against San Jose on Tuesday. The Loons have two attacking midfielders who are currently working very well, Argentinians Joaquín Pereira and Tomas Chankaray. Their relationship with striker Kelvin Yeboah has led to James’ absence,” he said.
