FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Diego Fagundez has always run a little hot and cold.
Five years into a still-blossoming professional career, Fagundez – like most young players – occasionally hits stretches in which he’s not operating at peak form. The same can be said of most attacking players.
But when Fagundez finds his form, he really finds it.
With two goals and one assist in his last two games, Fagundez is in the midst of one of his patented hot streaks; it’s the fifth time the 20-year-old has strung together goals in at least two consecutive games.
This past weekend Fagundez put together one of his best performances in a New England Revolution jersey, playing a key part in all three goals as the Revs rolled to a comprehensive victory over Orlando.
“The way we’re clicking is what we want to see,” said Fagundez, who connected with Lee Nguyen throughout the win over Orlando. “We want to see one-twos and moving off the ball.”
Fagundez’s attacking contributions were littered throughout the highlight reel, but for head coach Jay Heaps, everything stems from the work the winger is putting in on the defensive side of the ball.
The correlation, Heaps says, is simple; the more Fagundez is involved defensively, the more touches he gets on the ball. The more touches he gets on the ball, the more opportunities he has to be dangerous.
“The stuff going forward, he’s always going to do,” Heaps said of the talented attacker. “We’ve asked him to sacrifice himself to work defensively, and he’s done that.
“You see that his touch count goes up … I think he’s realizing that when he puts the work in, his overall game improves.”
One of the Revolution’s most “veteran” players in terms of tenure, it’s easy to forget that Fagundez is indeed still a youngster improving every day. But the lessons don’t come without work. So long as Fagundez is willing to put in that work, Heaps says, the sky’s the limit on his potential.
“I love that from Diego – that he’s bought in all the way,” Heaps said. “You can see the difference from last year to this year – the growth – and that’s what you like with a kid that’s 20 years old. He can adapt his game and get even better.”
