You knew that Ronald Matarrita was good. He’s made MLS Teams of the Week before. But there’s something about this 2017 version of the Costa Rica international fullback that’s particularly compelling: the man is just aggressive, and relentlessly so.
While the defensive side of his game needs to keep improving, the explosive attacking verve packed into that 5’9” frame is downright fearsome. It’s amazing that the world hasn’t imploded on itself given that Mata shares the left half of the field with the rugged, ruthless Rodney Wallace. It’s like when the Knicks had Mason and Oak at the same time.