Following his first match with his new club, Maikel van der Werff told reporters he believes FC Cincinnati have a lot of qualities.
What he didn’t say – and didn’t need to say – is one of those qualities is him.
The Dutchman made his debut Saturday night and did exactly what the Orange and Blue want: he defended well, he bullied forwards and he improved the overall level of the backline. That he did all this a week after his visa cleared and weeks after his last match in May speaks to his quality and ability.
Even in a tough loss that, in truth, should’ve seen Cincinnati earn at least a point, van der Werff knew he had to be realistic and say he was pleased with his MLS introduction.
“(I have) double feelings,” he said. “I’m happy I made my first minutes and my debut in MLS, but I thought we deserved more, especially in the second half; for sure a draw and a goal. So, this is the feeling that is with me most today.
In his MLS debut, van der Werff finished completed 50 passes with 54% accuracy. Considering he only took 57 touches, almost all of them were one-touched to teammates to free them into space.
He also won 67% of his duels (80% aerial duels) and gained possession six times, in addition to a team-high five clearances.
“(I’m) very happy for Maikel,” Interim Head Coach Yoann Damet said after the match. “The score doesn’t reflect the performance of him as a center back. He showed us his leadership and his experience and that’s what we expect from him. Very, very good on the ball, too. He needs to get fitter and be ready to go again.
It’s worth remembering this is only his debut. Even Damet said the center back needs to get fitter to become a sharper player. If that means an even more improved van der Werff than FC Cincinnati had Saturday night, that should be a very, very encouraging site moving forward.
