Inter Miami midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro added to roster for Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game
Rodolfo Pizarro’s memorable week just got even better.
The Inter Miami midfielder, who scored three goals in the past two games, on Monday was called in as a last-minute addition to the Major League Soccer All-Star Game, being held Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
It will be extra special for Pizarro because he is Mexican and the game pits the MLS All-Stars against Mexico’s Liga MX All-Stars at Banc of California Stadium (9:30 p.m., FS1, Univision). He also will participate in Tuesday night’s Skills Challenge (9 p.m., FS1, TUDN).
“It was a big surprise to get the call, I was not expecting it,” Pizarro said by phone from Los Angeles on Monday night. “I am happy to be here and excited to play. It’s going to be cool to be playing against so many friends and former teammates from Liga MX, and also in front of so many Mexican fans who live in the United States.”
He was invited as a replacement because Mexican MLS star forwards Carlos Vela (Los Angeles FC) and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez (Los Angeles Galaxy) are expected to miss the game with injuries.
Pizarro, one of Miami’s three high-priced designated players, struggled through the early months of the season before turning things around the past few weeks. He scored the stoppage-time game-winning goal in a 3-2 victory against the Chicago Fire and scored two goals in a 3-1 win against Toronto FC on Saturday night.
The goal against Chicago was his first of the season and first for club or country since last October. He started the 2021 season with a strong game against the L.A. Galaxy, but then his performances slipped. He was slowed by a nagging hip injury, was left off Mexico’s national team roster for a few games and was benched by Inter Miami coaches in July.
He said in an interview last week and reiterated on Monday that he had lost confidence in himself but regained it in recent weeks.
“I had personal issues I dealt with, the injury… I didn’t have my family nearby, so that affected me,” Pizarro said. “For me, confidence is everything, and I didn’t feel important. I lost belief in myself. But the last three weeks I have been working on that and I am enjoying the game again. I am happy. I know who I am. When you have confidence, things go well. That is true in any profession.”
With his renewed confidence and goals have come his trademark Joker face goal celebrations.
The only time Pizarro was unhappy Saturday was when coach Phil Neville subbed him out for Indiana Vassilev in the 67th minute. Pizarro went straight to the bench without shaking hands with Neville or Vassilev, offering just a nod from a distance.
Following the game, Neville put his arm around Pizarro, and the two had a long conversation at midfield.
Pizarro said he was not ready to leave the game.
“I wanted to keep playing, like any player who wants to keep playing, and I felt I could have scored another goal, I felt good and confident,” he said. “It’s normal. That happens all the time in football. Nobody likes to leave the field, but it’s a team and everyone wants to play, too.”
“He wanted the match ball, he wanted to score goals,” Neville said. “He’s obviously been through an awful lot, and he felt it was a game where he could have gotten more chances. What we said to him is `It’s a team game.’ Indiana probably didn’t deserve to be left out. Blaise Matuidi didn’t deserve to be left out. But it’s a team game, and we’re showing the depth of our squad.”
Neville said he welcomed Pizarro’s “anger to come off” because other times this season Pizarro was disappointed coming off after struggling to make an impact. Now he has “hunger in his eye to want to stay on the pitch and score goals. He has his confidence back. Three goals in two games tells me he’s getting better and better. But we reminded him that it’s a team game.”
Pizarro plans to join his Inter Miami teammates in Orlando on Thursday and be ready for Friday night’s game.
The MLS All-Stars were voted in as follows: 12 players by a combined vote of fans, media members and players; 12 players selected by All-Star coach Bob Bradley; and two players picked by MLS commissioner Don Garber.
This is the first time the MLS All-Stars will play against the Liga MX All-Stars. Among the other players on the MLS roster: Gustavo Bou (New England Revolution), 17-year-old Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes), Nani (Orlando City), Diego Rossi (LAFC), Raul Ruidiaz (Seattle Sounders), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Lucas Zelarayan (Columbus Crew), Emanuel Reynoso (Minnesota United), and goalkeepers Pedro Gallese (Orlando City), Matt Turner (New England), Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union).
This story was originally published August 23, 2021 at 11:48 AM.