BRADENTON, Fla. — Darren Mattocks said a good first impression is critical. His reference was toward FC Cincinnati’s debut in Major League Soccer, but Mattocks made an impressive first impression for himself Wednesday night. He scored four minutes into his debut with the club.
Preseason or not, a forward who finds the net is an asset, and in the case of the Jamaican’s goal against Montreal Impact, Mattocks used his speed to bypass the backline and chip the ball over the keeper in the 49th minute. He entered the game in the 46th.
“I’ve got to make a quick first impression, especially with an expansion team,” Mattocks said. “We don’t have much time to get acquainted to the league, so everything has got to be quick and sharp right from the start.”
Mattocks was.
On the goal, he saw center back Forrest Lasso was aiming for him and he immediately started running from midfield toward the goal.
“I think [Lasso’s] only option was to go long,” Mattocks said. “We had the wind blowing in our favor and I thought as soon as the ball was in the air, this is going to be a goal for the most part, at least a breakaway on goal to get a pretty good job reading it and putting it in the back of the net.”
The chip equalized the match and was the final goal. It also showed FC Cincinnati’s attacking potential, even if the creative chance came quickly through a lob.
“Any striker will tell you anywhere in the world, it doesn’t matter if it’s a [penalty], it’s a tap in, it’s a header, left foot, right foot, it doesn’t matter, you know? A goal is a goal for a striker. Especially this early in preseason, it’s pretty good, so hopefully this keeps going.”
Mattocks was drafted by FC Cincinnati to score goals. Four minutes into the first preseason match is an ideal start.
Last season, he scored 10 goals for D.C. United in 25 appearances. For his career, he has 34 MLS goals in 161 games. His productivity was a key reason why Cincinnati selected him with the first pick in the 2018 MLS Expansion Draft.
“At any time of the season, I don’t care how we score,” Head Coach Alan Koch said. “You take a goal however it is. If it’s a long ball and Darren is using his speed and his finishing ability to score, it’s just as important as if it took 25 passes to score.”
