FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Through the first 10 games of the 2017 season, Diego Fagundez put in all of the work with little of the reward. He was consistently creating chances for teammates – racking up four assists and drawing a penalty – and he was finding himself in promising positions, but a goal of his own was always tantalizingly just out of reach.
Not anymore.
Fagundez, who broke through for his first goal of the campaign in last weekend’s 4-0 win over Real Salt Lake, was on the board twice more on Sunday afternoon, scoring both goals in the New England Revolution’s 2-1 win over Columbus Crew SC.
“When you’re playing well, you want to get those rewards,” Fagundez said. “I think before I scored the first one, I was getting chances, I just wasn’t getting the goal. I was fine with it, because when you’re helping out the team and getting assists, that’s totally important. But it’s always nice to get a reward and score goals.”
It took just 10 minutes for Fagundez and the Revs to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead on Sunday, as the dynamic winger swept home at the back post to complete a flowing move in the 24th minute, and then burst down the left side to cap off an individual effort in the 34th minute.
Fagundez’s brace against Columbus was just the second multi-goal game his career, but it marked the seventh time that the confident 22-year-old has scored in at least two consecutive games.
“It’s one of those crazy things; I don’t know why, but the first one’s always the hardest for me,” said Fagundez. “But once the first one comes, my confidence boosts and that second and third will come.”
Head coach Jay Heaps has been thrilled with the consistency Fagundez has provided, and he’s seen no difference in the youngster’s performances from games 1-10 and games 11 and 12, despite the goals pouring out the past two weekends.
“He’s obviously scoring, but I don’t think he’s done anything differently,” Heaps said. “He’s a creator, and he can be a goal scorer. He’s confident to finish his chances now.”
Moving forward, as the Revs return to the road for a two-game trip to face both New York opponents in a five-day stretch, Heaps will be hoping Fagundez continues to stay the course.
“I just have to keep playing the same way I’ve been playing; nothing changes,” Fagundez said. “I just have to help out the team as much as possible, and when I get those chances, I need to finish them.”
