ASN: All-Star Keegan Rosenberry Retains It Easy, Efficient

A shock choice with the No. 3 choose on this yr’s MLS draft, Philadelphia’s Keegan Rosenberry has performed each minute this season and can characterize the Union within the MLS All-Star recreation.

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
July 11, 2016
9:30 PM

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SINCE ITS INAUGURAL SEASON in 2010, the Philadelphia Union has certified for Main League Soccer’s postseason precisely as soon as—in 2011. In a league the place the vast majority of groups make the playoffs, that is simply not ok, which prompted the staff to rent Earnie Stewart to be its Sporting Director final October.

Stewart confronted a key take a look at instantly: The Union held the second, third, and sixth total picks within the 2016 draft. Pundits anticipated the previous AZ Alkmaar sporting director to take Georgetown’s Josh Yaro with the second choose however his choice of proper again Keegan Rosenberry with the third choose, additionally from Georgetown, raised a couple of eyebrows.

The traditional knowledge was that the Union would take Stanford College’s Brandon Vincent in that spot, since Vincent performed the coveted left again place, was the captain of the NCAA champion, and had simply earned a call-up to the complete U.S. nationwide staff.

“I was at the draft and when Rosenberry came up third, I think everyone was taken aback,” Georgetown head coach Brian Wiese mentioned. “You weren’t expecting it. You thought maybe the top 10 or first round, but for him to go third…good for the Philadelphia Union to know what they wanted and not listening to what the conventional [talk] was saying. It’s great to see them stick to their thoughts and good for them to see it pay off so far.”

Rosenberry, 22, was a recognized amount across the Union after rising up close by Lancaster and enjoying for the Union’s academy through the summers. His relationship with head coach Jim Curtin dated again to his first Union follow when he was 16.

The Union had needed to signal him to a homegrown deal however was denied by league guidelines. The staff’s inside data of Rosenberry, nevertheless, led to the Union score him a lot larger than most different groups. Nonetheless, to be drafted third took Rosenberry unexpectedly.

Six months faraway from the draft, the Union have confirmed to be proper. Rosenberry has been a starter since opening day and has performed each single minute this season. In being named an All-Star starter, Rosenberry grew to become the primary rookie to be on condition that honor since 2013 and solely the second since 2005. He has carried out so properly that he must be the highest contender to win the Rookie of the 12 months.

“For me it was just continuing to try to do the things that I did well at the college level and I felt were strong parts of my game—a simple playing style and not trying to do too much,” Rosenberry instructed American Soccer Now. “Then I used to be making an attempt to give attention to the defensive duties first. Whether or not it was too conservative of an strategy—perhaps. However on the similar time I believe it was finest for me beginning my first couple of video games proper off the bat.” 

The Union are definitely proud of Rosenberry’s progress. Many had figured that the rebuilding of the staff might take years and that making the playoffs can be an uphill wrestle. The Union, nevertheless, have made a run into the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup and are at present in second place within the Jap Convention.

As a part of a revamped backline, Rosenberry’s 1v1 defending has halted harmful assaults from a number of the league’s finest attackers, together with Giovani Dos Santos, Robbie Keane, and Didier Drogba  (as seen beneath and initially assembled on MLS Soccer’s web site).

“What we like to see in our right and left backs are players that are low to the ground, that can turn on a dime, and that have speed,” Stewart mentioned of Rosenberry. “He possess all these qualities. He can solely get higher with expertise and with enjoying video games. That is one thing that we needed to create with the Union. We wish to be referred to as a membership that offers these sort of abilities and these sort of rookies an opportunity to show themselves. Quite a lot of instances you see that these gamers are higher than folks assume.

“He’s a very mature player for a rookie,” Stewart continued. “He additionally is aware of what he is perhaps not so good at and what he must work on. He has an incredible work ethic and is a level-headed man. These issues are very engaging in buying such a participant. After scouting at Georgetown and seeing him on the mix and truly chatting with him, we had a necessity in that place and we thought he can be a improbable match for us in the way in which we needed to play.”

In June, Rosenberry loved one other thrilling second. On the day after the US nationwide staff defeated Paraguay on the Copa America in Philadelphia, the U.S. staff held a coaching session for gamers who didn’t characteristic in that recreation. Needing numbers, Rosenberry was requested to take part and performed alongside the likes of Steve Birnbaum and Matt Besler.

So far, he has not had any vital expertise internationally. His solely style got here final yr when he was called-up to a U-23 camp that had a goal of figuring out school gamers. Ultimately he was left off the U.S. U-23 staff.

Like the subject of the Rookie of the 12 months, Rosenberry admits the thought of worldwide play has crossed his thoughts

“It’s something that has always been at the back of my mind but until that’s achieved, I try not to think much about it,” he said. As for the Rookie of the Year award, “it’s impossible to completely not think about but it gives you confidence to hear your name tossed about.”

Final yr Georgetown had six gamers from its staff flip skilled. Like every other coach, Wiese is bullish on his gamers however Rosenberry is a real standout for this system. He famous that the 1v1 defending the place Rosenberry is now excelling wasn’t all the time his sturdy go well with. It was one thing he needed to deliver to his recreation shortly to adapt as knowledgeable. It’s that sudden progress that Wiese believes can take his former participant to a really excessive stage.

“He got a real eye-opener in his first game against FC Dallas going against some of these amazing wingers,” Wiese mentioned. “They gave him a tough time. For somebody not as mentally robust as Keegan, it might have shattered their confidence. Whereas Keegan checked out it and mentioned, ‘I’ve bought to unravel that.’ You then see him evolve to deal with that. I believe it is wonderful how shortly he is gotten himself to be an excellent 1v1 defender in a league the place you’ve got bought a number of superb wingers.

“He’s just a great soccer player,” Wiese added. “He’s an incredible athlete but he’s as technical as a player as I’ve been around. His range of passes—these are passes, these aren’t just lucky balls that people are running on to. He can do a lot of different things. I can see him becoming more and more dangerous in the attacking third. I think his upside is huge and he hasn’t even scratched the surface yet with how good he could be. I think he’s as good a candidate long-term for right back for our national team as anybody out there.”

Rosenberry is concentrated on the brief time period and making an attempt to get the Union into the playoffs and right into a place the place it may well make a run. He’s conscious that with youth and stable play, there’ll all the time be hype which has led to the downfall of many younger American gamers. However after being on monitor for 3,000 minutes in his first yr and having discovered some onerous classes alongside the way in which, he’s assured that the expansion will proceed.

“For any young player, having a head on your shoulders and being able to handle both praise and criticism is something that comes with experience,” Rosenberry mentioned. “That’s why you maybe see younger players struggle with that a lot. For me, it’s just the same approach and not try to focus on it. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”