Maxi Rodriguez Making Rhode Island Weird
"I think sometimes my ability to kind of find spaces and run all over the place and kind of confuse people it's not really a traditional 10.”
Arguably the biggest signing of the offseason in the USL Championship was Rhode Island FC acquiring Maxi Rodriguez. As Rhode Island searches for a championship in its second season, Rodriguez will likely play a major factor in the club’s success.
Rodriguez was essentially retired before he was signed by Detroit City. After being without a club after the 2019 season with the Richmond Kickers, City signed the midfielder in 2021, and has become one of the best players in the USL Championship.
In City’s inaugural season in the USL Championship, Rodriguez led the team in goals (9), passes (1,487), interceptions (56), tackles (104), duels (392) and duels won (228). He was named to the Team of the Week six times throughout the season, including one Player of the Week nod after recording the club’s first hat trick in a professional league match.
Rodriguez led Detroit in goals (10) and assists (9) in 2024, appearing in 34 of the teams’ 35 matches. The midfielder made 31 starts, going the distance in 17 matches to log 2,753 minutes, third-most on the team.
But Rodriguez wanted a new challenge and joining a young club such as RIFC has provided just that.
“For me, in the offseason, it was really important to look at the project and what they were building,” Rodriguez told media members. “Not only that they went to the final, but the team that they have, the stadium that they're building, it's just something special brewing here, and I wanted to be a part of it.”
Having played for Detroit in its infancy, the midfielder understood the challenges that come with playing for a new club. Still, Rodriguez could sense that Rhode Island was talented and could go on a run.
“I think every club and every team is different,” he said. Even playing them at the beginning of last year, I think they were struggling to begin the year, but like a new club, I was a part of that before and it's tough to find your feet. You don't have that time like other clubs do, but as time went on, you could tell that they were gaining momentum. I think just looking at how they ended the season, that was a team that you didn't want to play against. They went on the road and won playoff games and showed why they were such a good team. It's nice to be on the other side and play with some of these guys.”
Rodriguez will be the focal point but he is joining a stacked midfield and overall attack. While Jack Panayotou is back with the New England Revolution, Zachary Herivaux, Clay Holstad, Joe Brito, and Marc Ybarra remain. Additionally, the attack is filled with talented goal scorers such as Noah Fuson, Albert Dikwa, and JJ Williams.
But Rodriguez will bring something different to the midfield, an element of weirdness.
“Obviously, I like to be a player that's kind of different and do different things but I also think with the players that they [Rhode Island] have, and now that they have a year established building relationships, I think other players are going to thrive as well,” the midfielder said. “So hoping I can add in any way. I think my play is kind of weird and out of the box… I think sometimes my ability to kind of find spaces and run all over the place and kind of confuse people it's not really a traditional 10.”
But coming to a new club can be a challenge. Incoming players are looking to learn a system and “fit in” with their new teammates.
That isn’t necessarily constructive to weird play.
Rodriguez made sure to state that he doesn’t want to be a demanding player who wants a team’s playstyle to revolve around his needs. He even admitted that he needs to mold his playstyle to his new team.
Still, head coach Khano Smith is giving Rodriguez the freedom to find his role with Rhode Island.
“It's been nice, it's been fun,” said when asked by The Blazing Musket about working with Smith. “I think he's given me that freedom to find my role as well. I don't have any restrictions in that case but I think as the season goes on, he can guide me a little bit more to be who he needs me to be but I think right now, he's kind of giving me the freedom to find my feet in a new group, because you need to have that time.”
While it is hard to pin an entire team’s success on a single player, Rodriguez very well could be the player that gets Rhode Island over the championship hump. His weird and out-of-the-box style of play makes him hard for opponents to pin down and that could be just what Rhode Island needs to lift a championship trophy in 2025.