CARY, N.C. (June 18, 2018) – On a humid Friday afternoon, practice is more or less finished.
One by one, North Carolina FC players exit the training ground at WakeMed Soccer Park, sweaty and ready for a reprieve from the June heat.
But for Daniel Rios, there is more work to be done. The 6-foot-1 striker remains on the field with his fellow forwards and sets up shop just outside the 18-yard box with a pile of balls.
It’s time to practice free kicks, an exercise that can offer a glimpse of how much quality a player truly possesses.
“He’s a good finisher,” says NCFC head coach Colin Clarke about Rios, his team’s leading goal scorer. “If he gets a chance, he’ll take it nine times out of 10.”
Providing validation to his coach’s scouting report, the loanee from Liga MX’s Chivas Guadalajara lets loose on a powerful free kick that evades the yellow plastic mannequins mimicking a wall of defenders before curling past the goalkeeper and into the right corner of the net, maintaining its pace in the process.
Consider this effort to be one of the nine times out of the 10.
Fourteen matches into the season, Rios has been NCFC’s most prolific finisher in front of goal. His eight league goals are a team-best, also good for the most in the USL’s Eastern Conference. Based on the pedigree of the club he arrived from, NCFC figured it was getting a good player in the Aguascalientes, Mexico, native when the team secured his services for the 2018 season from Chivas Guadalajara.
CARY, N.C. (June 18, 2018) – On a humid Friday afternoon, practice is more or less finished.
One by one, North Carolina FC players exit the training ground at WakeMed Soccer Park, sweaty and ready for a reprieve from the June heat.
But for Daniel Rios, there is more work to be done. The 6-foot-1 striker remains on the field with his fellow forwards and sets up shop just outside the 18-yard box with a pile of balls.
It’s time to practice free kicks, an exercise that can offer a glimpse of how much quality a player truly possesses.
“He’s a good finisher,” says NCFC head coach Colin Clarke about Rios, his team’s leading goal scorer. “If he gets a chance, he’ll take it nine times out of 10.”
Providing validation to his coach’s scouting report, the loanee from Liga MX’s Chivas Guadalajara lets loose on a powerful free kick that evades the yellow plastic mannequins mimicking a wall of defenders before curling past the goalkeeper and into the right corner of the net, maintaining its pace in the process.
Consider this effort to be one of the nine times out of the 10.
Fourteen matches into the season, Rios has been NCFC’s most prolific finisher in front of goal. His eight league goals are a team-best, also good for the most in the USL’s Eastern Conference. Based on the pedigree of the club he arrived from, NCFC figured it was getting a good player in the Aguascalientes, Mexico, native when the team secured his services for the 2018 season from Chivas Guadalajara.
But through the first three months of the campaign, Rios has proven his quality, even if he previously was a bit of an unknown quantity to the NCFC staff.
“He was unknown to us. We took a chance on someone we knew would be quality because of where he comes from and where he was playing,” Clarke said. “But we weren’t 100 percent sure in everything we got, but he’s come in and been a pleasant surprise. Great kid – lively, good personality, fits in well, and he’s a good soccer player.”
To the benefit of Rios, the loan spell has made for a symbiotic relationship between club and player. In Cary, Rios has enhanced NCFC’s on-field performance, and he’s steadily developing into the player Chivas wants him to become.
***
Trying to find any semblance of home, Rios has yet to come across Mexican food in the Triangle truly authentic enough for his stamp of approval.
“I’ve found two [restaurants], but I don’t think it’s real Mexican,” he explained. “They’re still good, but I’m still searching for the best.”
Call it the only real disappointment so far in his first professional season away from Mexico, one he thinks will be transformative and meaningful for his career.
Rios, 23, is no stranger to going out on loan. He’s made a handful of appearances for Chivas in the Copa MX – his professional debut came in the competition on Feb. 24, 2015, two days shy of his 20th birthday – but the bulk of his career has been spent playing for clubs in Mexico’s second division, Ascenso MX. From 2016-17, with Cora de Tepic and Atletico Zacatepec, Rios proved to be an effective attacking option, scoring 17 goals in 38 matches.
But coming to NCFC and playing in the U.S. made for a different challenge altogether.
“It’s my first time outside of my country,” Rios said.
What does that entail? (Other than the ongoing search for the type of food he can get back home.) For starters, Rios has been forced to adjust to a new league, one that provides a set of unique challenges compared to the type of soccer played in Mexico. In contrast to the Mexican leagues, Rios explained, there is a greater emphasis in the USL on physical play and more running back and forth.
Naturally, he’s had to become familiar with a new group of teammates and learn how to best play within Clarke’s system. In that regard, Rios has done well, able to fit in with the rest of the guys.
“He’s come in, been very professional about what he does,” NCFC co-captain Connor Tobin said of Rios, “and I think he’s bought into what the group’s doing.”
As a group, NCFC has definitely bought into what Rios can do, too.
After appearing as a substitute in NCFC’s season opener against Tampa Bay, Rios has since started 10 of 11 USL matches, often causing problems for opposing defenses. Behind the strength and accuracy of his shot and his ability to confuse defenders with clever movement, Rios began to heat up in April.
But through the first three months of the campaign, Rios has proven his quality, even if he previously was a bit of an unknown quantity to the NCFC staff.
“He was unknown to us. We took a chance on someone we knew would be quality because of where he comes from and where he was playing,” Clarke said. “But we weren’t 100 percent sure in everything we got, but he’s come in and been a pleasant surprise. Great kid – lively, good personality, fits in well, and he’s a good soccer player.”
To the benefit of Rios, the loan spell has made for a symbiotic relationship between club and player. In Cary, Rios has enhanced NCFC’s on-field performance, and he’s steadily developing into the player Chivas wants him to become.
***
Trying to find any semblance of home, Rios has yet to come across Mexican food in the Triangle truly authentic enough for his stamp of approval.
“I’ve found two [restaurants], but I don’t think it’s real Mexican,” he explained. “They’re still good, but I’m still searching for the best.”
Call it the only real disappointment so far in his first professional season away from Mexico, one he thinks will be transformative and meaningful for his career.
Rios, 23, is no stranger to going out on loan. He’s made a handful of appearances for Chivas in the Copa MX – his professional debut came in the competition on Feb. 24, 2015, two days shy of his 20th birthday – but the bulk of his career has been spent playing for clubs in Mexico’s second division, Ascenso MX. From 2016-17, with Cora de Tepic and Atletico Zacatepec, Rios proved to be an effective attacking option, scoring 17 goals in 38 matches.
But coming to NCFC and playing in the U.S. made for a different challenge altogether.
“It’s my first time outside of my country,” Rios said.
What does that entail? (Other than the ongoing search for the type of food he can get back home.) For starters, Rios has been forced to adjust to a new league, one that provides a set of unique challenges compared to the type of soccer played in Mexico. In contrast to the Mexican leagues, Rios explained, there is a greater emphasis in the USL on physical play and more running back and forth.
Naturally, he’s had to become familiar with a new group of teammates and learn how to best play within Clarke’s system. In that regard, Rios has done well, able to fit in with the rest of the guys.
“He’s come in, been very professional about what he does,” NCFC co-captain Connor Tobin said of Rios, “and I think he’s bought into what the group’s doing.”
As a group, NCFC has definitely bought into what Rios can do, too.
After appearing as a substitute in NCFC’s season opener against Tampa Bay, Rios has since started 10 of 11 USL matches, often causing problems for opposing defenses. Behind the strength and accuracy of his shot and his ability to confuse defenders with clever movement, Rios began to heat up in April.
Unlucky to score just once in NCFC’s first three games – he hit the post twice against Indy Eleven – Rios began to break through in mid-April. Starting with a goal in a 2-0 win at the Charlotte Independence on April 14, he scored three goals in a four-match span, showing how significant of a contributor he could be in 2018 for NCFC.
“With the timing of runs, he’s pretty good,” Tobin said. “As a center back, especially if the ball goes into a wide area, he kind of tries to split your attention. He’ll make a movement as soon as you glance away.”
Tobin’s assessment was best reflected in Rios’ first goal of the season, which came against the Richmond Kickers on March 24.
With right back Steven Miller racing toward the endline ready to center the ball, Rios made a near-post run. Once he noticed that the defender tracking him had turned his eyes away for a split second, Rios astutely broke off the run, cut toward the middle of the box and had an easy finish from a few yards out.
“His movement’s good – he understands the game,” Clarke said.
***
Before joining NCFC, Rios wasn’t sure what to expect. For obvious reasons, this loan spell was going to be different than the previous ones in Mexico.
But amid the uncertainty, Rios received comfort and assurance from talking with Chivas Guadalajara’s all-time leading goal scorer, Omar Bravo, who played for the then-Carolina RailHawks in 2016.
Despite a significant gap in age between the two players, Bravo remained a part of Chivas' first team in 2015 when Rios made his senior-level debut with the club. Years later, Rios could still count on the elder statesman for advice.
“I was with him for six months in the first division in Chivas,” Rios said. “I spoke with him before I came here. It’s good to know a very good historic striker that’s been here before.”
So far, the early returns indicate that 2018 will be a year to remember for Rios. On a personal level, he’s finding regular playing time and making the most of it. Knowing who’s watching from afar has added fuel to the fire.
“The people from Chivas are sending messages,” Rios said. “They are watching me – they all know about everything I’m doing here, so it’s motivating for me to know that.”
A prolific season with NCFC could go a long way in helping Rios advance his career at Chivas Guadalajara, one of Mexico’s most successful teams historically, and the one he grew up rooting for, looking up to club greats like Ramon Morales and Bofo Bautista.
In the meantime, there’s work to do in Cary, and Rios knows as much. He’s delighted to be along for the ride.
“It’s good to be here,” he said. “I like the team, I like my teammates, and the city’s good. I’m happy to be here.”
Unlucky to score just once in NCFC’s first three games – he hit the post twice against Indy Eleven – Rios began to break through in mid-April. Starting with a goal in a 2-0 win at the Charlotte Independence on April 14, he scored three goals in a four-match span, showing how significant of a contributor he could be in 2018 for NCFC.
“With the timing of runs, he’s pretty good,” Tobin said. “As a center back, especially if the ball goes into a wide area, he kind of tries to split your attention. He’ll make a movement as soon as you glance away.”
Tobin’s assessment was best reflected in Rios’ first goal of the season, which came against the Richmond Kickers on March 24.
With right back Steven Miller racing toward the endline ready to center the ball, Rios made a near-post run. Once he noticed that the defender tracking him had turned his eyes away for a split second, Rios astutely broke off the run, cut toward the middle of the box and had an easy finish from a few yards out.
“His movement’s good – he understands the game,” Clarke said.
***
Before joining NCFC, Rios wasn’t sure what to expect. For obvious reasons, this loan spell was going to be different than the previous ones in Mexico.
But amid the uncertainty, Rios received comfort and assurance from talking with Chivas Guadalajara’s all-time leading goal scorer, Omar Bravo, who played for the then-Carolina RailHawks in 2016.
Despite a significant gap in age between the two players, Bravo remained a part of Chivas’ first team in 2015 when Rios made his senior-level debut with the club. Years later, Rios could still count on the elder statesman for advice.
“I was with him for six months in the first division in Chivas,” Rios said. “I spoke with him before I came here. It’s good to know a very good historic striker that’s been here before.”
So far, the early returns indicate that 2018 will be a year to remember for Rios. On a personal level, he’s finding regular playing time and making the most of it. Knowing who’s watching from afar has added fuel to the fire.
“The people from Chivas are sending messages,” Rios said. “They are watching me – they all know about everything I’m doing here, so it’s motivating for me to know that.”
A prolific season with NCFC could go a long way in helping Rios advance his career at Chivas Guadalajara, one of Mexico’s most successful teams historically, and the one he grew up rooting for, looking up to club greats like Ramon Morales and Bofo Bautista.
In the meantime, there’s work to do in Cary, and Rios knows as much. He’s delighted to be along for the ride.
“It’s good to be here,” he said. “I like the team, I like my teammates, and the city’s good. I’m happy to be here.”
