Marcelo is beginning to settle in the nation’s capital. After four games under his belt for the Black-and-Red (two in MLS play and two in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League), the poised Brazilian has taken control of the midfield, earning praise from Head Coach Ben Olsen. “I thought Marcelo was great,” Olsen said after the 0-0 draw in Foxborough last weekend.
The Sao Paulo native, known for his relentless energy and box-to-box playing style during his time in Los Angeles, was hindered by a knee injury in his first and only season with the Rapids last year, who United face on Sunday, March 20. Healed and refreshed by a new start, “Celo” has taken command of the new-look United midfield, partnering with longtime outside midfielder Nick DeLeon in the center of the pitch.
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Against the Revolution, Marcelo’s aggressive and passionate play set the tone and tempo of the match from the beginning. His 11 tackles were not only the team-high for the day, but more than double the next highest total (4). He also completed the most passes on the team (tied with his partner DeLeon with 38) and had the highest accuracy of any United player (81.6 percent).
Marcelo’s tenacity helped force the Revolution into bad decisions and poor shotmaking, as only three of their 17 shots were on target. His positioning and and defensive pressure helped lead the charge for a United side that collected their first clean sheet of 2016.
After Saturday’s match, it’s clear that Marcelo provides a strong influence both on and off the ball, and while getting the Brazilian on the ball is vital (he led the team with 69 touches against the Revs), having him command the troops off the ball is just as important.
