BEAVERTON, Ore. – A larger-than-normal collection of media gather around Darlington Nagbe last Friday after training, packing tightly together as they listened to capture audio from the Portland Timbers midfielder.
One reporter asked Nagbe whether he felt nervous as he stood on the touchline in the 64th minute of the U.S. Men's National Team's FIFA World Cup qualifier against St. Vincent and the Grenadines the previous Friday in St. Louis, Mo. The appearance marked Nagbe's first with the USMNT.
“I wouldn't say nerves,” Nagbe replied. “[I was] just trying to control my excitement.”
The reporter quickly followed up. “How do you do that?” she asked.
“You don't,” Nagbe said matter-of-factly. Then, with almost perfect comic timing, he added, “That's why I was smiling when I came on.”
The response was the perfect manifestation of the confidence that Nagbe has begun expressing both on and off the pitch in the team’s run up to and in the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. If it seems like Nagbe has begun asserting himself more on the field, rest assured that your eyes are not playing tricks on you.
Though a dangerous attacker throughout the 2015 regular season in scoring five goals and five assists, since first moving into central midfield with teammates Diego Chara and Diego Valeri in mid-October, Nagbe has been nothing short of a revelation. Using his pace and skill on the ball to win the ball deeper in midfield, keep possession in tight spaces, and quickly restart the attack in transition, Nagbe's switch has been a key spark to the team's late run.
While the postseason sample size may be small, in almost every significant statistical category Nagbe is not merely exceeding his regular season averages, he's annihilating them.
For some perspective, Nagbe averaged 58.1 touches per game during the regular season. But since the start of the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs, Nagbe has been averaging over80 touches per game. Similarly, he is averaging over 16 more attempted passes, nearly five more recoveries, and almost five more duels won.
Even more illustrative, Nagbe has averaged nearly two tackles per match in the postseason. If that doesn't sound like much, consider that during the regular season Nagbe averaged fewer than one attempted tackle per game.
Across the two matches against Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the Western Conference Semfinals, Nagbe had 173 total touches, and completed 129 of 141 attempted passes, good for a passing accuracy rate of 91.4 percent. In last night’s 3-1 first leg win over FC Dallas, he was 48 of 52 for passing—missing on only four all night—for an accuracy rate of 92.31 percent.
Nagbe is getting his job done effectively on both ends of the pitch.
But when asked about why he's been so much more productive in central midfield, Nagbe can only shrug.
“I'd say the biggest difference has been just getting touches,” he said. “I feel like the more touches I get, the better rhythm that I get in, and if I get rhythm, I feel comfortable.”
Following the win over Dallas, head coach Caleb Porter was happy to see Nagbe’s performance.
“I thought he was unbelievable tonight,” he said. “He didn’t score, but the amount of times he got out of pressure. He’s always a threat, always. It’s exciting to see.”
