The snowball has been rolling for some time, building momentum for Joao Plata as he worked his way back from a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot that sidelined him for the first three months of the season. Now, his goal-scoring is like a full-blown avalanche as he has hit the back of the net in each of his last four matches after scoring the game-winner on Tuesday in a 1-0 victory over Municipal in Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage play.
Despite his best efforts to remain confident and optimistic during the rehab from his injury and the slow start that resulted, Plata was visibly troubled during that time. Now that he has found a rhythm, that has changed.
“I’m really happy. I don’t like not scoring. Now, I’m getting goals for the team and I say thank you to all my teammates. They help me a lot,” Plata smiled after the Champions League victory put RSL in the driver’s seat for Group G. “I’m feeling good. I’m really proud of the team and all my teammates.”
Plata was a player with a lot of potential when Real Salt Lake traded for him prior to the 2013 season. With four goals and eight assists in that season, he showed glimpses of that potential. Then he exploded for a team-high 13 goals to go with six assists in 2014, setting the stage for another stellar season in 2015. That’s when disaster struck on the first day of training camp when he fractured his foot and was left to pick up the pieces.
After enduring the rehabilitation process, he returned to the field a bundle of energy in late May. However, it took him 10 matches to score his first league goal. Since then, he has exploded for four goals in four matches across all competitions.
While he has been dancing with each goal, the smiles are equally enthusiastic for his teammates, who have thrived on the contagious energy from the 23-year-old Ecuadorian.
“We all are behind Plata 100-percent. He works hard and it’s great to see him getting rewarded now,” RSL captain Kyle Beckerman said. “I think he’s finding his groove at the right time. We’re going to continue feeding him and he’ll get the job done.”
RSL continues its stretch of five matches in 15 days on the road on Saturday against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, continuing with the U.S. Open Cup semifinal in Kansas City on Wednesday before returning home to face the Portland Timbers on August 15 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
