Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Rookie had ‘moments of brilliance’
Robinson reflects on lessons learned in his MLS debut
FORT LAUDERDALE — Inter Miami’s Major League Soccer debut on Sunday was a learning lesson for the entire team, but especially for forward Robbie Robinson.
In a 1-0 loss to Los Angeles FC that was his MLS debut, Robinson displayed the characteristics that made him the No. 1 pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft while also making clear the areas of his game that he can improve on.
“He had some decent chances and some moments of brilliance,” Inter Miami captain and goalkeeper Luis Robles said. “There’s going to be some adjustments for him, but it was an encouraging showing for him and you can see why the organization put their faith in him. It’s a good start.”
Robinson’s blend of size, speed and strength help make him a solid option at the top of Inter Miami’s 4-2-3-1 formation. He was able to find openings in LAFC’s defense once Inter Miami settled down and better possessed the ball
after the opening minutes of the match.
“He did well in preseason and deserved the first start,” defender Ben Sweat said. “He created a lot of havoc for them. Running behind, creating a lot of chances and opportunities — that’s what the coaching staff wants out of him and that’s what we want out of him. To relieve some pressure from the midfield sometimes, making those runs and creating those chances.”
Although he did a commendable job in his first professional match, where Robinson can improve became evident against LAFC. He kept the ball too long at his feet at times and wasn’t as aggressive taking shots on goal as he could’ve been.
“Some players were telling me maybe I should’ve shot more, even if it’s a bad angle,” Robinson said. “They trust me that my shot is good enough to be able to shoot from the outside or even the corner of the box. That’s something I can improve on — just taking those opportunities and going for a goal.
“I’m going to talk to the assistant coaches and maybe set up drills where I get [the ball] from a more outside-the-box area and try to shoot far post.”
The ESPN broadcast caught Robinson receiving some advice from midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro during the second half with Pizarro explaining to the young forward that sometimes it’s okay to exaggerate contact when opposing players commit penalties.
“I was in the box and the player was grabbing my shirt,” Robinson said. “Instead of just going down, I tried to stay up, fight back and get the ball. Probably the best option was to just go down at that point and take the penalty for the team. That’s what he was telling me.”
Robinson said he doesn’t feel like he deferred to his teammates more because he’s a rookie, adding that he was taking advantage of the opportunities that he felt like the game was giving him.
“It’s just the game and the situations,” Robinson said. “The shots are hard shots to take, but they believe in me and I believe in myself to take those shots. Next time I’m gonna do it. It’s all part of the process.”