A new ironman? Dadashov earning rave reviews
Rising FC forward draws praise from his coaches
During a virtual conference call with media on Tuesday, Phoenix Rising FC coach Rick Schantz was asked who his top candidate for this season’s “ironman” would be.
Schantz pondered the question for a bit, first saying that the understood definition of a soccer ironman — usually a club’s leader in minutes played and dependent part of a starting lineup — might be hard to predict due to the team’s depth.
But in terms of who he thinks he can rely on to excel during USL Championship’s upcoming restart, one of his newer signings came to mind.
“Rufat Dadashov elicits the highest numbers from low distances, power, energy,” Schantz said.
“Adam Jahn was that guy last year, so it’s interesting that our nine (striker) does that.”
It’s high praise for a player who’s played one regular-season match with Phoenix in comparison to Jahn, a 2019 USL All-League First-Team selection now with Major League Soccer powerhouse Atlanta United. But all that’s needed to prove Schantz right is to take one look at Dadashov’s debut.
The Azerbaijan player ripped Portland Timbers 2 to shreds in Phoenix’s 6-1 season-opening demolition at home March 7, notching a hat trick by poaching loose balls and crosses from close range. It earned Dadashov the USL Championship Player of the Week Award and rocketed him to the top of the league’s scoring charts.
Dadashov echoed the appreciation back to the Rising FC coaches in an interview on Wednesday, crediting them for helping hone his game in a new league and country after a decade toiling between several clubs in Germany.
“I’m happy that the coaches see this,” Dadashov said.
“I try to give every time my best and to help the team, and that I hope that I can on Saturday help the team to win. For us, it’s a really good thing that we have so many players that can score every time ... I think for the other team, it’s not so nice.”
The Saturday match Dadashov referenced is the official start of the USL’s reprotocols turn — a rekindled 16-game slate with group play and matches in home markets — in which Rising FC will take on Los Angeles Galaxy II at 7 p.m. at Casino Arizona Field.
The match will be held without fans and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN Deportes and locally on CW61 Arizona. Fans will be able to drop off signs and posters, to be displayed at the game, on Thursday from 4:30-7 p.m. at the stadium.
The USL, suspended since March 12 due to the pandemic, permitted clubs to train in small groups since early May and in full squads since late June, so long as teams adhere to strict health and safety agreed upon last month.
These protocols include weekly COVID-19 testing, which has revealed eight Phoenix players to be positive for the virus since testing started last month.
Out of those eight, five have returned to training and three will be inactive for Saturday’s match, with an additional player out due to injury.
Dadashov largely spent the past few months with his wife and dogs at home when he wasn’t training, doing what all of his teammates have pledged to do to: wear masks, practice social distancing and avoid non-essential trips from the house.
“We have to show everyone that we are wearing the mask every time and to be safe and to stay healthy,” Dadashov said.
“I think that it’s a good thing for everyone ... not only players to wear masks, I think the whole people have to wear masks to take care of them and take care of other people.”
In this new season format, organization and chemistry will almost certainly be sloppy after several months off, especially in the first few weeks. Intangibles like speed, skill and shooting will shine as USL sides get back to playing matches. Schantz thinks that’s where Dadashov will fit right in.
“(General Manager) Bobby (Dulle) and I set out at the beginning of the year to bring in guys like Santi Moar and Lagos Kunga to push Solo (Asante), Junior (Flemmings) and Rufat. Right now, I’ve got five guys on that front line that can score a lot of goals. Somebody has to win this trophy, and someone will win it. And the way our guys have looked at it is, ‘Well, we’re here, we’re training, we’re working hard. It might as well be us.”