Rob Vincent made a name for himself on the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the United Soccer League when he burst on to the scene in 2013 following a successful stint for the University of Charleston in West Virginia. After scoring 28 goals in 88 matches across all competitions, Ben Olsen and the backroom staff were impressed by the midfielder's poise in front of goal and technical ability and signed Vincent on Feb. 16, 2016. “He is a smart player who has the ability to create and score from wide midfield positions and his tireless work rate and professionalism excite us," Dave Kasper, United general manager and VP of soccer operations, said at the time.
But the tireless Liverpudlian was forced into a new role for D.C. United when he played defensive midfielder on August 6 against Philadelphia, replacing the suspended Marcelo Sarvas. Although Vincent has spent the majority of his short MLS career in an offensive role, the 25-year-old is familiar playing closer to the back line.
“It’s a position that I’m used to. I played there a lot in Pittsburgh and played there all through college. When I joined [United], I think Ben Olsen saw me predominantly as a wide player from my time in Pittsburgh, but for one reason or another it hasn’t quite clicked out there,” said Vincent. “We had a little chat and I told him that I would maybe feel more confident in the middle, and fortunately he gave me a chance and I think I did alright in there.”
Vincent had a natural aura of confidence in the midfield and was able to dictate play throughout the match against the Union. His positional awareness and aggressive nature made it difficult for the league’s second-highest scoring team to find fluidity throughout the match. The midfielder played 90 minutes in the league for the first time since his debut in March and showed no signs of fatigue after an energized and motivated performance.
“Rob held down the fort I thought very well,” said D.C. United head coach Ben Olsen. “It’s a little bit of a new position, at least recently, he played that at Pittsburgh Riverhounds, so he’s familiar in the role, but we spent a lot of time with him during the week to try to get him to understand what we needed out of him, and he did exactly that.”
After his impressive performance in defensive midfield, Vincent proved to to Olsen and his teammates that his versatility allows him to make an impact from various positions on the field. In a team full of depth and experience, being an adaptive player will give the Englishman the advantage of fitting in and performing well across the D.C. United midfield.
“I certainly view him now as a central player for this team, whether it’s the six, or the eight spot,” Olsen said. “Of course, he can do some spot service in the ten, or seven, eleven, wherever, because he’s a selfless guy, he’s tactically smart and knows how to do certain jobs.”
With 10 appearances to his name, Vincent now looks forward to continuing to develop as a midfielder and learn from the rich amount of MLS experience in the Black-and-Red locker room.
“That’s what it’s all about. It’s my first-year in the MLS, so even though I’ve got a few years of experience behind me, there’s still a lot of guys ahead of me with a lot more experience. I’m just trying to learn each day, work hard in training, and every chance I get just try to make the most of it."
