With his sights set on a call-up to the Colombian national soccer team by Argentine coach Nestor Lorenzo, midfielder James Rodriguez made his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut.
However, the start could not have been more discouraging for his new team, Minnesota United, which suffered a 6-0 away defeat at the hands of the Vancouver Whitecaps on the fourth matchday of the 2026 season.
The Cucuta-born midfielder entered the field wearing the number 10 jersey in the 65th minute, replacing Argentine Tomas Chancalay when the ‘Loons’ were already trailing by five goals.
What he brought to the field
With little to do in the face of the lopsided score, James Rodriguez made a difference in the limited time he had on the field.
Minnesota head coach Knowles emphasized the positives that came with James’ debut. “You see the quality he has on the ball and his ability to find guys,” Knowles said after the game.
“He sees the game at a different speed. He sees things before a lot of other guys do, and he has the real technical quality to bring other guys into the game. I thought he did well. “It’s a shame that those [6-0 deficit] are the circumstances we’re bringing him into. We would have much rather had him come in and help us win the game, but it was a good showing.”
Key statistics
James Rodriguez Rubio, 34, signed with Minnesota United for the 2026 MLS season, becoming the highest-paid player in the club’s history with an estimated salary of US$3 million for a six-month contract. He is one of the 30 Colombian players who actually play in MLS.
In his return to the field, Rodriguez completed 23 of 29 passes and sent a cross to Kelvin Yeboah, who nearly scored with a header, had it not been for a great save by Vancouver goalkeeper Takaoka.
The opponent and the weather: two old acquaintances
In the ranks of the Vancouver Whitecaps, the current MLS leaders, plays German Thomas Müller, an old acquaintance of Rodriguez. Müller and James were teammates at Bayern Munich, where they played together in the Bundesliga from 2017 to 2019.
The German midfielder had some special words for the Cucuta native, recalling the Colombian national team captain’s complaints about the cold in Munich, and he didn’t hide his surprise that Rodriguez Rubio had chosen Minnesota, which can turn very cold in the winter, as his destination.
What’s next in the league
Now, James Rodriguez and his Minnesota United teammates, who play in the Western Conference, will have to bounce back from Sunday’s heavy defeat and start focusing on their next MLS match, which will be played at home next Sunday, March 22, against the Seattle Sounders at 1:30 p.m. Colombian time.
Currently, the team where the Colombian midfielder plays is in 13th place in the MLS Western Conference standings, with just 4 points, the result of one win, one draw, and two consecutive losses.