Loons striker Christian Ramirez has changed his role, his striker partners, and does not have a contract for next year. What doesn’t change? His strike rate.
If the year 2016 has proven anything so far, it’s that it’s impossible to predict anything. Music icons David Bowie and Prince both passed away well before their times. Two of the final three major-party presidential candidates are viewed as “outsiders.” Leicester City won the Premier League. Taylor Swift beat Kendrick Lamar for Album of the Year. England voted to leave the European Union and lost to Euro rookies Iceland within the span of the week.
However, there’s one thing we can rely on amidst this whirlwind of chaos: Christian Ramirez will find the back of the net.
Is he on the right wing and 30 yards from the net? Goal. How about up against the Loons’ nemesis, the Cosmos, in the 89th minute? Goal. Facing off against Club León and having to evade a faced-up defender? Goal.
It’s easy to take Christian Ramirez for granted. The 25 year old joined the club on a free transfer from USL’s Charlotte Eagles in 2014 to provide depth, figuring to ease into a regular backup role to Pablo Campos. When Campos went down in the preseason with a major knee injury, however, Ramirez got the call. He ended up handily winning the NASL Golden Boot and Young Player of the Year, scoring 20 goals and tying the record set by Campos and Etienne Barbara. He followed that up with a 13-goal total in 2015, earning another NASL Best XI appearance for his work.
“That Striker’s Mentality”
While the team didn’t meet their intended target of winning the Spring, Ramirez kept on scoring, averaging a goal every other game (the benchmark of a successful forward) and trading back-and-forth a claim to United’s all-time assist record with Kevin Venegas. This came despite a major formational shift for Minnesota United. The team saw a significant change of players coming in and out (including Ben Speas as an attacking midfielder) during the winter off-season and first-year head coach Carl Craig adjusted the team to his 4-2-3-1 line-up.
“I like to move freely and open up space for other guys with my runs and come underneath through the midfield”
“It’s forced me to take my opportunities when I get them,” Ramirez acknowledged after Wednesday’s team training in Blaine. “As we look to exploit pockets of space in a defense, my focus is entirely on splitting the center backs. Sometimes, that’s difficult for me. I like to move freely and open up space for other guys with my runs and come underneath through the midfield. Over the last couple weeks, Coach has let me do that and I’ve found more and more touches in wide areas, like I did in the León game for the goal. I’m always open to whatever Coach asks of me for each game.
“It sucks not touching the ball. It can get frustrating, especially when I get two or three touches in a half, but I’ve got to stay patient and know my opportunity is coming.”
Ramirez has always profiled as a crafty forward, able to find those pockets and get past a sleeping defender for an easy chance on goal. He doesn’t have the size of a typical target forward, but between his goal-scoring record over the last few seasons and his ability to create chances out of nothing, he’s forced defenses to keep a mark or two on him at all times. Even in the Sporting Kansas City Cup fixture, Ramirez was marked by one of the most athletic center backs in the league (Ike Opara), forcing Opara to rely on his physicality to off-set Ramirez’s mentality and positioning.
Having played with world-class strikers like Marco Di Vaio and David Villa, midfielder Jeb Brovsky knows a thing or two about goalscorers. After only ten games, he concedes that Ramirez is of a special caliber.
“He has a knack for goal and that striker’s mentality. He has that cold blood that you need in the box. He also has the confidence; he’s never cocky and I love that about the kid, it’s going to help him go far.”
“Any guy that’s consistently a goalscorer is foremost a great finisher,” the MLS veteran recognizes. “He has a knack for goal and that striker’s mentality. He has that cold blood that you need in the box. He also has the confidence; he’s never cocky and I love that about the kid, it’s going to help him go far. He gives this team a sense of calm because we know we have a guy who can put it in the back of the net at any time. I don’t care if he misses ten shots in a game–I know he’s going to bury that next one that we need.”
The 2017 Question
As his scoring record continues to grow, his profile will follow suit. Much like in 2015, USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann reminded the world that his team is keeping an eye on NASL this April, sending his congratulations to Ramirez on the pivotal goal against the Cosmos.
exciting finish at @MNUnitedFC vs NY Cosmos! Congrats @Chris_Ramirez17 @naslofficial https://t.co/0sUHWKJmlm
— J_Klinsmann (@J_Klinsmann) April 25, 2016
As the States await his full-out national breakthrough, his days of being a Minnesota secret are long gone. His highlight reel goals have made the Top Plays over at Fox Sports.
This also comes with transfer rumors, including a not-reputable twitter account claiming that Swedish club AIK were reportedly looking at him in May (though, Ramirez himself disputed this claim). But Ramirez admits there have been other teams in touch from places like Mexico and Germany. Meanwhile, similar strikers in MLS have yearly salaries between $250k-350k.
“I keep my ears open,” Ramirez admits. “With where I came from, it’s nice to hear my name being referenced out there. Otherwise, I don’t put too much thought into it, I know that I’m here this year. I’m focused on my goal to finally win a championship, and whatever comes next will follow that. Whether that’s MLS in Minnesota or playing abroad or even staying in this league, I’m keeping an open mind. That’s a conversation that my agent will have with me to cover several options, but for right now my focus is on continuing to score goals and win games.
“I’d be lying to you if I said that playing abroad isn’t a dream of mine, to see other parts of the world.”
“I’d be lying to you if I said that playing abroad isn’t a dream of mine, to see other parts of the world. We all have those aspirations in this game, but I’m staying focused. I’ll always be the humble one to focus on the next game and let everything else come after that.”
And his prediction on who will hold the team assist record at the end of the season?
“Hopefully Viva, as long as I’m on the receiving end of those assists,” Ramirez says through his poster-boy smile. “That’s where I like to find myself, but I’ll be unselfish if it helps us get a win.”
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