Peguy Luyindula was benched and frustrated, the French attacker who’d been so incisive at the end of last year now out of the lineup at the start of this season.
But Red Bulls coach Mike Petke told Luyindula he wasn’t being punished or discarded, to keep being patient and professional and his time would come. That’s exactly what happened when Luyindula returned to the lineup for the last two games and scored in each. The Red Bulls (0-1-4) head to DC for Saturday’s tilt at rival United (1-2-1).
“I saw it a bit last year, and it seems like it’s a huge rivalry in this part of the United States. So it does count for the supporters. We really want to win for us first, for sure, and for them,’’ Luyindula said.
He readily admits how maddening it was to be out of the Starting XI.
“It was for sure, because every footballer thinks they should be on the field — so do I,” Luyindula said. “So it’s frustrating. But at the end of the day, you have to prove to the coach that he is wrong to put you on the bench, and that’s what I did.
“It was just a matter of time, because I knew I would be back on the field to prove it. That’s the only thing that I should do: Just wait for the opportunity. He told me I would be back in the team and I don’t have to be mad or whatever about the situation. It was just a temporary situation, and I would be back soon on the field. I was just waiting for my tine. He just said be patient, you’re going to be back.’’
After suffering through a slow start in his debut campaign with the Red Bulls – much of it likely attributed to rust from inactivity at French club Paris Saint-Germain – Luyindula found his form at the end of the season. He had a goal and seven assists in just 863 minutes, capped by a three-assist master-class performance in the regular-season finale that led them to the franchise’s first hardware, the Supporters’ Shield.
But in the first three games this season, Luyindula logged just 95 minutes total, starting the opening loss in Vancouver then being relegated to the bench for the next two games. Rather than pout, he put his head down and worked and waited. And when he got the nod the last two games, he performed.
“He’s a competitor — he wants to play all the time,’’ Petke said. “And I did have discussions with him. At the end of the day, the decisions that I make don’t necessarily have to be agreed with; but they’re my decisions.’’
Granted, the absences of striker Thierry Henry, midfielder Dax McCarty, and Tim Cahill left Petke little choice but to use Luyindula. But the Frenchman responded, scoring to pull out a 1-1 tie against Chivas USA and then again in last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Montreal.
“We all know what Peguy brings. Sometimes other things fit in the equation, so we weren’t able to go with him. But he’s been playing more lately, and he’s done well. He played well in Montreal, got the goal and it should get him more confidence,’’ Petke said. “It wasn’t anything specifically he wasn’t doing well. It had to do with how we were playing, the personnel we had, my mindset with the tactics.’’
Luyindula offers comfort on the ball, great vision, and the ability to take a pass, turn and run at defenders. And he’s shown he can do that whether deployed as a support striker or as a midfielder, where he found a groove late last year and where he says he played as a youth.
“It’s not about position. I like to be in the spot where I find the space to take the ball and be able to turn and go ahead for the defender. That’s what I like. I just can’t tell I want to play this position or I prefer to play this position. I’m more like a playing footballer,’’ Luyindula said.