Emilio Renteria has come into his own as a fan favorite of the Columbus Crew. He has been described as this season’s Alejandro Moreno, but that may not do his play justice. He is incredibly physical and strong, reminding us more of a fullback on an NFL roster rather than a striker in MLS.
Renteria represents the Crew well, displaying a blue collar “hard hat” mentality, obvious passion, and limitless energy. He was hands down the busiest player on the pitch vs. FC Dallas last weekend. He was tackled and taken down countless times, but never gave up even though he emerged battered and bruised. Renteria is willing to take on countless defenders, possesses good speed, and has a great touch on the ball. He also possesses a certain South American flair, teasing opponents with electric moves. And he can get it done with pure physciality, becoming a wrecking ball against opposing defenses.
The versatile Renteria is quite an asset in CONCACAF Champions Leauge play, matching up nicely against the Crew’s opponents to the South. He has a wealth of experience with Spanish side Levante UD as well as Venezuelan top-flight clubs Deportivo Italia, UA Maracaibo, and Caracas FC. He would even lead Maracaibo and Caracas to appearances in the prestigious Copa Libertadores.
The Venezuelan forward is the perfect example on “America’s Hardest Working Team,” he does the three construction workers in the Crew logo proud. We aren’t the only ones to take notice as Renteria was recently called up byVenezula for international friendlies against Ecuador and Colombia.
And guess what? Crew Head Coach Robert Warzycha thinks this is just the beginning of Renteria’s success.
“I think he has room for improvement. I think he is going to be a better player,” the Crew’s gaffer commented. “He just got called for the national team so that is an indication that he is getting better on the field.”
Room for improvement. Better player. A scary thought, considering what kind of offensive weapon Renteria already is. Let’s hope that Emilio’s second year with the Crew is even better than the first. It certainly looks that way at the moment.
