Opponents rough up Minnesota United's 'special talent' Emanuel Reynoso

A Japanese proverb advises fall down seven times, get up eight.

Minnesota United's Jacori Hayes offers one of his own concerning soccer and teammate Emanuel Reynoso.

"Since you're young, you're taught if you can't beat them, you beat them up, right?" Hayes asked. "Rey, as we've all seen, is at a different level. You can't stop him one way, you find another."

Opponents have turned physical against Reynoso, the 5-7, 150-pound playmaking midfielder signed last summer from famed Argentine club Boca Juniors. They've done so particularly this season, after Reynoso proved himself a blossoming star last fall when he set an MLS Cup playoffs record with consecutive three-assist games.

Two weeks ago, Austin FC defender Jhohan Romana received a yellow card after he struck Reynoso behind his neck and clipped Reynoso's legs out from under him. Trainers attended to Reynoso, who briefly left the game.

"Yeah, I got hit in the game," Reynoso said of Romana's whack. "Thanks to God I am OK"

In Saturday's 2-2 home draw, San Jose defensive midfielder and fellow Argentine Eric Remedi shadowed Reynoso everywhere. He fouled Reynoso in the 21st minute, elbowing him to the turf. Ten minutes later, Remedi received a yellow card for hip-checking Reynoso down.

He remained in the Austin FC game late in the first half when coach Adrian Heath went to substitute for him and Reynoso insisted he stay on. Both called the confusion a language misunderstanding.

"He wants to play all the time, you know," Heath said. "That's his nature."

Reynoso has noticed the special attention this season. He spent much of a recent five-week lull in the schedule healing a hurting knee and other assorted knocks. He also worked with the club's athletic training staff to improve his nutrition.

"Honestly, when the opposing team gets to knowing how you play, you notice it in the game," Reynoso said in Spanish through a team interpreter.

Heath sees it, too. Opponents intend to slow down his star by being physical and strategic, an approach that Heath calls "quite smartly" coordinated.

"Now he's got one man, then another," Heath said. "The No. 6 [defensive midfielder] does it first. Then the No. 8 [central midfielder] and then it's someone else. It's not new to Rey. He has grown up with the fact that when you're a special talent, people are not going to give you the space."

Reynoso said he has sought to improve his nutrition, calling his effort "working on fixing the things I need to do to keep my body ready."

"They still play a physical game in Argentina where you pick up a lot of fouls and you prepare for that," Reynoso said. "I do think here, it's a very quick game, very tough. One has to be prepared."

Reynoso predicts the recent arrivals of fellow Argentine and left-side attacker Franco Fragapane and French first-division striker Adrien Hunou, and the offensive threat they present, will create more space in which to work.

"So much," he said when asked what their presence will mean. "We just need to find the positive for us. If an opposing player is tracking me the entire game, that means he has left space open."

That could keep teams from trying to "man mark" Reynoso with that one defender assigned to him wherever he goes.

"There are a few ways to stop him," said Loons veteran defensive midfielder Wil Trapp, whose job is to get Reynoso the ball in space. "Not many, but fouling is one of them, for sure. That's to slow down his rhythm. He's so smart and elusive. It's pretty amazing to see how difficult it is to even get hands on him at times."

Heath and Loons players have reminded the game referee to watch for the type of up-close attention Reynoso gets from opposing defenders. So far, that hasn't always been heard.

Heath said his club has compiled video capturing the treatment Reynoso receives off the ball — and often out of the referee's sight. He added that video review sometimes catches fouls that otherwise would have gone unnoticed against a player who's willing to draw the referee's whistle himself.

"You hope sometimes the referee protects the players you spend a lot of money [on] to enhance the league bringing them in here," Heath said. "Sometimes I don't think he has had as much protection as he deserves."

If the referee doesn't do it, Loons players — including 6-2 defender Michael Boxall and others — will protect their gifted teammate themselves.

"Rey is a smart guy," Hayes said. "He played in Argentina, which is equally or more physical, so he knows to handle it. He knows how to still beat guys. If it gets too bad, we have enforcers. I don't know if anyone wants to see Boxy. We have guys who are out there to protect him as well."