Eduard Atuesta is finally getting noticed.
Last season, the midfielder was one of LAFC's important players. An anchor in the midfield and influential in possession, the Colombian was mentioned more in the context of LAFC's perceived lack of a true No. 6 than what he was actually doing on the pitch.
"The kilometers that I run on the match on the pitch, I think after every match, I’m the player that runs the most. I believe it’s about 12 km per match. I think that lets my teammates get a small break and catch their breath a little bit more. That’s something a little hard for the usual fan to catch but it’s there," Atuesta said of the how his influence on a match can go unnoticed. "I usually come off games exhausted. But it’s my job and it’s what I need to do. I hope I can continue to do so in matches in the future."
Through 10 matches in 2019, Atuesta has been the heartbeat of the best midfield on the best team in MLS. In addition to the often overlooked work he provides, covering large areas of the pitch and backing up teammates, Atuesta has also upped his input in the stats people more regularly notice. The midfielder has one goal and four assists already this season, exceeding his one goal and two assists from 25 appearances last season. He was named Man of the Match after his assist sealed a 2-0 victory over FC Cincinnati on April 13.
"I feel like I was actually able to do very well from the first moment that I came to the team. But also, I feel like I’ve been able to improve in this past year," Atuesta said. "I think the team itself has really improved and so other teams and the fans start noticing. The league also starts to pay attention."
The league has been paying attention. Atuesta has been named to the MLS Team of the Week four times this season. Only Carlos Vela has been included more times in the Team of the Week this season.
"I never really settle with what I’ve achieved or how far I can go. The idea is to show my teammates and myself that I can improve every day. Our team goal is to be champions and my individual goal is to be the best midfielder in the league," Atuesta said. "That’s what I’m constantly working for and that’s the reason I came to MLS. With the help of my teammates, I’m hoping I can achieve that. And I want to continue to achieve what we have so far with Mark-Anthony [Kaye} and Latif [Blessing]. Our midfield is one of the toughest ones to beat."
Not settling for Atuesta goes beyond MLS as well. The captain of Colombia's U20s before arriving at LAFC, Atuesta has his eyes set on an appearance with the senior squad.
But despite his stellar play in 2019, many back home in Colombia haven't had a chance to see much of Atuesta with LAFC this season. MLS matches are hard to come by in Colombia. To Atuesta's credit though, his name is still being bandied about even without the exposure. It's a testament to the quality of the midfielder's performances for the top team in MLS.
"It has always been a reason to be proud to represent Colombia and the national team," Atuesta said. "I could feel that in the U20s and I hope that I am able to represent the senior team soon. I want to catch the eye of the national team coach and the newspapers in my country. And hopefully, why not be able to make the Copa America that is coming up, either as part of the roster or to be considered for a future cycle with the national team. I think that’s my most important goal and one that is constantly in my head... Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of televised MLS games in Colombia, so it’s a little bit hard for them to be watching me week in and week out. The only thing I can do is continue to perform every match and hope that the coach turns his eyes towards me."
With the trajectory Atuesta is on currently, there's finally plenty of eyes on him here in the US. It's only a matter of time before the trend spreads south to Colombia and beyond.
