HANOVER, N.J. – After waiting for so many years, Luis Robles was just about ready to throw in the towel on his international career. And who could blame him?
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After all, it had been over six years since he had suited up for the Stars and Stripes, last earning a cap in July of 2009. Since then, Robles went from goalkeeper on the outs in the German second tier, to New York Red Bulls back up, to his now current standing as one of the top shot stoppers in Major League Soccer. But up until his award-winning season as the 2015 Goalkeeper of the Year, league-wide plaudits were harder to come by.
A constant within the Red Bulls defense since his first start late in 2012, Robles and his talents were hardly a surprise to the New York faithful, but he remained largely unheralded on the national stage. Traditionally one of the deeper positions in the United States player pool, it was beginning to look as if a recall to the national team simply wasn’t in the cards for the veteran goalkeeper.
“After year five, I had just kind of put it aside,” Robles admitted, and understandably so.
But all the while, Robles continued to work away with his club side, seemingly unfazed at the prospects of being overlooked. Day in and day out, the 31-year-old steadfastly continued to be one of the leaders within the Red Bulls locker room, leading the team to two Supporters’ Shield triumphs in three seasons.
And on January 31, 2016, Robles finally got his just rewards.
“I think he deserved to be there,” New York head coach Jesse Marsch said. “I got feedback that he was looking really sharp. Obviously getting a cap was a great experience for him. It shows that his quality is such that he should be considered. I’m sure he’ll have future opportunities.”
The experience was a special one for Robles, who started and played all 90 minutes of the USMNT’s 3-2 friendly win over Iceland. It was a chance to lineup alongside teammates he had more routinely opposed over the course of his MLS career, making for an interesting dynamic. But now that he has returned to Hanover, it’s as if he was never gone. Without a moment’s hesitation, Robles got back to work.
“I gave him the option to have the day off, but he didn’t want to take it,” Marsch added. “I think he was just anxious to get back within our team and I think he really considers this his family. Having him back has been great, you start to feel like the group is coming together now that he and Karl Ouimette (Canada) are back into the group.”
Representing your country on the international stage has routinely been the barometer for success at the club level, the ultimate honor. The culmination of years of hard work, Robles acknowledged the pride that comes with putting on that jersey. But it was hardly at the forefront of his mind whilst shut out of the side for all those years.
Robles had more important things to attend to.
“It’s never really been my motivation each and every day to get called in to the national team,” Robles stated. “When I’m here at the facility, it’s to help this team win a championship, and I feel like we got really close last year. Of course, there were some personal accolades, and it’s nice to see that you’re honored from that standpoint. But I think the lasting memory from last year is just how close we’ve come the last two years.”
It’s precisely that heartbreak—to come so close—that continues to drive Robles each and every day. And despite finally receiving the spotlight that he so richly deserved, his goal remains unchanged. The New York Red Bulls are still chasing MLS Cup glory, and Robles is as ready as ever to lead the charge.
“If we can find a way to get over the hump and get into the final and win the final, that’s something I think about each and every day,” Robles stated. “So if the byproduct of that sort of work means getting called into the national team, it’s an honor; I’ll gladly be a part of that. But as far as every single day, my focus is trying to help this organization get over the hump and win a championship.”
