Florian Valot is playing his way into more time on the pitch.
"I think he was one of the best players on the field, if not the best," Head Coach Jesse Marsch said on Saturday. "He can play the way we want. He can run all day. He's incredibly smart, tactically, and he can make attacking plays."
The New York Red Bulls topped the Montreal Impact, 3-1, with Valot assisting on Bradley Wright-Phillips' opening goal of the game.
"The pass he gave for the goal to Brad was phenomenal," Marsch said.
Valot has started the last three MLS games, scoring his first MLS goal against Orlando City SC on March 31. He also added an assist in that match.
“It’s big to have a coach’s confidence and also the players'," Valot said after the Red Bulls win. "I’ve been feeling that confidence over the past weeks – months now. All the credit goes to my teammates and the coaching staff. Without them, I wouldn’t be here."
He's gone the full 90 in the last two matches for the Red Bulls.
"We're really excited about the future for Flo and I feel like we're just starting to scratch the surface," Marsch said. "We've seen it blossom with USL, and we felt strongly that we would be able to insert it into MLS, and now it's starting to come together. I think it's only going to get much better."
