‘Clearly, the problem wasn’t me.’ Shinyashiki leaving Rapids for Charlotte FC was win-win
.JPG "Charlotte FC midfielder Benjamin Bender (15) celebrates a goal with Charlotte FC forward Andre Shinyashiki (16) during a game against the Vancouver Whitecaps at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Shinyashiki is tied for the club lead in goals after he was traded from the Colorado Rapids.")
Andre Shinyashiki entered Colorado Rapids general manager Pádraig Smith’s office days before Major League Soccer’s primary transfer window closed.
Shinyashiki reminded Smith that he wanted to be traded. With the window closing, the forward urged his general manager to give him the fresh start he wanted.
The two had a great conversation, Shinyashiki said, in which the forward told the team he’d like some input over his destination while the club told him they’d prefer to send him to the Eastern Conference.
Smith gave Shinyashiki a list of possible trade destinations but when the 25-year-old left the office, his agent called and told him his No. 1 choice, Charlotte FC, had entered the picture. A few hours later, the sides finalized the trade, sending Shinyashiki to the expansion team for 2022 General Allocation Money.
Shinyashiki’s desire to leave Colorado stemmed from the team’s play style, one he felt prevented him from flourishing.
The former MLS rookie of the year scored just one goal in his 10 games this season with the Rapids but has thrived after coming to Charlotte, notching four goals in his nine games with the club — creating offense for an otherwise limited squad.
“I didn’t see myself really contributing as much as I thought I could (in Colorado),” Shinyashiki said. “I think that since I’ve been in Charlotte, I’ve actually scored more goals than I did the entire year last year … so clearly the problem wasn’t me.”
Colorado employs a defensive style, Shinyashiki said. The Rapids don’t use wingers, instead playing with outside backs playing as wingbacks. That removed his chance to play as a winger and forced him into a supporting role, he said.
The team also only used one “number nine,” (striker) he noted. They reserved that spot for Diego Rubio, who has scored seven goals in 15 games this season.
“Credit to Diego, he was doing really well, he deserved to be played,” Shinyashiki said. He noted that there wasn’t any ill-will between him and the Rapids and that he left the team on a great note.
“I think it was a win-win situation for both me and them, they got their money’s worth … and I got a chance to play where I want to play,” he said. He added that the third party in the trade, Charlotte, has also benefited from his stellar play.
“The way that we play (has) really helped … my style and what I like to do to shine,” he said.
He’s proven himself as one of the team’s premier strikers, enjoying success with and without the team’s featured forward, Karol Świderski.
Shinyashiki referred to Świderski as a “false nine,” a technical player who enjoys getting the ball to his feet rather than attempting aerial challenges. The two are tied for the team lead in goals with four apiece entering Saturday’s nationally televised match against Nashville SC, but Shinyashiki noted that Świderski generates more attention from opponents because of his pedigree, leaving open space for other players to use.
But he’s scored well without him, too, connecting with a goal against Columbus when Świderski was unavailable, and scoring the game-winner in Charlotte’s first-ever road victory at Houston.
In that match, he substituted in for Świderski at the 72nd minute, as interim coach Christian Lattanzio tried to keep the pair fresh during a sweltering contest and the team’s second game in four days.
A minute after coming in, Shinyashiki’s fresh legs proved pivotal. He drove hard to the goal before turning his defender around with a quick dribble before pounding a low shot to the right of the diving goaltender.
Świderski and Shinyashiki have combined for eight of Charlotte’s 19 goals this season, providing offense for one of the league’s lowest-scoring teams.
“Scoring goals is the hardest part of the game. That’s why the people that do score get the most money,” Shinyashiki said. “To me, it’s amazing to score, I love scoring.”
Shinyashiki brought the energy required for Charlotte to succeed so late in the Houston win, Lattanzio said. He praised the forward’s work ethic and said his performance in games shows that he’s always hungry for more.
“He’s very intelligent, he listens and he asks questions and he wants to improve,” the coach said. “He’s committed to becoming as good as he can.”
Shinyashiki revitalized his career after coming to Charlotte, achieving the potential many saw of him when Colorado drafted him No. 5 overall in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft and silencing doubts others had.
He remembers those who didn’t believe in him, using them as motivation to improve. He recalled seeing a clip shortly after Charlotte traded for him where someone criticized the team for overpaying in the trade.
This unnamed commenter called his statistics “terrible” and said there’s no way he’s going to come in and change anything — a hasty proclamation that’s proved incorrect, much to Shinyashiki’s pleasure.
“It’s good to prove the people wrong,” he said. “You have no idea how good it feels.”
This story was originally published July 9, 2022 at 10:25 AM.
