RÍOS REACHES MILESTONE WITH 18TH GOAL OF THE 2019 REGULAR SEASON
NASHVILLE – Nashville SC forward Daniel Ríos found his golden career goal in Saturday’s 2-0 victory against Loudoun United FC at Segra Field. With his 50th goal, Ríos has scored more than any other USL Championship player since he joined the league in 2018 and is two tallies away from being the only player in league history to have back-to-back 20-goal seasons.
“It feels good to be able to get 50 goals in my career,” said Ríos. “All of this is the result of hard-work and dedication that you put into what you love. It fills me with joy and motivation to continue increasing that number of goals. It means that when you set goals, you can meet them regardless of age and that there is still a long way to go and continue to improve.”
In 93 matches played, Ríos has averaged 0.54 goals per game since 2015. The Mexican forward has also contributed six assists in that timespan. His professional career began with Mexican side Club Deportiva Guadalajara (Chivas) in 2015, and he was soon loaned out to Coras del Deportivo Tepic FC. He netted his first professional goal against Murciélagos FC on Jan. 9, 2016, and went on to find the back of the net 11 more times before joining North Carolina FC of the USL Championship in 2018.
“It’s a fantastic landmark for Daniel,” said Head Coach Gary Smith. “He’s still a young and developing player. I think you can see with the statistics that he’s racking up already that he is extremely talented. To make 50 career goals already is a lovely achievement for him.”
In the league alone, he has averaged 0.62 goals per game with 38 goals in 61 appearances. Last season with NCFC, Ríos was consistently in the thick of the Golden Boot race. He totaled 20 goals during the season including one against Nashville SC in September 2018 in a 3-3 draw and finished second in the league in goals scored behind current teammate Cameron Lancaster who put away a league record of 26 in 2018.
“To see Daniel at this point where he is, only two goals away from yet again in that 20 mark is phenomenal really,” Smith continued. “He’s a young guy still. There are still plenty of things in his game that he can improve on, but as far as consistently hitting the back of the net, he’s proven already with only two years in the U.S. that it’s something that he can do. For us, we hope that it continues.
This season with Nashville SC, Ríos has almost met last year’s total, scoring 18 so far for the Boys in Gold. Most notably, Ríos caught fire midway through the season and went on a five-match hot streak, scoring a goal in every match from July 6 to Aug. 7. He’s also had three braces with Nashville in 2019 against Ottawa Fury FC on April 6, Swope Park Rangers on May 12, and Charlotte Independence on Aug. 18.
Catch Ríos and Nashville SC in their final three home matches of the regular season as the team looks to stay atop the Eastern Conference standings. Click here to purchase your tickets.
