Despite only playing five games for the New England Revolution, Gershon Koffie has already established himself as one of the most important players on the team.
Positioned next to Scott Caldwell in the midfield, Koffie was given the difficult task of tracking Toronto FC's all-star attack, a lineup that includes Sebastian Giovinco, Jozy Altidore, and Michael Bradley.
The Ghanaian stood tall, helping his team hold TFC to a single shot, which unfortunately went in.
Koffie would ultimately contribute 90 minutes in a performance that impressed head coach Jay Heaps.
"I thought Gershon had an excellent night," Heaps told media after the game. "There was one-I think one time at the end of the night when he got picked but other than that he had a near perfect night with the ball and defensively."
Koffie would end the night with a pass completion rate of 92.0% (50 of 69).
The number is the third-highest of any player that has attempted at least five passes in a single match this season.
The midfielder was also sharp defensively, as he intercepted six passes, the most of any Revolution player.
Koffie's performance becomes more impressive when you consider that he picked up a yellow card in the 20th minute.
Coming off a one-game suspension for receiving a red card against New York City FC, seeing a yellow could've changed Koffie's play.
Instead, the uncompromising competitor carried on as usual.
"If the yellow card comes out, it shouldn’t affect your game or my game, you should just keep playing," Koffie explained.
Despite a strong night from Koffie and the rest of the team, the Revs only grabbed a point on Saturday. It's an outcome that Koffie called "disappointing."
The midfielder won't hang his head, however, as he's already looking forward to the upcoming schedule, more proof of Koffie's value to the club.
"We are going to keep the same mindset as we play," Koffie said. "We are going on the road to get points."
Source: thebentmusket.com