James Rodriguez in MLS: Was his brief spell at Minnesota United really a disaster?

Analysis

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

James Rodriguez's long-awaited spell in Major League Soccer will already come to an end this week, but was his time with Minnesota United really as bad as social media and some pundits would have us believe?

For years, the Colombia star had been linked with a transfer to MLS, but it took until early 2026 for it to finally materialise. After leaving Club Leon in Mexico at the turn of the year, Rodriguez completed a shock move to Minnesota.

It was the most unusual of transfers, even by the standards of a player who was joining his eighth club in six years. James, having mostly played in warmer climes across three different continents, decided to move to the coldest metropolitan area in the US - in the middle of winter.

This was despite the fact that he had previously complained about the cold he experienced during his loan spell at Bayern Munich. Unsurprisingly, once he became available for the Loons, pictures of him looking glum in the freezing cold quickly became meme material.

At the weekend, reports emerged that James' time with the club was already coming to an end. With Colombia set to begin their World Cup preparations, the 34-year-old will depart this week and not return to Minnesota.

James at Minnesota: Just a misunderstanding?

The exact timing of his departure hasn't been clarified yet. Minnesota will play two games this week, away at New England on Wednesday and then at home to Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

The Athletic initially reported that Rodriguez is likely to leave after Wednesday's game, but it was later stated that he is only due to meet up with Colombia on Sunday, so there is perhaps a chance of a goodbye at Allianz Field this weekend.

Whatever the case, James will leave the Loons having made just a handful of appearances. As things stand ahead of Wednesday's game, he has only played 210 minutes in seven outings.

That's underwhelming, but there are two mitigating factors: his age and the fact that he was hospitalised with severe dehydration after the March international break. However, much more pertinent to the topic is the overall context of his transfer to Minnesota.

James did not join the club to be their marquee attacker for the foreseeable future. He moved to Minnesota simply to stay fit ahead of the World Cup when other teams were reluctant to take a chance on him.

He only signed a short-term contract until 30 June. Sure, there was an option to extend this deal for the full season, but this clause would have only been exercised had he been an outstanding success and, crucially, had both parties wanted to continue together.

Neither is the case. James doesn't want to stay, nor has he played enough to be considered a success. However, when he did get on the pitch, he was actually impactful and did exactly what he was brought in for.

His only start in MLS came against LAFC at the end of April, and he was simply irresistible. It was as close to peak James as you could expect to see from him at this stage of his career.

Minnesota succumbed to a 1-0 loss, but it wasn't for a lack of trying from the Colombian. Rodriguez created the most chances for the Loons during his 63 minutes on the pitch.

On Sunday, he put in a Man of the Match showing in a 2-2 draw with Austin. Despite playing just half an hour, he assisted both of Minnesota's goals, the second of which was the culmination of a spectacular passing sequence.

The Loons were ironically denied all three points by fan favourite Christian Ramirez. "Superman" made his name at Minnesota in the now-defunct NASL alongside "Batman" Miguel Ibarra, with both eventually also featuring in MLS.

Ramirez's goal meant that Minnesota once again did not win a game with James on the pitch. The Loons have won just two of the matches in which the attacking midfielder has featured, and he didn't really contribute to either victory.

He played a couple of minutes in a 2-0 win over Portland - his only appearance during a four-game winning run - and he started against Sacramento in the US Open Cup, but the Loons needed penalties to advance. James was subbed off in the 66th minute.

There is no denying that he is a bit of a defensive liability. Rodriguez has never been renowned for his defensive contribution, but he basically doesn't have the legs anymore to do any serious backtracking.

There is also a broader stylistic point to be made. Minnesota don't play the kind of free-flowing, attacking football James needs to really thrive. This is not a surprise, though, because this isn't his team.

Context matters

James wasn't signed to be the centrepiece of Minnesota's attack. He was signed because he was a big name who was available. It was a Hail Mary acquisition to make the club a bit more relevant beyond the state of Minnesota and MLS, nothing more.

James was not expected to set the world alight. He was expected to train, mostly sit on the bench and have a few cameo appearances. Any highlight reel moments - like his two assists against Austin - have simply been a bonus as far as Minnesota are concerned.

It is important to remember that they did not break the bank to sign him. On the contrary, according to Tom Bogert, James' deal makes him one of the lowest-paid senior players on the club's roster.

This fact alone should change the entire perception of his time at Minnesota. Of course, his hospitalisation wasn't in the script, but apart from that, his spell in the Twin Cities has gone exactly as you would expect.

He got himself in shape for Colombia, played a few matches and gave Minnesota some publicity. Both parties will be mostly content with how this brief, four-month experiment went down.

"Every day, I gave [Minnesota] everything I had,” he said after Sunday's match. "I’ve trained well. I take care of my body. Whether it’s 20 minutes or 40 minutes, you have to be ready to help." By all accounts, he has been a consummate professional in the dressing room and in training.

The news of his premature exit has led to some completely overblown social media reactions, but this was never meant to be a long-term collaboration with the Loons. He will likely head back to a warmer climate after the World Cup.

There have been rumours in Colombia that he will retire, but James has emphatically rejected these claims. He believes that he still has "a few more years" ahead of him - just not at Minnesota.

Written by

Tom Weber | Writer

Tom Weber is an experienced, multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer as part of his freelance work for FootballTransfers.

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