'I'll see the game differently' - FC Cincinnati star Evander on learning from Ronaldinho, fixing mistakes from last year, and his MVP aspirations

The Brazilian playmaker insisted to GOAL that his inspiration as a footballer comes from one of the game's greats, and hopes that channeling a bit of his samba flair can bring the MLS Cup to Cincinnati.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Evander remembers his first goal well. His team, Vasco de Gama, was trailing, 1-0. And he needed to make something happen. Evander was about 40 yards from the net and tightly marked. He received the ball. The defender closed in. Evander jinked to his right, looked up, and fired from 35 yards.

"I was just jumping and going to the fans, you know, bringing up the vibes, because I was really happy," he told GOAL at MLS's Media Tour.

Just over eight years later, and Evander hasn't really changed all that much. Sure, he now plays for FC Cincinnati of MLS. But that penchant for having a go, that flair? It's still very much there. Evander, if nothing else, can still rip it from distance. In that sense, he's not really a modern footballer. He is a maverick, someone who plays, perhaps a little bit, by his own rules. Sometimes, he just kicks the ball hard.

Where that comes from is hard to define. Some of it is inherent. A lot of it, he admits, is simply watching Ronaldinho highlights, over and over.

"I've been watching YouTube as well, like a couple of moments of him just megging people when he was playing for AC Milan, just having fun, taking the piss out of people," he said.

Still, there's pressure to perhaps change a little bit. MLS still likes its No. 10s, but they're becoming more constricted. There is less freedom here. Evander, he admits, has had to change.

"With the intensity of the games today, it's more physical. I had to adapt a little bit. I can play like this and also equalize in the game. This is where it's going, so it's never been an issue," he insisted.

Good thing, too, because Cincinnati might need him to alter his approach a little bit. They are expected to be in the MLS Cup conversation this year, after coming up short last winter. There was a brief scare, admittedly, in the first week of the season, when Evander clutched at his hamstring and had to be subbed. But he is expected to recover just fine. And now, Evander can focus on winning it all.

Evander joined GOAL Convo, a weekly Q&A with central figures in North American soccer to talk Ronaldinho highlight tapes, FC Cincinnati, and his MVP aspirations...

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ON HIS POSITION
GOAL: If you don't mind me saying, a lot of people describe you as a bit of a throwback, an old-fashioned playmaker. Do you agree with that? And do you see the game as a little more free-flowing and open?
EVANDER: Yeah, and I've heard this before! My play style is like classic No. 10 from the old school. And I think that's how I am, that's how I see the game. I'm like, you know, not like running, running and running. And when I have the ball, I like to calm down, and I'll see the game differently.
GOAL: So who inspired you growing up with that kind of thing? You'd mentioned Ronaldinho before, but Dinho was maybe a different kind of player?
EVANDER: I think Dinho had a lot of moments with the joy of Joga Bonito, but also a couple of moments, ones that he had control in the game, and beautiful passes and scoring goals, like free kicks and that kind of thing. I think that's why he's my idol. He does things with the ball that you don't see very often.
GOAL: Do you have a favorite?
EVANDER: The one where he chips the guy three times. I've been watching YouTube as well, like a couple of moments of him just megging people when he was playing for AC Milan, just having fun, taking the piss out of people.
GOAL: And you do this in your free time? Watch the highlights?
EVANDER: Sometimes I'm like, I'm on my free time, and I have nothing to do. I'm just gonna pop up on YouTube and watch some videos.

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ON CHANGING HIS GAME
GOAL: Do you feel like, in modern soccer, there's almost like an expectation that you have to change your game? Or are you in a place where the coach supports you being a bit more expressive?
EVANDER: With the intensity of the games today, it's more physical. I had to adapt a little bit. I can play like this and also equalize in the game. This is where it's going, so it's never been an issue.
GOAL: Do you play off instinct entirely? There are times when you just shoot from what seems like miles away. Is it all vibes?
EVANDER: That's one of my strengths, the shot from long distance. Growing up, I'd been training a lot, kicking from further distances. And I think it's been working, so I just keep on doing that. My first goal as a pro player was a shot from a really long distance. It was a nice goal.
GOAL: So you still remember it?
EVANDER: Yeah. So when I was against Santos, I was playing for Vasco de Gama. I had to dribble one guy, and then I took a shot from 30 to 35 meters.
GOAL: And how did you celebrate?
EVANDER: We were actually losing the game. My goal was to equalize. I was just jumping and going to the fans, you know, bringing up the vibes, because I was really happy.
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ON CINCINNATI LAST SEASON
GOAL: Talk to me about Cincinnati. Last year, expectations were pretty high for you guys, and it feels like you maybe didn't quite reach them? What went wrong, in your mind?
EVANDER: I think we dropped some stupid points against some of the teams. I think we weren't at our best when we played at home. We let go of a lot of results playing at home, but still we winded up being second, losing the Supporters' Shield by one point. It sucks, but when you look back at seasons, like, "Oh, we shouldn't have lost this game" or "We made a small mistake here," and then it costs us two points or even a win. So it's those days we've got to fix, to take it to this season.

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ON HIS GOALS FOR THIS YEAR
GOAL: And so this season, what are your expectations?
EVANDER: Well, the expectations are to be better than we were last season. Of course, you want Cincinnati to be fighting for a title. And we were close last season. We've got to make sure that this season we are lifting a title.
GOAL: And for you personally? Do you set targets in terms of goals and assists?
EVANDER: For my stats, I just want to be better than I was last year. I want to improve and be better. If I scored 22 goals last year, if want to score 23 this year, and then I'm gonna be happy. I just want to be better and play well, be more consistent.
GOAL: What would a dream season look like?
EVANDER: An MLS Cup title, Supporters' Shield, Leagues Cup title and MVP.

ON HIS POSITION

ON CHANGING HIS GAME

ON CINCINNATI LAST SEASON

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

ON HIS GOALS FOR THIS YEAR