If you measure success after knee surgery solely by goals and assists, Minnesota United veteran midfielder Ethan Finlay made a breakthrough of sorts with three goals delivered in the past two games, two of them alone in Saturday's 5-3 loss at FC Dallas.
He himself measures it with more complex mathematics, by the reams of data coaches and conditioning staff compile each game on his work rate, sustained pace and mileage covered in any given game.
On Saturday, he scored two first-half goals — the game's first with just 11 minutes gone and the equalizer for a 2-2 tie just before halftime — before Dallas scored two late goals and ended United's 11-game unbeaten streak in MLS and U.S. Open Cup games.
The first was a left-footed volley after teammates Miguel Ibarra and Angelo Rodriguez both kicked at the ball but whiffed.
The second came when United midfielder Collin Martin, at midfield, chipped ahead a 30-yard pass. Finlay, on the run, controlled it on one bounce with his chest and then flicked it with his left foot over the head of out-of-position Dallas goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez.
Finlay made like teammate Rodriguez on that first goal, positioning himself with two small steps backward as the sequence developed. That allowed him to keep Dallas defender Ryan Hollingshead behind him when the ball came Finlay's way.
"I've seen enough of him doing it," Finlay said, referring to Rodriguez. "The only thing I can compare it to is a box-out in basketball. You're just hoping the loose ball drops to you. You just take a chance, trying to put yourself in the best position possible."
United coach Adrian Heath called Finlay's performance "terrific" on a night when Heath made nine lineup changes from the game before — owing to his team's relentless schedule and the Texas summer heat — and was none too pleased about the results.