One-on-one with new Thorn star ‘Rocky’ Rodriguez

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Like the Timbers and Blazers on Thursday and Friday, the Thorns took that next step towards playing again by allowing players to work out on the field with staggered arrivals and departures at Providence Park on Saturday.

Fox 12′s Nick Krupke spoke with one of Portland’s newest stars, Rocky Rodriguez, who has developed some new talents while isolated in her new city.

The Thorns know what they are getting in the midfielder from San Jose, Costa Rica, Rocky Rodriguez is ready for a soft landing in Soccer City after the Costa Rican National teamer spent her first four seasons in New Jersey with Sky Blue FC.

“I think it’s the culture of a winning culture, winning team and it’s a club that has expectations and you quite frankly,” she said. “I feel like it’s a club where if you don’t perform, something will happen. Whether it’s you are not going to be a starter or not on the team, it’s just not ok to be ok.”

Rodriguez is better than ok and wants her fans and followers to be as well. The 2016 NWSL Rookie of the Year out of Penn State has her seed of the day on Instagram and YouTube @raque_rocky.

“It’s all about helping others and myself. Honestly, it was born in a time where I was struggling a little bit personally and I just thought that I was going to share with people the positive side of difficult times. I think that as long as you are a human being you can relate to any of the topics that I talk about so it’s just a way for me to leave a seed that may change someone’s life and may help others.”

A spokesperson for New Balance, Rodriguez endorses everyday learning. When it comes to her nickname “Rocky,” she says it came from Thorns keeper and Rodriguez’ old Nittany Lions buddy, Britt Eckerstrom.

“She asked me if I had a nickname at home and I just said, well, my name in Spanish is Raquel so she asked me how they call me at home, I said, Raquel,” Rodriguez said. “So, she said it with an American accent, and she said, Rocky. Let’s go!”

During this downtime, she picked up the passion for punching the ivory.

“Piano is just an instrument that I think is beautiful and I have always soft of wanted to learn so I finally realized that this is a great time to do that,” she said. “The piano is easier for me to understand even on a cognitive level, so it seems like it’s my fit.

After trying drums and guitar at an earlier time in her life, the keyboard piano is perfect to not annoy her new neighbors and roommate too much.