The head of Crew SC rookie Rodrigo Saravia has swollen since the Guatemalan midfielder was drafted in January, but not from arrogance or injury. Instead, it is bursting with soccer knowledge, his brain buzzing with what he has learned from the game at one of its highest levels.

The head of Crew SC rookie Rodrigo Saravia has swollen since the Guatemalan midfielder was drafted in January, but not from arrogance or injury.

Instead, it is bursting with soccer knowledge, his brain buzzing with what he has learned from the game at one of its highest levels.

�I still need to learn a lot,� said Saravia, a first-round draft pick who has made a quick and impressive leap from college soccer at Florida Gulf Coast to starting for the Guatemalan national team and logging important minutes for the Crew.

�But, yeah, I feel like my brain is getting a bit bigger. I see things in a different way, and the credit goes to my coaches and my teammates.�

The best evidence came in March, when Saravia started in two World Cup qualifiers against the United States, and on Saturday. That is when Saravia, primarily a central midfielder, took the spot of injured center back Gaston Sauro and held his own for 55 minutes of a 0-0 tie with Toronto FC and MVP forward Sebastian Giovinco.

�We�re giving him a lot, trying to get him up to speed quickly, and he is good at handling that, processing that information,� coach Gregg Berhalter said. �The other side of him that I like is that he is a competitor. He wants to get on the field and get his opportunity, and when he gets out there, he doesn�t hold back."

Saravia will make his share of mistakes, Berhalter said, �but you get the sense that he is in control.�

Saravia said he asked for an earful from the veterans around him as he played out of position Saturday, including goalkeeper Steve Clark, left back Corey Ashe, center back Michael Parkhurst and center midfielder Wil Trapp.

They obliged.

�I told them, �talk to me, and I�ll listen,' � he said. �All those guys are so experienced, so that was good. I felt good.�

It was a sign of maturity that impressed center back Tyson Wahl, who likely would have subbed on for Sauro had he not been out because of a concussion.

�It�s not easy to do what he did, stepping in like that, even for a veteran who always plays that position,� Wahl said, echoing Clark, Parkhurst and Ashe. �He did a great job.�

Saravia has yet to start but has made the case for playing time. He said his ongoing professional education is not without fringe benefits.

�It�s funny,� Saravia said, �but even in FIFA (the series of video games), I understand more. I�v e improved. I see things differently now. It�s pretty amazing.�

smitchell@dispatch.com

@smitchcd