Orlando City SC players must know where their teammates are in match situations. And that includes the goalkeeper.
Orlando City SC squad members enjoy increasing success in this MLS season. They’re staying focused better on their teammates' positions on the pitch. They understand what each player can do in match situations.
That’s also the case for Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. He watches the ball. He keeps his teammates in focus. And he grows his skills while drilling on the next opponent each week.
Gallese has put together some outstanding performances – through the past 13 games he’s collected three clean sheets. Yet it’s easy to think of a goalkeeper as someone who occasionally dives to make a save, but mostly kicks long balls, or passes to another player.
El Pulpo does a lot more than that.
He’s not shy about playing away from the net. Through all his games this season, when a ball needs to be cleared, he’s taken charge and cleared it nine times. He’s even tallied a dribble doing it, and gotten credit for a key pass.
He also can get physical when needed. He’s credited with six aerials won, with half of those against DC. United in April. He's got 32 saves so far.
Things were really tough for SC earlier this season. Even then, Gallese recognized the players had the ability to fight. He identified that the way for them to become winners was to fight smart, and be themselves.
It was after their 1-0 loss on an early score by FC Cincinnati that the team began drilling in a way that matched Gallese’s idea. They tested themselves against match plans that had beaten them, and found they could play using those same plans.
As Gallese put it, the team had been trying to push players in a way that didn’t work, when they really only needed to be themselves.
The Orlando City SC squad is enjoying being themselves now. And they’re winning more games, also.
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