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2023 Orlando City Season in Review: Pedro Gallese

El Pulpo was again rock solid in net for Orlando City.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City signed Peruvian international goalkeeper Pedro Gallese on Jan. 17, 2020 from Alianza Lima after a few weeks of reports linking him with the Lions. It was a Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) signing. Although the club did not specify the length of the deal at the time, it ended up being through the 2022 season, and the Lions re-signed Gallese on Dec. 27, 2022 through the upcoming 2024 season with a club option for 2025. Since Gallese’s arrival, Orlando City has enjoyed stability and excellence at the goalkeeper position and has made the postseason every year.

Let’s look back on the Peruvian’s fourth year with Orlando City.

Statistical Breakdown

Gallese played in 30 of Orlando City’s 34 regular-season matches (all starts), logging 2,700 minutes. He stopped 70.5% of the shots he faced, which was his best save percentage since 2020, making 79 saves and keeping 10 clean sheets — a new career high for him in an MLS season and tied for fifth most in the league. He faced three penalty kicks and saved one in normal time. He passed at a 69.2% rate, which was the lowest of his MLS career to date, but he made his first two key passes. Attacking stats are rare for a goalkeeper, so it’s not surprising that he did not score a goal or assist on one. Defensively, he won 93.3% of his duels and 33.3% of his headed duels. He also recorded a tackle and 22 clearances. Gallese was fouled nine times without conceding any fouls and was booked three times. He was named to the Team of the Matchday four times — twice as the starter and twice on the bench — and was a finalist for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.

In the playoffs, Gallese started and went the distance in all three of Orlando City’s postseason matches, logging 300 minutes. He made 12 saves and stopped 85.7% of the shots he faced while keeping two clean sheets. In fact, he didn’t allow a goal until extra time of the team’s third playoff game, and his team was down a man at the time. His two shutouts were the first postseason clean sheets in the club’s MLS era. He passed at a 62.6% rate in the postseason with 21 successful long passes but no key passes. He did not record a goal or an assist. He had two clearances in the playoffs. The goalkeeper did not commit or draw a foul in the postseason but he was booked once.

Although Gallese did not make an appearance in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup, he was the starter for both of Orlando City’s Concacaf Champions League matches against Tigres, playing all 180 minutes across the two legs. He was busy in those two matches, allowing just one goal and making 15 total saves on 16 shots on target (93.8%) with a goals-against average of 0.50 and a clean sheet on the road in Mexico. Gallese completed 28 of 49 passes (57.1%) in the competition. He did not have a goal contribution on Orlando’s lone strike of the tournament.

He also started and went the distance in all three of Orlando’s Leagues Cup matches, logging 270 minutes. He allowed five goals in the competition but two of those were from the penalty spot, recording a goals-against average of 1.67. He also stopped Hector Herrera in the post-draw penalty shootout against the Houston Dynamo, helping the Lions win on spot kicks. He made five saves on 10 shots on target for a 50% save percentage. He was booked twice in the competition.

Best Game

Gallese had a number of big games, and ironically most of those did not result in clean sheets. For example, he allowed three goals against Columbus on Sept. 16 but the Crew put 10 of their 15 shots on target, so he made seven saves and some of those were spectacular. However, I will go with a clean sheet for his best game — the Lions’ 0-0 draw at Tigres UANL on March 7 in Concacaf Champions Cup play.

Tigres peppered the Orlando goalkeeper with 22 shot attempts, putting eight of them on target. Gallese stopped all eight, finishing with a perfect save percentage and a clean sheet. It’s rare for an MLS team to go into Mexico in the competition and come home with a result but Orlando City did just that, thanks in large part to Gallese’s efforts at Estadio Universitario in San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico.

It was a fun matchup to watch as Gallese thwarted Tigres talisman Andre-Pierre Gignac time and again. Gignac attempted nine total shots and put five of them on target, only to see Gallese keep the door closed. He also made a difficult stop on Fernando Gorriarán’s first-half effort, fighting off a shot that skipped off the pitch in front of him, and denied Sebastián Córdova. Here are a couple of his notable stops in the match:

Gallese didn’t pass particularly well in the game, completing just 15 of 30 attempts, but that was what the game required, given the amount of pressure Tigres brought. Oftentimes he was just lumping long balls forward in hopes of something opening up at the other end or to relieve the pressure for the moment.

Given the environment, the opponent, the barrage of shots faced, and the pressure of the match — it was Orlando City’s first-ever game in the competition — it was a stellar performance for the Lions’ No. 1.

2023 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Gallese a composite grade of 7.5 out of 10 for the 2023 season. This isn’t quite as high as the 8 he received in 2021 and again for the 2022 season, but it’s higher than the 7 out of 10 he received for his first season in Orlando. His scores over the last four seasons show how consistent he’s been while performing at a high level for the team. Gallese is still one of the league’s best shot stoppers, although he had a couple of odd gaffes in 2023 that we aren’t used to seeing. Considering the number of minutes he’s played for club and country over the last few years, that’s a remarkable run of form and consistency.

2024 Outlook

Gallese will be the starter whenever healthy enough to do so in 2024. He’s been one of the best goalkeepers in Major League Soccer since his arrival, although he perhaps flies a bit under the radar at times. There were a couple of uncharacteristic slips last season — notably a goal from long distance by Carles Gil just before halftime in the 2023 home finale and a spill against Nashville that ended up in the net but didn’t cost the team a goal due to Hany Mukhtar being offside in the buildup. Those two moments are aberrations in Gallese’s time in Orlando that will bear watching in the future, although he obviously played through a few knocks during the last couple of seasons. Gallese will be 34 in February, which is still in the prime years for a goalkeeper. He should have plenty left in the tank for 2024 (and beyond).


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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/25

The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.

Bad Pride, Good Pride

It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.

The (OCSC) Academy Awards

Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.

Pochettino Prepares

The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.

MLS Transfer News

The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/25

Pedro Gallese earns recognition, Americans in midweek action, English promotion update, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well it wasn’t the worst weekend that Orlando soccer has ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the best either. Fortunately, all three of Orlando’s teams will be back in action soon, so there’s no need to dwell on the past too much. Let’s take a moment to wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Brianna Martinez, as well as to Kaká! Now, it’s time to turn our attention to today’s links.

Pedro Gallese Earns Weekly Recognition

Pedro Gallese kept a third clean sheet in a row and Orlando City’s third clean sheet of the year in the team’s scoreless draw on the road against CF Montreal. In recognition of his efforts during the match, Gallese was named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. El Pulpo made six saves to blank a Montreal team that intently searched for a breakthrough, and made a couple of truly excellent second half stops that kept the score level. Congrats to Pedro and keep up the good work!

Americans in Midweek Action

A number of Americans will be playing games during the working week, and there are some big matches to keep an eye on. The main event is on Wednesday, when Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan face Inter Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, which is tied 1-1 after the first leg. Also on Wednesday, Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace will play Arsenal in the Premier League. Thursday then has Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV Eindhoven playing FC Twente in the Eredivisie, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis play Valladolid in La Liga action.

English Promotion Update

Following results in the EFL Championship on Monday, Leeds United and Burnley have both secured promotion to the Premier League for next season. Both teams won their respective games and are each on 94 points, and with just two matches left, third-placed Sheffield United has no way to catch them. The other promoted side will be determined after the promotion playoffs, which would feature Sheffield United, Sunderland, Bristol City, and Coventry City if the season ended today. Meanwhile in League One, Wrexham’s 2-1 victory over Blackpool meant the Dragons retook second place and the automatic promotion spot that comes with it. If they beat Charlton on Sunday and Wycombe Wanderers drop points against Leyton Orient, then Wrexham would secure promotion to the Championship.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

Transfer rumors continue to fly thick and fast as we approach the business end of most European seasons, so let’s take a look at a few items worth catching up on. Manchester United is said to be keen on signing 17-year-old Argentine Franco Mastantuono from River Plate. Liverpool is reportedly interested in signing winger Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, although the Reds would likely face competition from several other Premier League teams. Finally, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has revealed that he and Xabi Alonso have a gentleman’s agreement that if a team the Spaniard used to play for is interested in hiring him as its coach, then the club will not hinder the process. The statement has led to renewed speculation that Alonso will be named Real Madrid coach if Carlo Ancelotti leaves in the summer.

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That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City’s Focus On Youth Development Showing In The First Team

Orlando City is seeing more and more players promoted from the academy, through OCB, and into the first team.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City began its academy in the USL Pro days with the goal of developing players for the first team. It took nearly a decade to begin seeing youth development bear fruit, but it’s becoming apparent early in the 2025 season.

Prior to 2019, Orlando City signed four players to Homegrown Player contracts. Tommy Redding, Tyler Turner, and Harrison Heath never played in the academy and the other, Mason Stajduhar, developed primarily at Chargers Soccer Club in Tampa.

Orlando City signed arguably its first true Homegrown Player when the club inked Benji Michel to a first-team contract. The following off-season, the Lions added David Loera and Jordan Bender. Mikey Halliday signed in July 2020. All of the players came through the academy before signing first-team deals. 

So what changed?

Part of it was the growth of the academy. It takes several years to begin producing players. Another major factor was the hiring of Luiz Muzzi on Dec. 18, 2019. Muzzi came from FC Dallas, a club known for promoting from its academy. He brought in Ricardo Moreira, who shares his vision of developing young talent for the first team.

And it’s not only Muzzi and Moreira. Former Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath rarely attended OCB games. James O’Connor only went to one, and that was to see his former teammate, Dennis Chin, who was playing with the opposing Richmond Kickers. The Orlando City boss left when Chin came off.

Oscar Pareja and other first-team coaches have been at several games, far more than their predecessors. That’s largely to do with the games’ location at the training facility, which is another factor in OCB’s development. The 2019 team trained over 40 miles away from the first team. The move to Kissimmee has the first team, OCB, and the development academy under one roof. It’s another display of the club’s more recent commitment to youth development.

Undoubtedly, the transformation of OCB under Muzzi and Moreira has also impacted Homegrown talent coming through. The team’s 2016 and 2017 rosters were primarily made up of first-team reserves and USL lifers. The 2019 team had many players from the Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy (SIMA), many of which were young but ineligible for Homegrown status.

Things began to change in 2020. The roster shifted to include more academy players and that’s only grown. This year, 15 OCB players came out of the academy, two were drafted, and eight are outside signings on MLS NEXT Pro deals. Other than Jhon Solis and first-team goalkeeper Carlos Mercado, everyone to appear for the team is 23 years old or younger.

The focus on giving OCB spots to academy graduates is now seen in the first team. Players like Thomas Williams, Javier Otero, Alex Freeman, Colin Guske, and Gustavo Caraballo have been regulars on the MLS team sheet. Injuries to first-team regulars has seen them receiving regular playing time.

The poster boy for this change is Freeman. The right back came out of the academy and spent a couple of years at OCB before signing his first-team contract. He won the starting role early in the 2025 regular season.

Many players joined the club later in their development, but we’re seeing some come through having been nearly fully developed at the Orlando City Academy. Guske and Caraballo joined at 13 years old, the youngest age group of the development academy. Both signed first-team deals for this year.

The midfield duo continue to play with OCB most games but are also on the first-team roster almost weekly. The only reason they weren’t in Montreal Saturday night is because they were helping the club’s U-18 team reach (and then win) the Generation Adidas Cup final.

With Muzzi and Moreira at the helm, more players continue to come through. U-18 captain and OCB starter Jackson Platts appears to be well on his way to a first-team contract. So does fellow U-18 and OCB starting forward Justin Ellis.

This past weekend saw another academy product make his first-team debut. Zakaria Taifi took over at right back for OCB when Freeman moved up to the first team this year. Signing a short-term deal Saturday, he came on as a late substitute to help the 10-man Lions see out the scoreless draw.

First-team absences have provided opportunities for many young players. If several weren’t at the Generation Adidas Cup, it could be more. Regardless, the last few years have shown a big step forward for the club.

The shift in recent years is more than the pride of seeing local kids representing the hometown team. They’ve been an essential part of the 2025 campaign. The club hasn’t had to use a short bench or dip into outside emergency signings. Instead, the Lions call up kids they know, making it easier to seamlessly place them into the team.

There will be times where several injuries will occur to experienced players. Orlando City is prepared for this more now than ever before, and it’s because of the players coming through the academy and playing with OCB. We’re already seeing it early in this 2025 season.

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