The spine of a soccer team usually refers to the core players, often those positioned in the center of the field. In watching Orlando City’s run through the group stage of the MLS is Back Tournament, it really stood out to me that Orlando City has a new spine, and it is a big reason for the improvement of the club. Let’s take a look from the back to the front.
Goalkeeper
The obvious place to start is with the Lions’ new keeper, Pedro Gallese. The Peruvian is a major upgrade for a club that’s always had serviceable goalkeepers but never a top-tier keeper for MLS.