Orlando City SC Lions Re-Sign Gallardo, Boden and Pulis for 2014 Season, Preparing For 2015 Season
Club signing players who have potential for jump to MLS in Spring 2015
Orlando City SC announced Monday that Goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo, Defender Luke Boden and Midfielder Anthony Pulis have all re-signed with the Lions for the upcoming 2014 USL PRO season, pending USSF approval. The signings mark a continued effort by Head Coach Adrian Heath to retool the roster with talented players with an eye toward a 2015 entry into Major League Soccer (MLS).
“We are preparing a squad that consists of players who we believe might make that jump with us,” said Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath.
Luke Boden originally signed with Orlando prior to the inaugural 2011 season and, along with Gallardo, is one of five players who have made their way onto the 2014 squad after joining the Lions in their first-ever season. Boden has been a consistent starter in Heath’s system over the past three seasons, playing in 61 regular season matches from 2011-2013.
In 2013, the defender started all of the matches he appeared in (22), playing 90 minutes all but one time.
Miguel Gallardo has been consistently been a mainstay between the nets over the past three seasons. The Torreon, Mexico, native has never had a Goals Against Average (GAA) higher than 1.00 during his time in Orlando, earning accolades such as 2011 USL PRO Goalkeeper of the year. In 2012, Gallardo led the league in GAA with a .780 average and recorded eight shutouts.
Gallardo played in 15 regular season matches for Orlando in 2013, totalling five shutouts and a .958 GAA in 1,221 minutes played. He also started all three postseason matches in the Lions’ run toward a 2013 USL PRO Championship.
Anthony Pulis re-joins the Lions after two successful seasons with Orlando, making 32 total appearances from 2012-2103. Pulis has served as an anchor in the midfield for Heath’s club, playing alongside newly promoted Coach/Midfielder James O’Connor.
Before joining the Lions in 2012, Pulis spent time with premier English sides such as Stoke City and Southampton.
Heath has said multiple times that the club is searching for players that would make the jump from USL PRO to MLS in 2015. Gallardo, Pulis and Boden join James O’Connor, Rob Valentino, Dennis Chin and Jamie Watson as players from the 2013 season to make the 2014 squad.
For more information and signings, stay tuned to OrlandoCitySoccer.com.
Transaction:
Orlando City SC (USL PRO) signs Goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo, Defender Luke Boden, Midfielder Anthony Pulis
About Orlando City Soccer Club:
Orlando City Soccer Club (OCSC) is a premier soccer club in the United States, aiming to be in Major League Soccer by 2015. The Lions recently captured the 2013 USL PRO Championship, the club’s second postseason title in just three years. Outside of the pro squad, OCSC also has their own youth club, Orlando City Youth Soccer (OCYS) and a U23s team that participates in the PDL. For more information on the pro and youth clubs, visit OrlandoCitySoccer.com and OrlandoCityYouth.org.
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