Pedro Gallese is turning back time. Can he lead Orlando City to glory? | OneFootball

Goalkeeping stalwart Pedro Gallese posted an inspired performance as Orlando City saw out a 1-0 road win over Colorado Rapids on Saturday night.

Registering his eighth MLS clean sheet of the campaign, Gallese now sits level with Minnesota United's Dayne St. Clair and Vancouver Whitecaps' Yohei Takaoka at the summit of the league's shoutout charts.

Denying Rafael Navarro's close-range header and two efforts from playmaker Djordje Mihailovic, Gallese's heroics ensured that Martín Ojeda's early strike was enough for Orlando to secure the three points.

Courtesy of Gallese and goalscorer Ojeda, Orlando was able to banish a small blip in form and advance to fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

Getting better with age?

Gallese's latest shutout came just days after bagging two consecutive clean sheets on international duty with Peru.

While these 0-0 stalemates against Colombia and Ecuador were not enough to keep qualification hopes for next year's FIFA World Cup alive, Gallese's form at 35 years of age suggests he is capable of retaining Peru's first-choice goalkeeping gig long into the qualification process for the 2028 tournament.

What's more, amid Orlando's recent record-equalling unbeaten streak, Gallese posted a magnificent 526-minute run without conceding.

His incredible run of form saw him sit second among goalkeepers in the ballot for this year's MLS All-Star roster (behind only St. Clair) as voting neared its conclusion last week. The Peruvian was last selected as an All-Star in 2021, and his potential inclusion this year is a testament to his longevity.

Despite his age, Gallese is proving that he can still mix it with the best 'keepers in the Americas.

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Error trend reversing in 2025?

In 2024, the veteran's age had been showing increasing signs of affecting his performances. Indeed, Gallese only managed eight MLS shutouts last season as a handful of mistakes began to enter his game. This time around, though, he has matched that tally in just 18 appearances.

However, Gallese's league-leading shutout tally this campaign has also been accompanied by such sporadic mistakes. First, him making a mess of two tame, speculative long-range efforts led to both goals in a 2-1 defeat to NYCFC in March.

Then, after Orlando's unbeaten run came to an end last month, Gallese let an easily-saveable effort from Chicago Fire's Philip Zinckernagel slip through his fingers into the net. This latest gaffe saw Orlando record two consecutive losses for the first time this season.

Yet, eventually, Gallese's class always seems to come to the fore. In November's first-round playoff matchup with Charlotte FC, two inspired penalty shootout stops against Pep Biel and Karol Świderski kept Orlando's MLS Cup dreams alive.

This season, Gallese's saves have won Orlando more points than his mistakes have ever cost.

Can Gallese lead Orlando to more hardware?

Every successful team relies on a top-class 'keeper to bail his teammates out occasionally.

Orlando's all-round performance on Saturday night was by no means a vintage one, but crucial moments from a number of Óscar Pareja's stars were enough to secure the points.

If Pareja has hopes of lifting another trophy this season, his team will need to exhibit the type of grit that helped them over the line against Colorado. Orlando certainly can't win either this summer's Leagues Cup or MLS Cup further down the line by blowing the opposition away every game.

Orlando's signature 'Papi Special' victories, as executed on Saturday, are what have served the team so well in big matches over recent years. Pareja relies on unbreakable team spirit, hard work, and clutch moments from their goalscorers or goalkeepers (or both).

Gallese will need to be at his very best if Orlando is to add to its trophy cabinet this season, but his current form suggests this is very much a possibility.