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Marc Pelosi was a talented, yet dreadfully unlucky, Reds prospect. Besides a nice close control and willingness in the final third, most knew him as the lad whose legs get shattered more often than the windows of Babe Ruth's childhood. He was waived by Liverpool, but is now a member of Major League Soccer.
MLS is perhaps the level of this game that would have suited the wide attacker best from the start. Sucked into the youth footballing market after impressing at the Under 17 World Cup for the USA, Pelosi signed for Liverpool in 2011. Born in Germany, Pelosi was actually plucked by Liverpool from a California youth team De Anza Force - so this is a homecoming on a couple of different levels.
As has been the refrain for the lad's career to date, Pelosi would start brightly for Liverpool's Under 18s before suffering a devastating, long term leg injury. He would then come back and star again for the Under 18s the subsequent season, even making inroads into the reserve squad set up with his sterling form. Up to the point when a devastating, long term leg injury would take him out. And so the pattern would repeat, with the vicious nature of Pelosi's injuries matched only by his unwavering ability to fight his way back into the academy/reserve fold for LFC.
These injuries are not Pelosi's whole story, not even close. However, his story does hinge on them. They are simultaneously the biggest point of concern and biggest reassurance to anyone hoping the lad makes a career out of it. No one bounces back from repeated setbacks of this magnitude in life without some iron in their belly. And if his past is any indication, Marc Pelosi's got enough iron in his belly to turn Theon Greyjoy green with envy.
And so we salute Marc Pelosi and the San Jose Earthquakes for extending him a solid chance to make good on all that talent and mental strength. Here's hoping he pulls together enough consistent playing time and form to earn himself a return trip across the pond one day.
For now, we enjoy his highlights set to half-baked techno.
