The Orlando City forward has surfaced as a rising star in Major League Soccer, but his path to professional soccer was paved with hard work.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Marco Pašalić, Orlando City’s 24-year-old winger, has taken an unconventional route to professional soccer. Growing up in Germany as the son of Croatian emigrants, Pašalić learned the value of hard work from an early age. At 18, he balanced his soccer bournes with a job in construction, demonstrating the fortitude that would define his career. In an AA interview, the Croatian admitted that he worked while playing U18 and U19 football after leaving the academy.
“I suppose my nonage was good. But after this, when I went to the academy, I saw that the academy wasn’t for me. And also my father told me I’ve to work, and I also go to work.
“And for me, I was believing like I believe in myself. And it was delicate, but it tutored me a lot in my life. And when I took the coming step to Croatia, also I finish the work before when I was in Dortmund, I finished it. And also, yeah, like football writes its own stories and my life “
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Pašalić’s rise to elevation is part of a broader trend of players with different backgrounds achieving success in MLS. Now at Orlando City, Pašalić is proving to be a crucial player, having scored four goals in seven games, tied for third in the MLS Golden Boot race. Not only that, he also won the Man of the Matchday for a superb strike in Matchday 6.
