Catch the next episode of FC Dallas Extra Time with Gina Miller on Saturday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m. on TXA 21, leading into FC Dallas' match against Columbus Crew SC at 8.
Don’t let Jesse Gonzalez’s youthful enthusiasm fool you. He knows what you’re thinking. And he’s ready to prove you wrong.
The 20-year-old FC Dallas goalkeeper is the future of the franchise in the net and understands that responsibility.
When I sat down with him for a lengthy conversation earlier this year, he was candid about the expectations he’s dealing with as a starting goalkeeper in MLS.
“There’s gonna be a lot more pressure,” he told me. “I gotta handle the pressure even more than what it was last year.”
That’s because not only is Gonzalez fulfilling a vital role for a team that will be one of the most competitive in MLS this season, but he is also hoping to play for the Mexican National Team in the 2016 Summer Olympics. Gonzalez says that training with his national team has helped him become a better overall player, both on- and off-the-pitch.
“I learned a lot over there,” he said. “Just being more professional, more mature, it’s something that I struggle through.”
“On the field he’s grown in confidence and growing in experience,” backup goalkeeper Chris Seitz told me. “That’s what you need out of someone like that at his age.”
I don’t envy the position Gonzalez is in. He’ll be 21 on May 25th. He’s still so young. At the same time, he’s learning and soaking up everything he can to be a smarter player. The thing is, he’s doing it on a global stage, something I am glad I didn’t experience in my youth.
Gonzalez’s honesty and candor is a sign of the maturation process, in my opinion. He knows he has room to grow and is willing to admit it.
I think homegrown player took a big step Saturday night bouncing back from that that 5-0 defeat in Houston with a clean sheet (his second of the season, by the way) against a tough Montreal club at Toyota Stadium.
Any athlete will tell you that how you respond from a tough loss or setback shows your character. We’re getting to see more of Jesse Gonzalez’s. What does it reveal? A gifted athlete who is quickly becoming one of the more formidable goalkeepers in the game.
