Mike Green has served as a steadying presence for the Riverhounds over the years, and this season proved to be no different.
When Victor Souto sustained an injury during the Hounds match against Louisville City FC on May 20, the team needed to adjust.
As a rookie, Souto had logged 90 minutes in nine of the first 10 games this season and catalyzed the Hounds counterattack scheme. The center midfielder also led, and still does despite missing the past two tilts, the club with 33 tackles.
Although Pittsburgh would be without a key piece to its lineup, it had the luxury of turning to a six-year veteran who has called Pittsburgh home for the entirety of his professional career.
This past weekend, head coach Dave Brandt called upon Green to start at center midfield against Orlando City B. He went on to play all 90 minutes and record one tackle and two clearances in the Hounds’ close 2-1 defeat.
“I felt good,” Green said about reaching the 90-minute plateau for the second time this season. “I’d rather get the win, but I felt good. Just need to tighten some things up.”
This game marked Green’s 123rd career appearance with the Hounds, tying Sterling Flunder for third all-time. Only David Flavius (183 caps) and Gary DePalma (147 caps) have more career appearances.
“It’s gone by so quickly,” Green said. “I actually didn’t know about the 123 caps because it has gone by so quickly. I want to cherish every game and play it like it’s my last.”
When the University of New Mexico product first arrived at Pittsburgh in 2012, the club did not play at Highmark Stadium. Instead, it called the turf field of Chartiers Valley High School its home.
While Green progressed through his rookie season, former Hounds goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap helped him transition to life in the Steel City and develop on-field consistency. Rich Costanzo, a Pittsburgh native, also rubbed off some of his toughness onto Green.
“[Costanzo] helped me be a hard-working guy,” Green said. “Soccer came naturally to me and he always worked hard in practice. You need to win every day in practice and each game.”
The Strongsville, Ohio native found playing in a professional atmosphere one of the easier things to adapt to during his first seasons with the Hounds, as he previously competed in an upper-tier collegiate soccer environment at New Mexico. However, he did need to focus on improving his nutrition and adjusting to the quicker pace of play during his early years at the professional level.
“You have to be more consistent in practice,” Green said. “A lot of people lose sight of that at the pro level like, ‘I made it.’ You got to continue crafting your game because the competition gets better.”
At the international level, Green admired the play of Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes. He observed and tried to copy different aspects of the English Football Hall of Fame inductee’s game, such as his vision and ability to strike the ball from 30-40 yards away from the goal.
“He kept games extremely simple, and I try to do that in my game,” Green said. “Overthinking things can cause mistakes.”
Today, Green helps rookie players, like Souto, with adjusting to the professional level. As veteran players used to do for him, the midfielder makes himself accessible for these younger players and answers questions about different situations on the field to which restaurants are best to grab a meal off the pitch.
Thus far into the 2017 campaign, Green has appeared in six games, totaling one shot, four tackles and eight clearances. As the Hounds vie for a playoff spot, the team will continue to lean on his leadership and experience.
“This team is more organized defensively,” Green said. “We’ve had great talent in previous years, but we’re more organized this year. That’s where we’ve evolved more. We have to keep on evolving and be more consistent.”
