When Christian Volesky drew a foul inside the penalty box late in last weekend’s matchup against the Swope Park Rangers, Anthony Velarde didn’t expect to hear his name called to take the honors.
Sure enough, down by one goal with just minutes remaining in the contest, head coach Bob Lilley sent Velarde to the spot.
“I think [Lilley] trusts me on the dead balls, and PKs are pretty much a dead ball,” Velarde said. “I think Bob has really given me a lot of trust in those aspects of the game. I think the players around me believed in me and they believe in my skill on dead balls.
“It was a surprise for me. I was a little bit nervous at first but then after I stepped up I had full confidence because I knew my coach and my teammates believed in me.”
Using the support the rookie knew he had behind him, Velarde managed to shake the nerves and banged a blast into the left side of the net for his first professional goal. The tally provided Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC with its first point of the season, as the club then tied Swope Park, 2-2.
From the moment Velarde heard he was going to be taking the kick, he knew exactly where he was placing it. The midfielder was going to aim left regardless of which way the keeper dove.
“I told myself, ‘I’m going left, and I’m going to stay left,’” Velarde said. “If he goes there, then hopefully I make it even if he does. If he doesn’t, then it’s perfect. I’m just going to stick to my left side.
“If I change my mind, usually that’s when things happen. That’s when shots start going out of the frame. I just stuck to the left, and I said, ‘I’m just shooting it there.’”
Velarde’s goal wasn’t the only career first achieved in the draw. Hounds defender Caleb Smith made his professional debut in the match. When he finally took the field, it hit him that every ounce of preparation he put in leading up to that moment had finally paid off.
“I kind of had a weird feeling that I was going to go in that game,” Smith said on his debut. “Whenever we scored the goal I just heard my name called and everything kind of came at once.
“When I stepped on the field for the first time, it was just an amazing feeling to know that I officially made my debut. All the work I put in since I started playing soccer as a kid all paid off.”
Velarde and Smith both agreed that having so many young players in the locker room in their same position has helped them settle into the professional game. The group has been able to explore the city together and help each other adjust to their new team.
On top of that, Smith noted several of the team’s veterans have played a huge role in easing that transition as well.
“I live with Jordan Dover,” Smith said. “He’s been really important for me, just around the house and things like that, telling me what I need to do to get better. I’m adjusting to the weather and he’s showing me around Pittsburgh.
“I’m from Texas, from the South, so it’s a lot colder here. A lot of veteran guys put their arms around us rookies and really show us how to be a pro.”
As the Hounds (0-1-1) gear up for their match against Bethlehem Steel FC (1-2-0) at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Talen Energy Stadium, rookies like Velarde and Smith will only become more comfortable in the professional environment.
Regardless of what the pair accomplishes in the future, it’s safe to say they’ll never forget what they accomplished during the draw in Kansas City. And the duo could very well be in store for another impactful game on Saturday night against Steel FC.
