FRISCO, Texas – It hasn’t always been easy for FC Dallas goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez.
Sure, he is only 20 years old and is starting for an MLS Supporters' Shield contender that just clinched a spot in the 2015 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Sure, he has already logged two shutouts in seven starts to go along with 25 saves, two penalty-kick saves and a 1.29 goals against average.
But the journey for Dallas’ Homegrown keeper has been arduous – particularly on the mental side of the game.
“It took time to get to this level and getting through the academy,” Gonzalez told MLSsoccer.com. “I had to train hard each and every day. I thank God I’m here now.”
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The young 'keeper has always impressed with his physical tools, standing at 6-foot-4 with a massive wingspan and cat-like reflexes in the net.
But according to head coach Oscar Pareja and recently promoted academy director Luchi Gonzalez, Gonzalez had some major mental blocks standing between him and success at the professional level.
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“He was a little immature,” said Luchi Gonzalez, who coached Gonzalez for two years in the FC Dallas Academy. “He wasn’t always the most punctual. He didn’t communicate the best. His training habits were inconsistent. One day he was very motivated, the next he at times lacked focus.
“You always saw that talent. So I think the staff, our thought was, ‘Don’t baby him. Don’t take it easy. Don’t tell him what he wants to hear. Tell him what he needs to hear, and show him what he needs to see.’”
FC Dallas brass saw the pro potential in Gonzalez from the outset (he first made an academy appearance in 2010), and he wound up finishing his academy career with an 18-8-6 record and a 1.16 goals against average.
But given his mental make-up and inconsistency on a day-to-day basis, club leadership made a decision on how to jump-start his development even further:
They threw him to the wolves.
“We felt like we needed to have the pro guys breathe down his neck, put some pressure on him, hold him accountable for every little thing on and off the field,” Gonzalez told MLSSoccer.com. “The pro environment, we felt, was the only thing that was going to allow him to get out of his comfort zone, mature, get his stuff together and be a pro. At the end of the day, it was sink or swim.”
The decision was a nerve-wracking one for FC Dallas. Gonzalez was still 17 years old when he signed his first professional contract on March 21, 2013, and he had not yet shown signs of becoming a consistently mature player on the training field.
Initial results were as expected for a player that young joining the ranks of seasoned profesionals, some of whom had competed for an MLS Cup or played at the highest level of international soccer.
“You could see within three or four months, he was out of his element,” Luchi Gonzalez said. “Guys were on him. He learned a few lessons. But at the end of the day, he learned some hard lessons early on with the pro team, and it got to a point with [FC Dallas technical director Fernando Clavijo] and [goalkeeper coach] Drew [Keeshan] where they said, ‘Jesse, it’s black or white. You either have to go down this path or that path, and you may not have a future with the club.’”
In due time, Jesse Gonzalez found the path that allowed him to sculpt his future not just with FC Dallas, but with his national team as well.
Born in North Carolina and raised in Texas, Gonzalez has already represented Mexico in various age-group competitions, leading Mexico to the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 title and a spot in this year's FIFA U-20 World Cup, in which he started twice.
According to Gonzalez, his allegiance will remain with Mexico, even in the days leading up to a crucial showdown between the nation of his birth and the nation of his heritage, this Saturday's CONCACAF Cup.
“As of right now, I’m committed to Mexico,” Gonzalez said earlier this year. “Nothing’s going to change my mind if I get another call.”
The willingness to make a commitment like that only highlights his growing confidence and maturity, which have not gone unnoticed at his club. Coaches and teammates now have nothing but praise for the progress Gonzalez has made. Even the now-20-year-old himself can see a drastic change when he looks in the mirror.
“When I was with the academy, I was just a young kid messing around and stuff,” Gonzalez said. “Now this is my job. I take care of it. I’m more responsible for my job.”
The physical gifts are still there, helping him allow one or fewer goals in five of the seven games he has started for FC Dallas. He has also earned the respect of the teammates in front of him, including defender and team captain Matt Hedges.
“He’s much more confident than he used to be,” Hedges told MLSsoccer.com. “His play, in the locker room, on the field – he’s more comfortable. It’s a big thing for young guys to get their confidence up. If they come from the academy to the first team, it’s tough for them, because guys are banging on them and they have to raise their level to get up to the speed of play.
"Sometimes they get on the field, and one mistake can really hurt that confidence. But he’s done really, really well.”
Since making his first start for FC Dallas on Aug. 22 in Vancouver, Gonzalez has hit his share of bumps along the road. On a recent two-game road swing to Sporting Kansas City and the LA Galaxy, he gave up three goals in each affair, making a couple of risky decisions in the process.
He has since bounced back with a strong, playoff-clinching performance against in-state rivals Houston Dynamo, but the two-game struggle provided something Gonzalez had yet to experience in the professional ranks.
“With the youngsters, I always say there is a path that brings some pain when they’re growing,” Pareja said. “When you invest in a player, you’ve got to get through some challenges. What Jesse faced in those last two games, it’s very important for him and important for the group.”
“He’s got to realize there’s going to be games like that every year where it doesn’t go right and things don’t go well and you get beat pretty badly,” Hedges added. “I think it’s a good experience for him because he’ll learn a lot from those.”
The quick bounce-back against Houston showed Gonzalez’s ability to shake off adversity – something he has had to do since having his feet put to the fire with the sudden move to the professional ranks.
Fellow goalkeeper Dan Kennedy attributes the ability to the youngster’s easy-going persona.
“I think that suits 'keepers well being a little more laid back, because if you’re uptight, it’s a mental position,” Kennedy told MLSSoccer.com. “You’re thinking a lot out there, and you can get in your own head. As long as you can stay calm, stay relaxed, it can help you out. And that’s a bit how his personality is off the field.”
Learning from veteran goalkeepers Dan Kennedy (whose injury initially gave Gonzalez a chance to start) and Chris Seitz has given Gonzalez a perspective on goalkeeping he likely never would have received had the organization not thrust him to the pro team at a young age.
While coaches said communication was one of his biggest weaknesses, the 20-year-old said learning how to organize the defenders in front of him is one of the most valuable on-field lessons he has learned from Dallas' veterans.
“It helps a lot,” Jesse said. “You get to learn new things from veteran goalkeepers. Whatever you see they’re doing, you do the same thing when you go back to the academy training sessions.”
But the biggest lessons Gonzalez has learned have been above the shoulders, and the organization’s leap of faith has proven successful in that regard.
“He realized that people will stop giving him opportunities if he doesn’t do the simple things right,” Luchi Gonzalez said. “He thought, ‘If I can’t be more responsible and consistent, it will be a reflection of how I do on the field.’ I think he’s finally got it.
"Now you see him, and he’s early, he communicates well, he’s a gentleman, he’s proper, he has great training habits […] so we’re proud from an academy standpoint.”
Not every academy player’s path will be the same as that of Jesse Gonzalez, but the Homegrown goalkeeper embraced his unique route, dealt with the challenges and is now making the most of his opportunity on a team poised for a playoff run.
“As long as you work, that’s what can make you different from everybody else,” Jesse said. “That’s what I did. I just worked harder than others, and that’s what’s gotten me to this point.”
