Giles Barnes came to Orlando City via a trade with the Vancouver Whitecaps just a few weeks ago. Already, his impact has been felt. After coming on in the season opener for Kaká in the 10th minute, Barnes assisted on the lone goal of the match on his first touch of the night. In training, he’s stepped up as a leader, helping his younger teammates develop their skills. Head Coach Jason Kreis is pleased with the acquisition.
“He comes into the game and makes the assist for the game winning goal in the first match and did a lot of other things that were important,” Kreis said. “But from a character and leadership point of view, he’s another voice around here with experience that’s lending information and providing information to the group which is important.”
He’s a versatile player as well. Barnes can play multiple roles on the field, in both the midfield and forward roles. He’s got a lot of talent, and can make an immediate impact. That much was clear after week one.
“I think his versatility is a big plus for us, being that he can play in the wide midfield positions as well as either of the striker positions. So, he adds a lot of versatility,” Kreis said. “And then, his individual qualities. Giles is a very powerful runner, someone who can really stretch the field for us, but it’s also good when he has the ball at his feet running at defenders. It gives us some qualities that are really different than some of the players we have already.”
Goalkeeper Joe Bendik agreed. He noted how Barnes had worked with Donny Toia on communication up the field, and had helped Cyle Larin sharpen some of his skills as a forward. Most importantly, Bendik said that he is a great guy to be around.
“He’s an excellent teammate,” Bendik said. “I think he’s been great. You can obviously tell he’s been around the league and been here for years so when he came in, and I thought he made an immediate impact.”
Barnes was able to make such an impact in the first game after only one week with the club. Who knows what he’ll be able to accomplish in game two.
