June 14 2023 Game The Villages SC vs Nona FC
Pedro showed up to release the pressure from the defenders and midfielders and was always looking to make quick transitions to the attack. His technical skills and experience were on full display making tonight and earned him the "man of the match" for our 4th game of the season.
Coffee and questions with Pedro Santos at The Standard Coffee
You came last year but couldn’t play. How is it to be back on the field with the Buffalo?
This year I knew I had even more responsibilities due to what I had built from my time here. I was very excited to come, to get to play again and I feel that this group has even more potential than in that first year. In the beginning, I was looking to see if we would all come together as I felt that we had in 2021 and so far it has worked out very well. I was talking with another player the other day and we talked about not wanting to be in coach’s shoes due to the headache he has with so many good players and the many formations he can put together.
What did you do during the 2022 Summer?
Last year I had a different experience. For part of the Summer, I went to Brazil to see my family. I got to spend time with my parents and was there for my grandma’s 89th birthday which was very nice. College soccer is intense, then coming to USL2 is also intense so it was a bit more relaxing to take some time off.
Then in July, I came here to The Villages even though I couldn’t play because I wanted to find out more about how things are run and learn from the staff. I also did get to train with the team and support the team which was very good. The difficult part was that I couldn’t come on the field to help. That was an odd feeling.
Tell us about the day you found out the Tri-County Stampeders had made that banner of you.
That day was very special. I saw it and I was about to call coach and he called me. It was emotional. I cried with him on the phone. My connection with The Villages SC has felt unique from the very beginning. A strong connection. Then I saw that they made the banner I felt that people here had my back. I really wanted to be here and play but things happen for a reason and I believe that God has a plan. I wasn’t supposed to play that year but I’m here now and able to play and even be selected Man of the Match. Things worked out the way it was supposed to.
What is different about this year?
I think the responsibilities are bigger. I think the team mentality is very strong even during tough situations during training or games. I see a team that is focused. The mix of the returning players with the new ones has been very positive.
For me personally, it was one whole year of dreaming of my return. When I played the first friendly I got onto the field and it felt like nothing had changed. I was really born to play here for The Villages SC and it’s a place that I feel good and confident to play in. Even my teammate from college mentioned that my body language here is much more confident. I don’t know how to explain it but is something very special.
What I have here gives me more confidence to do my job. I get a lot from what Coach Anderson tries to teach. One of the things that he said was that a mistake that he makes he is always working on not repeating it. I take things like that to heart. I think that here I have a lot of good mentors. Coaches, staff there are several people that I see that are deserving of admiration in what they do on and off the field, and the least I can do is to give my all on the field for them.
Is there any difference for you as a player?
I think I’m more experienced. I’m going into my Senior year in college. When I got here the first year I had the technical skills and the willingness to push myself but I was missing that feel for the game here in the USA. We know that it is a very different style from South America or Europe so my time in college and in the USL2 helped me to grow especially in my decision-making. This past season in college I receive several individual accolades and I can say that I’m living now my best moments on the field. I told coach when I got here “Please don’t hold back. If I’m doing anything wrong let me know because I want to do my best”. I feel that I have more responsibility but I also think that I’m more prepared to do what needs to be done.
What did you think about the Nona FC game in which you were selected as Man of the Match?
We can’t avoid the reality that they are a good team but not just myself but my teammates are confident and focused on our side. I live for these games. I like these bigger games. No disrespect to them but I had the feeling of hoping everything would work out well because as I mentioned before the people here are deserving of success. We know that in soccer sometimes things go a different way but I was thinking of the people here that do the right thing on and off the field and it turned out to be a good match. I like when the game demands a lot from the player because that is when you get to see the real players. Same thing when we play against River Plate. That game required the highest level a player can play and the majority of us did give our all and we were able to play head-to-head with one of the best teams in the world. I love these kinds of situations and challenges in my professional life and my personal life as well because I like to prove to myself and the other side that I’m prepared. If I do something and realize that I was not ready I can learn from it.
At the Nona FC game, we had just come off a stressful game against FL Elite SA. That was a lesson for me. Coach knew how to talk with me and I look to him as a father figure. He said that as a leader on the field I needed to help calm my teammates. I told him “I know but I want to win. Especially when I put on this jersey I can’t look at a situation like that calmly”, he said that “I know how it is and it’s one of the reasons that I trust you but use this in your favor. You can’t get into their mental games, use it as a motivator” and it was what I did. I got in with his advice in mind and was set to use it during the game and I was able to put it into practice.
Coming from a stressful game to turning around to be selected Man of the Match. How was that for you?
I think it shows how much I want to avoid the same mistakes and quickly learn from them. I like to overcome situations and gain knowledge. For me, I saw the game after as my opportunity 4 days later to show what I could do. On the Sunday right after the Elite game, I wanted to play them again. Then we play a strong team and I didn’t think I would be Man of the Match but it was very nice. I went in wanting to be a leader and strong mentally not to let anyone down and it was very gratifying.
How do you see the team going forward?
I think the team is getting thicker skin. I think we are growing together and tuff games have helped us do just that. Is not easy to build a whole new team so every day, every game we are getting closer to the vision of the team we know we have.
