The Blueprint: The Importance of Gabriel Pec's movement
Breaking down Gabriel Pec's performance against Charlotte and why it outlined a blueprint for him to succeed in 2026
The concept of inertia is simple: “An object in motion stays in motion”.
An example of this was provided by the LA Galaxy in its 3-0 over Charlotte FC on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park. Gabriel Pec specifically brought this concept to life with his performance by moving the Galaxy attack forward.
In the lead-up to this campaign, I wrote a column about the importance of Pec to this team’s success. I wrote:
“Being the ‘face of the franchise’ means taking over when the team needs it the most. It means taking responsibility in big games and keeping the heartbeat of the team going, even in the hardest moments of the season”.
LA’s first three games of the season will not be memorable in the slightest. A lackluster 180 minutes of soccer against San Miguelito in the first round of Concacaf Champions Cup and a home-opening draw against NYCFC that saw little to no action from the G’s.
The football was slow and predictable. LA didn’t look like it could string together one clinical attack. Questions were starting to mount in just one week.
Going back to inertia, someone needs to set the motion and keep the tempo going. A catalyst is necessary to create infectious energy.
Pec was a threat on Saturday night when he was running towards the goal, being direct with pace rather than being part of the buildup. This method is how he was successful during the 2024 season and how he terrorized Charlotte on the night.
The second goal of the night is the exact scenario where head coach Greg Vanney wants to Pec to be in the final third. Lucas Sanabria plays a ball over the top for Pec to run onto rather than receive the ball facing his own goal. The Brazilian is aggressive with his run to the endline and shows the quality to make the perfect pass to the far post for Joao Kluass to tap in.
“It’s about us finding Gabe in finishing actions. And when I say finishing actions, it’s working in behind the back line. It’s on the move towards the goal. It’s not standing. It is in stationary positions and trying to play make from standing positions,” said Vanney earlier this season about what he wants to see from Pec.
“We need to get Gabe active and on the move… and find him building speed and being a finisher, finisher of plays, and not a guy who is always like trying to create plays,” added Vanney.
This clip is a great example of what Vanney is talking about. Here, Pec operates as part of the possession sequence, but his movement off the ball leads to him getting a shot off in a dangerous part of the box. He doesn’t score, but his movement singlehandedly allows LA to get this shot off. There is no playmaking here from Pec, just movement to get in the finishing positions Vanney wants to see from him.
This graph from Sofascore.com shows Pec’s carries during the match. He’s moving with the ball forward often. His passing is stagnant -which is to be expected from inverted wingers- but he’s progressing the ball into the most dangerous parts of the box.
If he’s not moving with the ball into the final third, Pec becomes completely ineffective in the attack. This is why Vanney continues to reiterate how important it is for Pec to move and be a finisher.
Pec’s heatmap from the match against NYCFC, compared to this past weekend, provides an excellent visual source of how different his impact in the final third was. NYCFC did well to limit his touches in the middle third compared to Pec getting used to touching the ball near the penalty box against Charlotte.
Pec’s volume of touches increased, but more imporantly, it was closer to the goal compared to the week prior. Obviously, the game states of both games were completely different, but it shows LA made progress to get Pec moving closer to the goal.
The Galaxy saw everyone in the starting XI play a role in this victory. This type of rhythm is key to getting the attackers moving and not shying away from attacking situations.
Seeing Pec operate in this manner brought LA to life. It showed the flashes of brilliance of the 25-year-old Brazilian that are needed to navigate through a long season. As long as Pec stays in motion, he will be any opponent’s most dangerous threat.