Wednesday’s match versus Real Salt Lake was notable for several reasons. It was the second of three matches in an eight-day span, and that being the case it was one in which Patrick Vieira elected to make significant changes to his XI. But another reason it was notable was the return of Andrea Pirlo to the starting lineup.
Once a fixture in the first team, as is expected of a superstar Designated Player, Pirlo has slowly become an odd man out, finding himself on the bench for two straight matches as he watched Yangel Herrera make play after play again and again, as if after Vieira’s own heart.