The Cinderella story earned a spot in the starting lineup. How well did he do?
Having played for 8 teams in 11 seasons, not much was expected of Mike Grella coming into the season. He had zero MLS experience and had only joined the team as a trialist.
An impressive preseason showing earned him a spot on the first team roster. With the team missing a real left midfielder, Jesse Marsch decided to give the journeyman a crack in the starting lineup. While he struggled initially, "Grelladinho" eventually won over the fans with his flair and timely goal scoring.