Bryan Fisher has been coaching for a long time and has numerous plaudits for Gianluca Pugliese concerning his soccer abilities. But it was Fisher’s comment about his character that really made an impact on the Notre Dame High senior defender.
“He’s a really great kid,” the Irish coach said. “He’s tough on the field but off the field he’s smiling a lot, everybody loves him. He’s a high-character kid. He’s from a family-first kind of family. He kind of embodies what I like about coaching at Notre Dame.”
Pugliese was appreciative but modest when told of his coach’s words.
“Hearing that from anyone is obviously great, but especially from him, it is an even more lifting thing,” the Hamilton resident said. ‘To hear that makes me feel grateful for having a great family who was able to raise me right and (give me) a strong Catholic background, and the churches that taught me morals. That should be more of a compliment to them than me, honestly, but I’m glad I can show their hard work raising me and my sister.”
Gianluca’s twin sister, Stefiana, is also part of the Notre Dame soccer games as a member of the cheerleading squad. They do more than just football and are a presence on the pitch, along with another family member.
”It is pretty cool to have not only my sister be able to cheer for me but also I have my cousin Giulia, who also cheers at the games,” Pugliese said. “All four years at Notre Dame, they have been able to cheer for me and my teammates. But even before that, Stefania showed up to the majority of my games with my mom and supported me there as well. Overall it’s a gift to have family and especially a twin to support you in what you love to do.”
Pugliese definitely loves to play soccer. The Yardville product began in Hamilton rec soccer at age 4 before moving on to the Hibernian Hounds, RSA Red Bulls and PDA. He not only grew up playing soccer, but watching it as well. Gianluca has been a fan of SSC Napoli, the reigning Italian League Serie A champion, “since birth.”
“I was born into it by my father (Luigi), who was born there and spent his youth supporting Napoli and going to games,” Pugliese said. “Every Sunday, soccer games are on, but the Napoli game is the one we stop most things for. This season is underwhelming to say the least (5-2-2, fifth place), especially following our Scudetto win last year. With the new coach Rudi Garcia taking over it has not looked like the same Napoli who would dominate and kill teams. We will find a way to go back to our winning ways soon.”
Just as Pugliese always finds a way to get the job done on the pitch. He has been a defender most of his career, playing mostly defensive midfield but now alternating between midfield and center back for PDA and Notre Dame.
“I never cared for scoring goals as a kid,” he said. “Not that I didn’t want to or couldn’t, I just liked playing where I was and it kind of stuck.”
According to Fisher, Pugliese was born to be a defender. He rates his greatest skill as toughness.
“He’s somebody that’s reliable, dependable and tough,” the coach said. “He’s a little bit of a throwback player. He wins the hard challenges, wins the headballs. He’s not really that vocal. He’s a quiet, confident kid at center back. He’s been everything we’ve hoped for this year.”
Pugliese did not make varsity as a sophomore, but still looked back on it as a great year as he helped anchor the defense for an undefeated team (coached by former Nottingham player Phil Peroni).
“It was one of the most fun times I’ve had playing soccer,” Gianluca said. “Every game, we would just go out there with everything and not accept losing as an outcome. Overall, it was a great season that we all enjoyed under coach Peroni.”
Pugliese quickly caught Fisher’s eye. “I remember watching him as a sophomore on the JV team and knowing he was gonna play a big role for us moving forward,” he said.
Gianluca was a spot starter for varsity as a junior and this year has held down the job at inside back. While this season (11-7 as of Oct. 22) hasn’t matched the success of last year’s 16-4 squad, Pugliese still enjoys the experience of being with his teammates both in school and on the field.
“It makes playing high school soccer that much more unique,” he said.
And while he plays hard, Gianluca doesn’t just charge into the fray out of control. He sizes up the situation before making a decision, and sounds like a coach when discussing his on-field tactics.
“The key to being a good defender is to have composure, discipline, and a ‘want’ to win the ball,” the St. Raphael’s middle school grad said. “With no composure comes panic, which leads to bad decisions or lack of confidence. With no discipline comes bad fouls in important moments and it can cause your team a lot of trouble. With no desire to win the ball or ‘want’, you will lose either a 50-50 or any one-v-one. You need to want the ball more than your opponent.”
Pugliese feels his toughness comes from that “want” to get the ball and a passion to go about it. He feels those traits drive him to keep playing hard and find a reserve of strength even when he grows weary. And that attitude goes beyond the pitch.
“I believe it is necessary to be tough,” he said, “not only for soccer but even outside of the game, in things we do in our own lives, to be successful.”
The next chapter in Pugliese’s life is college, although he is uncertain if that will include soccer. He plans on studying finance and rest assured he will be hitting the books as hard as he goes in on tackles.
“He just comes and brings his lunch pail and does his job everyday,” Fisher said. “I appreciate that, not every kid in 2023 does that.”
Not every kid can draw from a dad whose work ethic has provided an unwavering example of how to attack life.
“I’ve never seen anyone work as hard as my father; who constantly sacrifices so much to give me and my family a good life,” Pugliese said. “The thing that makes his work ethic so admirable and influential is the consistency and passion in which he does his work. Ever since I was little I remember my dad always working, whether it’s taking two jobs or working several overtime shifts a week. It makes me want to work as well; if not for mine but for at least his sake.”
Take it from Bryan Fisher: Pugliese is definitely his father’s son.
Gianluca Pugliese is a mainstay in defense for the Irish. (Photo by Rich Fisher.),
