‘Shy’ midfielder Michael Baldisimo catching attention with Vancouver Whitecaps
VANCOUVER — Michael Baldisimo is the kind of midfielder who shows no fear as he strips opponents of the ball. The young Vancouver Whitecaps player looks composed as he threads passes across a congested field and confident when he blasts shots from the top of the penalty box.
Away from soccer, however, there’s one word that friends and family consistently use to describe the 20-year-old from Burnaby, B.C.: shy.
“I think Baldi is a man of few words. He listens to everything, he knows a lot. But he’s not going to say much, not even what’s necessary if he doesn’t have to,” said teammate Theo Bair.
“But on the field he gets to express the full extent of his personality. And once he’s comfortable — and I think he’s most comfortable on the field — Baldi’s a completely different person.”