ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC midfielder Celio Pompeu’s two favorite things as a soccer player are taking on an opponent one on one and scoring a goal, not necessarily in that order. But it’s even better when you can combine them into one play. That’s why Pompeu’s goal March 2 against New York City FC is his favorite.
He pounced on a loose ball in the NYCFC end and, unfazed by four defenders plus a goalkeeper in front of him, charged at them, dribbling through two before shooting from the top of the box to score and unleash that unmistakable Celio Pompeu smile.
Plays like that have endeared Pompeu to City SC’s fan base, not to mention its coaching staff. On Friday, the team announced Pompeu’s reward: A two-year contract extension that runs through the 2026 season, with a club option for 2027. It’s a big step for a player who started with the club with City2, signing as a free agent after playing two seasons at Virginia Commonwealth. He did well enough with City2 to earn a first-team contract for the team’s inaugural season and then did well enough there to have his option picked up for the second season. Now the team is committing to him for at least two more seasons.
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“Looking at Celio,†said City SC sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel, speaking by phone from Germany, “the fun factor is one thing, but the way he plays, direct, not scared of anybody. He’s in people’s face. He has a good mentality on and off the field.â€
Pompeu, 24, is tied for the team lead in goals with three and leads the team in passes into the penalty area with 18 (tied for 13th in the league) and in key passes (passes that lead directly to a shot) with 17, per , which is tied for 15th in Major League Soccer. He’s started seven of nine MLS games this season after starting 10 last season.
“Hard work, good work gets rewarded,†said City SC coach Bradley Carnell after practice Friday. “Three goals and three contributions in the short space of nine games. It shows progression, it shows development. It shows what we stand for as well. We see success at this club in many different aspects, not just on the field, but also what we’re doing with our talent that we have at our disposal and making sure the pathway is trending in the right direction. So credit to him. He’s worked his socks off and he’s been rewarded with more minutes this year. I think we’re all better with him showing what he can do best and yes, he’s getting rewarded as well. So it’s good.â€
“Now, keep going,†Pompeu said. “Be solid, keep scoring goals, keep getting assists, and don’t stop. I don’t want to go down; I always like to go up, even if it’s a little step. I always want to take little steps higher and higher.â€
Pompeu wouldn’t have gotten where he is had he not taken big steps in another part of his game: defense. As a native of Brazil, he has all the offensive flash and pizzazz associated with players from that country, but Carnell’s system is one that emphasizes defensive pressure. Pompeu had to add that to his game in order to make it.
“Soccer has changed a lot over the years,†he said. “Now 11 players attack, 11 players defend. So if you want to succeed in life, you’ve just got to adapt for some things, even if it’s a thing you don’t like too much. So I think the way we play, we play very collectively attacking and defense-wise. So it was very important for me that coaching staff here challenge me to be a better defensive player.â€
“That’s a critical moment of ours,†Carnell said. “We’re on him, for sure. It’s a work in progress and he’s shown good growth with that and acknowledgement of what needs to be done. ... He’s shown some good tendencies to get back in the game, to be gritty to defend and recovery runs and doing everything at all costs for the team. So again, really happy with his pathway.â€
Pompeu is one of four players from that inaugural City2 team in 2022 still with the club. Josh Yaro, Kyle Hiebert and Akil Watts are the others.
“The story speaks for itself, coming through the university, joining City2 and becoming a pro at this level, it’s what you’re looking for,†Pfannenstiel said. “That’s another one of our underdog stories, the player who came, took his chance, who works for it and made the right development within our philosophy. It’s a great story for us, a great story for the kid himself.
“Then on top of that, in the changing room, he’s an absolute rock star because he’s a good person, he’s very good with the other boys, but he also brings that happy Brazilian mood and light-heartedness into the changing room, which is very important for our team. So he really deserves that new deal. He works hard for it in training and I’m very happy that we have him for another few years.â€