Copa America: 15 surprises so far

6. Pedro Gallese was the top goalie in the group stage

The Centenario was projected to feature a strong crop of goaltenders, including the likes of Chile’s Claudio Bravo and Fernando Muslera of Uruguay. However, Gallese came out of nowhere to outperform them all and lead Peru to a surprise quarterfinal appearance.

The 26-year-old bounced around the Peruvian league for much of his career prior to the Copa America, spending most of his time with Universidad San Martin from 2007-2014. While Gallese had 15 caps for the national team prior to the tournament, his place as the starting goalkeeper for La Blanquirroja was far from assured.

Gallese ended that debate with a spectacular Centenario performance to cement his status on the first team for years to come. With three clean sheets and two goals allowed overall, Gallese has an argument as the top goalie of the tournament.

While Haiti didn’t provide much of a challenge, Gallese did well to keep Ecuador to two goals in a wild up-and-down game. His most impressive performance came in the group finale against Brazil, as Gallese made five great saves to lead Peru to a 1-0 victory that qualified them for the knockout stage.

Unfortunately, Gallese was unable to stop any of Colombia’s penalty kicks in a heartbreaking quarterfinal loss, although he made a save and caught two crosses in regulation. The tournament performance earned Gallese a move to Liga MX side Veracruz, which signed him just before the Colombia game.

Next: 5. Peru's inspired attack