What Can Orlando City Expect From Scott Sutter?

During most of Orlando City SC’s preparation for the 2017 Major League Soccer season, it seemed that Rafael Ramos and Kevin Alston would be the protagonists of a fierce battle for the starting right back position. However, as the season approached, both the Portuguese youngster and the American veteran found themselves injured, which made the team’s front office add a third contender for this role: Scott Sutter.

The 30-year-old Swiss fullback was signed by the Lions nine days ago and hasn’t joined the team yet. When he arrives, Orlando City fans will be eager to see what he can do on the field, so The Mane Land will try to figure it out for you beforehand.

Born in England, Sutter built his entire career in Switzerland, the nation where his father is from, splitting his 13 years there between Grasshopper, FC Zurich, and BSC Young Boys, his last club. He even played for the country’s U-21 and senior national teams, but only for two friendly matches in 2010.

Looking at Sutter’s career stats, it is easy to notice that the Lions’ new addition’s main strengths are on the defensive end of the ball. According to WhoScored.com, the Swiss averages 3.4 tackles, 2.1 interceptions and 3.9 clearances over 15 UEFA Europa League Matches.

These are numbers are considerably better than the ones amassed by both Ramos (1.5 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 1.5 clearances) and Alston (1.6 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 1.9 clearances) in MLS competition.

What a day this has been! I'm really excited about the next chapter in my life aswell as my career and i can't wait to get started with my new club @orlandocitysc Thank you so much to everyone who messaged me, im sorry i can't reply to all. A message of thanks to @bscyb_offiziell will follow as soon as i get a free moment. ☺ #orlandocity #bscyb

A post shared by Scott Sutter (@scott_sutter) on Mar 3, 2017 at 11:37am PST

Offensively, Sutter’s productivity is somewhere between Ramos’ and Alston’s. The European fullback records 0.1 assists and 0.4 crosses per game, against the 0.1 assists and 1 cross of the Portuguese and the 0.04 assists and 0.3 crosses averaged by the American.

It is important to notice that we are looking only to a small share of his career, but if his numbers translate to MLS, Sutter should be a solid addition to Orlando City’s back line. I don’t expect him to be a difference maker, but the veteran Swiss seems able to add some stability, especially on the defensive end.