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2021 Orlando City Season in Review: Mauricio Pereyra

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Uruguayan midfielder Mauricio Pereyra just completed his third season in Major League Soccer, and was again an influential presence for Orlando City. The Lions signed Pereyra as a Designated Player on July 30, 2019 on a free transfer from Russian top flight side FC Krasnodar, but nagging injuries limited his playing time for the remainder of the 2019 season.

His full abilities were on display in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season as he looked every bit the part of a DP attacking midfield, pulling the strings and connecting with the team’s forwards.

Let’s look back on his 2021 MLS campaign. 

Statistical Breakdown

The Montevideo, Uruguay native only missed five regular-season matches in 2021 (the first two due to a suspension dating back to a red card incident in the 2020 playoffs), finishing the year with 29 appearances (26) starts, and playing 2,166 minutes. These were all easily new highs in his MLS career. He scored one goal and reached double figures in assists for the first time as a Lion, recording 10 to lead the club. Seven of his 10 were primary assists and three were of the secondary (or “hockey”) variety. His 25 shot attempts and nine shots on target were also new career highs as a Lion. He attempted one penalty but was unsuccessful, seeing his shot saved in a 2-1 home loss to the New York Red Bulls on July 3.

His passing percentage of 83% was just half a percentage point lower than last season, but he contributed 53 key passes and he averaged 1.1 successful crosses and 2.6 successful long balls per game.

Defensively, Pereyra won 28 of 51 tackle attempts for a 54.9% success rate. He finished with 16 interceptions, five clearances, and two blocked shots. Pereyra was shown seven yellow cards but was not sent off in 2021.

The Uruguayan started and played 90 minutes in Orlando City’s playoff match at Nashville, assisting on Daryl Dike’s goal with an excellent corner kick delivery in the 14th minute. He passed at just a 74% rate in the match and committed three fouls while only drawing one, and he was shown a yellow card.

Pereyra started and played 87 minutes in the Lions’ Leagues Cup match against Santos Laguna. He did not score or assist on a goal, attempting two shots (neither on target). He committed two fouls in the match.

Best Game

There were a number of strong games in contention for this section but I’ll go with his two-assist performance on July 22 in a 2-1 home win over the Philadelphia Union. Pereyra not only helped the Lions score both goals in the match, but he was also accurate on 90.24% of his 41 passes — his third-best passing percentage of the season. He attempted one shot but did not get it on target. He had an accurate through ball and an accurate long ball.

Pereyra’s first assist was this ridiculous seeing-eye pass through the defense to Benji Michel, who nearly stumbled over the ball, but the Homegrown winger had enough time to recover and calmly slot home to give the Lions a 1-0 lead just 10 minutes in. I mean, look at this filth.

The midfield maestro nearly doubled the lead three minutes after his assist, firing just inches wide of the left spot from around the penalty spot.

Pereyra helped the Lions double the lead early in the second half with a secondary assist. He sprayed a pass out to the right to Nani, giving the captain plenty of space to pick out a perfect cross for Andres Perea, who nodded inside the far post to make it 2-0 in the 59th minute.

Although Philadelphia pulled a goal back, it was a great 73-minute performance for Pereyra. He finished with 50 touches, which was topped by only four other Lions, but three of them went the full 90 and Nani came off about 10 minutes after Pereyra did.

2021 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Pereyra a 7.5 composite rating on the 1-10 scale, which equals his rating from 2020. He did not play enough minutes to earn a rating for his 2019 campaign. Pereyra had some hot and cold streaks in 2021 and the latter were often related to playing through nagging injuries. There were times he tried to force some passes through some of the league’s stingier defenses, such as Nashville’s, and he still turns down too many opportunities to shoot, but he is the unselfish leader of the Orlando City midfield and the team was noticeably better in that part of the field when he was out there. His 2021 stats compare well with those from 2020, but his assist numbers should have been higher. However, some of his better passes fell victim to poor touches or a lack of clinical finishing on the other end by some of his teammates.

2022 Outlook

Although Pereyra was out of contract after the 2021 season, the Lions re-signed him to a one-year deal for 2022 just last week. It is likely that he’ll remain a Designated Player after earning $1.8 million in 2021, but the terms of his new deal weren’t announced and the club doesn’t have to declare its DP slots until rosters are due to the league prior to the season. Pereyra will be the string puller in the attacking midfield again in 2022 and will have to do it without Nani, so we’ll have to wait to see who the club adds to the attack. He’ll be expected to put up another double-digit assist season, but at the moment it’s unclear who will score the goals on the end of those amazing Pereyra passes.


Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Orlando City

Orlando City Unveils New Perfect Storm Kit Ahead of 2025 MLS Season

The Lions’ new kits are meant to represent the uniqueness and intensity of the Central Florida weather.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City unveiled the club’s new home “Perfect Storm” kit today. The new home purple kit is meant to evoke the intensity of the Central Florida weather, and features a lightning bolt (called a “thunderbolt” by the club) made out of the Orlando area code, 407, on the back of the neck and a jocktag with a doppler radar storm icon. Per the club, no two kits will have the exact same pattern.

The Perfect Storm kit will be available on MLSStore.com and on OCMobileShop.com, with pick-up at The Den at Inter&Co Stadium starting Thursday during regular business hours.

“This kit is a tribute to our fans who have supported us day in and day out, through everything, rain or shine,” said Orlando City Chief Marketing Officer Pedro Araujo in a club press release. “It is also inspired by our players’ ability to thrive in adverse weather conditions, and a reminder that Inter&Co Stadium is one of the toughest environments in Major League Soccer for visiting teams to compete in.”

The Perfect Storm Kit will be first available to fans at the club’s official jersey launch tonight at 6 p.m. at Canvas (1401 Florida Mall Ave.). Fans can purchase the new shirt and have it customized. The first 200 fans in attendance to purchase the new kit will receive an exclusive CITYiD patch

The Lions will first wear the new kit at their home opener against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, Feb. 22.

Here are some shots of the new kit:

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/12/25

Leagues Cup Schedule released, Sams and Moorhouse called up, Champions League results, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! It’s new home kit reveal day, so get ready to potentially spend some money. I may end up getting one regardless of how it looks. I’ve lost some weight, and while that is good, none of my jerseys fit anymore. I hope it’s a good one.

We want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Jhon Solis. Additionally, I want to wish my son Chris a very happy birthday. Now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City’s Leagues Cup Fixtures Revealed

The official Leagues Cup 2025 Phase One schedule dropped Tuesday, meaning we now know Orlando City’s first three matches of the competition. All three matches will be played at Inter&Co Stadium against Liga MX squads. The Lions will face Pumas UNAM in the first match on July 30, followed by Atlas FC on Aug. 2, and then Necaxa on Aug. 6. Phase One of the competition is effectively a group stage. If Orlando City can advance out of Phase One, the Lions will head to the knockout rounds.

Pride International Call Ups

The Orlando Pride’s Emily Sams and Anna Moorhouse received call-ups for the USWNT and the England Women’s National Team, respectively. USWNT Coach Emma Hayes included Sams on her 23-player roster for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup later this month. The U.S. will play matches against Japan, Australia, and Colombia.

Moorhouse was selected by Lioness coach Sarina Wiegman for the UEFA Women’s Nations League. England’s first two matches are against Portugal on Feb. 21 and against Spain on Feb. 26. After that, the competition continues in April.

MLS Transfer Round Up

With Orlando City finally signing some new players, other MLS clubs continue to make moves in the off-season. Former Orlando City midfielder Junior Urso signed with the Houston Dynamo through 2025 with an option for 2026. Houston is the Bear’s third MLS club.

French second-division side Amiens SC is in a selling mood. The club sent defender Osaze Urhoghide to FC Dallas. Minnesota United FC signed midfielder Owen Gene from Amiens SC to an MLS U22 Initiative contract.

Elsewhere, the Philadelphia Union signed Homegrown forward Eddy Davis III, and D.C. United signed midfielder Brandon Servania. Out west, the San Jose Earthquakes have signed goalkeeper Daniel to a contract extension, and Nashville SC signed midfielder Matthew Corcoran from USL Championship side Birmingham Legion FC.

Champions League Results

UEFA Champions League continued Tuesday, with Paris Saint-Germain getting things going with a 3-0 win over Brest. Ousmane Dembélé scored a brace in the match to cement the victory. Borussia Dortmund also managed a 3-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon. All three goals came in the second half, including Serhou Guirassy’s 10th in the competition to equal Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski.

Real Madrid scored two goals to come from behind and defeat Manchester City 3-2. Jude Bellingham scored the winning goal in second-half stoppage time. Weston McKennie got things going for Juventus in its 2-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven. Samuel Mbangula scored the winning goal.

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That will do it for today. Check back later today for our coverage of the new kit. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/11/25

Orlando City signs Eduard Atuesta, MLS news roundup, Americans in midweek action, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, gang! It was a long weekend for me but an interesting one, as I attended an event at St. Louis City’s Energizer Stadium on Saturday night. It was a fun time, but personally I prefer Orlando City’s home digs. We have plenty of things to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando City Signs Eduard Atuesta

Orlando City has found its replacement for the injured Wilder Cartagena, as the club announced the signing of Colombian midfielder Eduard Atuesta from Palmeiras on Monday. Atuesta’s deal runs through the end of the 2025 season and also contains a club option for 2026. While the Lions still have some depth issues that need to be addressed at various positions, Atuesta will pair alongside Cesar Araujo in midfield, and if his previous numbers in Major League Soccer are any indication, he may even provide more goal scoring and creation from the position than Cartagena usually did.

MLS News Roundup

With the start of the MLS season under two weeks away, the off-season news is still flying thick and fast. First up, the Colorado Rapids have signed midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro from D.C. United in exchange for up to $1.4 million in cash, with United also maintaining a sell-on percentage in the player. The trade was executed using the league’s cash-based trade system, with Colorado becoming the latest team to make use of the new mechanism. Up next, San Diego FC has signed defender Willy Kumado from Lyngby Boldklub in the Danish Superliga. The right back joins on a two-year deal that also contains option years for 2027 and 2028. Finally, Tom Bogert is reporting that Joseph Paintsil is expected to be out of action for over a month after sustaining an injury to his quadriceps.

Americans in Midweek Action

As always, there are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, and there’s a heavy emphasis on UEFA Champions League play. Things get started later today, as Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Juventus face a PSV Eindhoven side that has all four of Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Sergino Dest, and Malik Tillman injured. Meanwhile, Gio Reyna, Cole Campbell, and Borussia Dortmund will travel to face Sporting CP. Wednesday has Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah traveling with AC Milan to take on Feyenoord, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic will be sorely tested at home against Bayern Munich. Thursday will wrap up European play with Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis squaring off against Gent in the Conference League.

Josh Sargent’s Opportunity

Josh Sargent had a difficult end to 2024, as he spent several months on the sideline while recovering from a groin injury that eventually required surgery. There were some natural moments of wondering what he’d be like when he made his return, but he’s hit the ground running since his first game back on Jan. 25, as he has four goals in three games for Norwich City. Not only is he getting his chance at the club level, but with Pepi and Folarin Balogun both currently injured, Sargent looks almost certain to lead the line for the United States Men’s National Team for March’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal matches. Sometimes timing is everything, and right now Sargent’s timing is pretty damn good.

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That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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