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2022 Orlando City Season in Review: Mauricio Pereyra

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2 years ago

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The 2022 MLS season was Mauricio Pereyra’s fourth with Orlando City and his third full season with the club. He originally signed with the Lions on July 30, 2019 and the midfielder re-signed with the club on a one-year deal on Dec. 17, 2021.

Nani’s departure following the 2021 campaign left an opening for captain and the Uruguayan filled that void. The midfielder has played a deeper role as a box-to-box midfielder under Oscar Pareja and built on his club record for assists. Let’s take a closer look at Pereyra’s season.

Statistical Breakdown

Pereyra appeared in all six of the team’s U.S. Open Cup games this season, starting three times and recording 394 minutes. Only one of his seven shots was on target, resulting in his lone goal. The playmaker completed 222 of his 275 pass attempts (80.7%), including nine key passes, 16 long balls, and one assist. He had four interceptions, committed 11 fouls while drawing 10, and was booked three times.

In the MLS regular season, Pereyra made 32 appearances with 31 starts and accumulated 2,551 minutes. He scored one goal and put 10 of his 33 shot attempts on target. He missed his only penalty attempt (against Seattle). He led the team with 11 assists, had 63 key passes, and completed 1,249 of his 1,509 pass attempts (82.8%) and 104 long balls. Defensively, the midfielder had 26 interceptions, 56 tackles, 11 clearances, and three blocks. He committed 40 fouls while drawing 62 from his opponents, and was booked five times.

Pereyra played all 90 minutes of the Lions’ lone playoff game. He didn’t score or assist on a goal, or attempt any shots, but he completed 42 of his 52 pass attempts (84.6%) and had three key passes. He also completed four long balls and didn’t turn the ball over. Defensively, Pereyra had four tackles and two interceptions in the 2-0 loss. He committed two fouls, drew two, and was booked in the match.

Best Game

Pereyra’s best game came on May 25 in a 1-1 Open Cup draw and penalty shootout win over Inter Miami. The midfielder came on in the 60th minute for Sebas Mendez, playing the final 30 minutes and extra time. Pereyra was a game-changer, completing 64 of his 74 pass attempts (86.5%) and seven key passes. After Jean Mota gave Inter Miami the lead in extra time, Pereyra assisted on Facundo Torres’s goal to send the game to penalty kicks.

While all of Pereyra’s three shots were off target, he stepped up and came through in the clutch. Pereyra put away the fourth and final penalty for the Lions, helping them advance to the quarterfinals.

In addition to his season-high seven key passes, what makes this game stand out for the captain is the pressure of a knockout game and his impact on it. Also, the fact that the club ended up winning the tournament, the first major trophy in club history.

Pereyra also completed six long balls in the match, turning the ball over only once, and had an interception. He committed one foul, drew two, and was booked.

2022 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gives Pereyra a composite grade of 7 for the 2022 season. His 2022 grade is half a point lower than last year and in 2020, as he was graded a 7.5 in those past two seasons. Despite the slightly lower grade, the midfielder was the team’s primary chance creator, leading the team in assists and key passes. His deeper role helped him get on the ball more and create more in the attack, but it also forced him to do more critical defending than in years past. At age 32, the captain was sometimes a step behind being able to make those kinds of plays when needed, a little late in closing down, or just caught too far up field on change of possession.

2023 Outlook

Pereyra signed a one-year contract prior to the 2022 season so the club would need to come to an agreement to keep him in purple next year. However, it’s hard to believe that they won’t come to a deal. He’ll be 33 in March, but he was one of the best players on the team and was a good captain. The team already lost a veteran leader in Junior Urso — who often wore the captain’s armband when Pereyra wasn’t on the field — and could lose Pedro Gallese. As a result, Pereyra’s leadership will be essential if he returns in 2023.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

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Opinion

Orlando City Needs a Strong Start from its Defense

The defense will need to come together quickly in 2025 for Orlando City to avoid another slow start to the season.

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3 hours ago

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January 25, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The opening day of the 2025 Major League Soccer season is less than 30 days, and Orlando City is preparing for the opener against Philadelphia. With a full slate of preseason matches that recently dropped, the 2025 Lions will soon take to the field to put the final touches on preparing various tactics for the season ahead. That starts today with a friendly against Atletico Mineiro.

While there are numerous questions regarding the offensive side of the pitch for Orlando City, the defense should be an area of strength for OCSC as the season begins, and it may need to be, as any new attacking pieces brought in this late in the off-season will need time to settle in.

Starting with the dynamic duo of Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena, Orlando once again will have the good fortune of fielding one of the best defensive midfield pairings in all of MLS. While both Araujo and Cartagena are technically sound and strong defenders on their own, there is a noticeable difference in overall team defense when they both play together. Araujo, who has recently been the target of transfer speculation, is now expected to be locked into Orlando City purple for the upcoming season. He and Cartagena have demonstrated a great ability to take opposing star players out of the game plan, and there is little question regarding their importance when it comes to the successful start of the season.

Moving back toward the goal, Orlando City also returns a complete back line consisting of captain Robin Jansson, Rafael Santos, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, and either David Brekalo or Rodrigo Schlegel. The tactics employed by Head Coach Oscar Pareja call for the fullbacks to get into the offensive flow as often as the game allows, and both Thorhallsson and Santos have shown that they are capable of attacking. While that part of their game is a bonus, their ability to get back and defend — especially against the counter — will be an early skill to watch as the season begins.

At this point in his career, there will be very few surprises from Jansson, as fans and the coaching staff know exactly what type of effort to expect out of the center back. The only piece of the back line puzzle that will be interesting to watch throughout the early part of the season will be who earns the right to slot in next to Jansson. Due to injury and international duty a season ago, Schlegel wound up winning the starting role from the newly acquired Brekalo. My gut instinct tells me that with an off-season of preparation, we will likely see the younger and more athletic Brekalo get the nod to start the year, with Schlegel the primary backup for both starting center back positions.

Finally, the man who anchors it all, goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, will have the benefit of familiarity when it comes to the defenders in front of him. Gallese ended the 2024 season on a hot streak, in great form, showing his quality in the second half of the season and the playoffs, stopping multiple penalty kicks. He tied for fifth place among all goalkeepers with eight clean sheets in 2024 and will undoubtedly look to add to his career club record as the 2025 season begins.

With all of the defensive starters from the 2024 season back for 2025, Orlando City’s defense is expected to be the cornerstone of early season matches while the offense sorts itself out. The success then, especially during those first few matches, will likely live or die on the shoulders of the back seven defensive players.

Do you expect any cracks in the Orlando City defense to start the year or are you feeling confident in their ability to handle the new attacking pieces that have been added to the Eastern Conference? Let us know in the comments below and as always, vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City Releases Full 2025 Preseason Schedule

The Lions will face three MLS sides, a Brazilian Serie A club, a USL Championship team, and a Canadian Premier League side this preseason.

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1 day ago

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January 24, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

On the eve of Orlando City’s first preseason friendly of the team’s 2025 camp — and 11 days into training — the club has released its full schedule for the remainder of the preseason. The Lions will play six matches, calling two of them “friendlies” and the other four “scrimmages,” but they all amount to competitive minutes for the squad ahead of the 2025 MLS regular season.

Two of the games are open to the general public, including Saturday’s FC Series friendly against Atletico Mineiro and the Feb. 14 preseason finale against Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. In addition, season ticket members can access a preseason scrimmage against CF Montreal on Feb. 8. Club staff will reach out to season ticket members with the details for that game. The other three scrimmages will be closed door.

The preseason schedule is similar this year to what the club has had for the last several years under Oscar Pareja, with mostly closed scrimmages and a mixture of MLS and other assorted competition.

After facing the Brazil Serie A side on Saturday, the Lions will head to Mexico for a week of training and team bonding, with one scrimmage against Forge FC from the Canadian Premier League. Orlando City will play three MLS clubs in the preseason, along with one team each from the Canadian Premier League and the USL Championship.

Orlando City will kick off its 2025 regular season at home against the Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

2025 Orlando City Preseason Schedule

  • Saturday, Jan. 25 — Preseason friendly vs. Atletico Mineiro at Inter&Co Stadium
  • Sunday, Jan. 26 — Preseason camp opens in Mexico
  • Tuesday, Jan. 28 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Forge FC (Closed Door)
  • Wednesday, Feb. 5 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Atlanta United (Closed Door)
  • Saturday, Feb. 8 — Preseason scrimmage vs. CF Montreal (Season Ticket Members Exclusive Match)
  • Tuesday, Feb. 11 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Rhode Island FC (Closed Door)
  • Friday, Feb. 14 — Preseason friendly vs. Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/24/25

Cesar Araujo will reportedly stay in Orlando, USMNT takeaways, MLS transfer news, and much more.

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1 day ago

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January 24, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! It should be a pretty decent weekend with plenty of soccer to enjoy both in Orlando and abroad. Orlando City’s first preseason game is Saturday against Atletico Mineiro at Inter&Co Stadium. While I won’t be in attendance, I’m looking forward to learning how they do. But for now, let’s jump into today’s links!

Cesar Araujo Will Reportedly Stay in Orlando

There have been rumors and reports swirling around regarding midfielder Cesar Araujo leaving Orlando City this off-season. However, the 23-year-old will reportedly stay in Orlando for the 2025 season according to Tom Bogert. Uruguayan club Nacional has reportedly been trying to sign Araujo while he has a year left on his contract.

Sources: Cesar Araujo to stay at Orlando City.Nacional tried to sign him this winter but plan is for Araujo to stay. One year left on his contract and Orlando will still work on a new contract but know the team is better if he stays. Prioritizing 2025 over small transfer fee.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-01-24T01:07:39.303Z

It makes all the sense in the world for Orlando to want to keep Araujo in the center of its midfield for 2025. He’s been incredible since joining Orlando back in 2022 and has been integral to the club’s success in recent years. Clubs were always going to come knocking for Araujo’s talents, but I expect it would take a hefty offer for the Lions to let him go before his contract is up.

Takeaways From USMNT January Camp

While the United States Men’s National Team’s January camp usually isn’t too impactful, this year’s edition had some extra intrigue due to some standout performances across the two friendly wins. Zack Steffen had a statement game against Costa Rica, making a few sensational saves to secure a clean sheet. He needed a game like that to stay in the mix for the starting job after a rough season with the Colorado Rapids. Striker Patrick Agyemang played his first two USMNT games this month and scored in both, making the most of his opportunity. Diego Luna taking an elbow to the face and coming back out to assist on the team’s first goal against Costa Rica is also the kind of moment that could earn him more looks in the future.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

MLS teams other than Orlando City continue to make moves ahead of the 2025 season. The exodus from FC Dallas rolls on, as Alan Velasco was officially transferred to Boca Juniors in Argentina for a reported $12 million transfer fee. Dallas also traded center back Nkosi Tafari to LAFC in exchange for $300,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money and an international roster slot.

The Karol Swiderski era in Charlotte is over, as the club transferred him to Panathinaikos for a reported transfer fee of $2 million. Real Salt Lake added a young striker, signing 20-year-old Ariath Piol from MacArthur FC in Australia. Nashville SC signed American goalkeeper Brian Schwake from CD Castellon in Spain’s second division to provide more depth behind Joe Willis. Austin FC’s busy off-season continued by signing Zan Kolmanic to a new contract through 2026. The club is also reportedly closer to signing forward Myrto Uzuni for a club-record fee.

Europa League First Phase Nears Conclusion

Lazio is the only team to guarantee a spot in the Europa League’s round of 16 so far, doing so after a 3-1 win over Real Sociedad. English clubs Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur edged closer to securing a spot. A late winner from Bruno Fernandes gave United a 2-1 victory against Rangers, while Tottenham beat Hoffenheim 3-2 thanks to a brace from Heung-Min Son. The upset of the round belonged to Latvian club FK RFS, which took down Ajax in a 1-0 win at home. Eintracht Frankfurt, Union Saint-Gilloise, and Midtjylland also picked up wins this week. This phase of the tournament will wrap up with 18 games on Thursday.

Free Kicks

  • Bay FC bought out Deyna Castellanos’ contract, with the midfielder joining the Portland Thorns as a free agent soon after.
  • After a vote approving funds to repair Al Lang Stadium, the Tampa Bay Rowdies announced that they will play there for their upcoming USL Championship season.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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