For the next week, I'll be recapping each Orlando City player's season for all player who played at least 100 MLS minutes per FBRef in 2022, starting from the least used player to the most used.
We close out this season recap with Orlando's 2022 team MVP: Facundo Torres.
How much more praise can I heap upon Facundo Torres? The Uruguayan winger came to Orlando City as the club-record signing and absolutely delivered on the hype. Torres set the club's single-season record for combined goals and assists while dominating in the US Open Cup triumph.
Torres played the most minutes out of every field player on the team with 2,585 and also played six games in the US Open Cup. He finished second on the team with 9 goals and led the way with eight assists (10 if you count MLS assists).
The 22-year-old wide man was snubbed for MLS's Newcomer of the Year award, which instead went to Atlanta's Thiago Almada. More than not winning the award, Torres somehow wasn't even a finalist.
Facundo Torres had 9 goals and 10 assists on a team that actually made the playoffs. https://t.co/VV1KYxzeNq
— Topher Adams (@Topher_Adams) October 26, 2022
In the US Open Cup, El Cuervo went supernova, scoring four goals and adding two assists in six games to help the Lions hoist their first major honor as a club.
While Torres got off to a bit of a slow start, he showed from the summer on that he could be a major force at the level and beyond. His talent and athleticism make him one of the most tantalizing players in MLS, and arguably the most talented player to ever put on an Orlando City jersey (if we only count the time they were in Orlando that is).
Torres is still under contract for a few seasons, but his excellent form and promising future will make him an in-demand player for transfer windows to come. I expect Orlando will keep him for at least one more season, but as Torres continues to rise, eventually he'll fly beyond MLS and Orlando City.