Better or Worse than 2021: Wingers
Out: Nani, Chris Mueller. Alexander Alvarado
This is an undeniably tough group to lose. These are two of the most productive and best players to ever put on an Orlando City shirt and that's hard to replace in one offseason. Nani came to Orlando City and was a huge part of changing the club from a perennial loser to a real contender. He was the leader this club desperately craved and he provided so many moments of true quality not seen since the early days of Kaka. The Portuguese winger had 28 goals and 16 assists in 77 games for Orlando City and made himself a club legend. His legs were going and it was time to move on, but Nani will be missed.
The Chris Mueller situation is a bit weirder. Mueller was a first-round draft pick for the club and spent four years becoming a star for Orlando City. He's one of the top assisters and goal scorers in team history and became a cult hero and fan favorite. But the end of his tenure got messy and towards the end of last season he was a total non-factor. Actually replacing his level of production isn't the hardest job in the world.
Alex Alvarado was barely a contributor in his brief stint in Orlando City, but he could've been a key figure in 2022. Instead, he's back in his home country of Ecuador, putting Orlando down yet another winger to start the season.