Finding the balance between Martín Ojeda and Facundo Torres
Orlando City opened the checkbook and brought in a high-level Designated Player when it signed Martín Ojeda from Godoy Cruz. Ojeda became one of the best attacking players in all of Argentina. In his last league season, he led all players in expected assists and finished third in expected goals despite playing for a lesser team in the league.
Ojeda is a potentially elite player for Orlando City --- and he already scored a brace in the preseason --- who should be an impact contributor right away. If there's any potential problem with Ojeda's arrival, however, is his potential fit alongside Orlando's best player Facundo Torres.
Torres asserted himself as one of the most impressive players in Major League Soccer last season. He set a club record for single season goal contributions and helped the club win its first ever major trophy. After a trip to the World Cup and links to global giants Arsenal, expectations are through the roof for the young Uruguayan talent.
Both Ojeda and Torres are creative wingers who occupy similar areas on the field. They're both heavily left-footed and can both play on either wing or as attacking midfielders.
In theory, it seems like the pair would be an awkward fit. Early this season, we may see that manifest at times while the duo figure out how to play together, but long-term Ojeda could be an excellent complement to Torres.
Torres is almost more of an attacking midfielder than a pure winger. Often times he drifts inside from the right wing and operates in the half space. He was effective last year finding the final pass into the box or firing off a long-range shot from those areas.
Positionally, Ojeda has shown he's comfortable operating and producing on the left side, allowing Torres to play as an inverted winger. Ojeda also seems a bit more direct in his style. He'll take a player 1 v. 1 on the dribble or whip in a cross maybe a bit more than Torres at times.
He's also shown the ability to make darting runs into the box to make himself a goal-dangerous option in and around the box.
Ojeda's technical ability and positional flexibility will also open things up for Torres and the other talented attackers on the roster. Ojeda and Torres can flip positions throughout games, changing the look of the attack and putting extra pressure on opposition fullbacks.
The duo can also use their technical prowess and intelligence to create combination patterns in and around the box. Orlando scored several goals last season with little passing combinations around the 18-yard box, and Ojeda will easily be able to fit into those movements.