At the forefront of fifth placed Orlando City SC, midfielder Mauricio Pereyra has been on his game for the club in 2022. The 32-year-old midfielder from Uruguay has been one of the most consistent players for Orlando, driving the club's attack with his top of the league creativity.
The electric Pereyra has been one of the best in the MLS at setting his teammates up for shots and putting the ball inside the box. How well has his season gone so far?
Pereyra isn't known for putting the ball in the back of the net. In fact, he's scored just four goals in 71 matches for Orlando City. His value comes as a creator, and he's one of the best in the league at his role. In that same time frame, the Uruguayan has 20 assists. He has been one of the MLS' most elite playmakers over the last few seasons, and it seems he has hit one of the strongest points of his MLS career in 2022.
Mauricio Pereyra hit it quickly before the keeper was set for @OrlandoCitySC’s opener 🎯
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 17, 2022
(via @MLS)pic.twitter.com/63a1UIt3kh
As mentioned earlier, Pereyra is a clear-cut creator, and his six assists are T-2nd in MLS this season. For reference, Pereyra had seven assists in 29 matches in 2021. He's on another level this season. In addition, he has the tenth most shot-creating actions with 74.
Pereyra has 47 passes that have led directly to a shot, ranking sixth in the MLS, and also has the 11th most passes completed into the box with 34. The pass in the video below just shows how he can create, complete passes into the box, and make good things happen for Orlando.
Ercan Kara is there to finish off this great team move for #OrlandoCity. pic.twitter.com/g1y6ZkBDYZ
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 19, 2022
His playing style does great things for Orlando, as the Uruguayan is the driving force on most of the club's attacks. He consistently plays the ball ahead, and his 107 progressives passes are good for eighth in the MLS.
He's also one of the best in the league when it comes to pressure, as he's completed the sixth most passes in the MLS while under pressure (174). With Pereyra at the helm, and the new signing of forward Nicholas Gioachinni, the possibilities are endless for the MLS Cup hopeful Orlando City club.