Rest assured, Maxime Crépeau is no panic buy

It's safe to say that Orlando City's search for their new man between the sticks has been a turbulent one, but it appears to finally be at an end.

A month-and-a-half after Pedro Gallese's six-year spell in purple came to a sour conclusion, it seemed for all the world as if Carlos Coronel would be the one to take up the gloves after failing to agree to a new deal with New York Red Bulls.

But it wasn't to be. After verbally agreeing a move to the City Beautiful and even passing a medical, the 29-year-old reversed course in favour of a return to his native Brazil, seemingly more willing to warm the bench there than to uphold his credentials as one of the top goalkeepers in Major League Soccer.

In his first off-season at the top of Orlando's recruitment food chain, Ricardo Moreira could've just sat around feeling sorry for himself. Instead, a week later, I'm writing of Maxime Crépeau's impending move to Central Florida following his departure from Portland Timbers - a remarkable turnaround for both a club and sporting director who, but days ago, were left with egg on their faces.

Of course, I'm aware that the 31-year-old clearly being Moreira's second choice will serve as cause for concern for some supporters, but there's very real evidence to suggest that Orlando dodged a bullet with Coronel and instead recruited the superior stopper of the two.

A standout résumé

Two years Coronel's senior, Crépeau boasts the sort of pedigree in this league that very few other 'keepers can.

First establishing himself at this level during three impressive years at Vancouver Whitecaps, he was traded to LAFC for a blockbuster $1 million in General Allocation Money (GAM) in 2022. Starting all but one league game that season, he starred as Steve Cherundolo's side followed up a second Supporters' Shield title with a maiden MLS Cup win.

Add to that his 29 senior caps for his national team - including spells as Canada's starting 'keeper in historic CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa América runs - and you have a player with ample experience on the very biggest of stages.

After years of falling at the final hurdle, Orlando need winners. Crépeau is exactly that.

A point to prove

Crépeau hasn't exactly enjoyed an easy ride at club level over the past three years, but that's exactly why he'll be so desperate for glory in Orlando.

Fracturing his right leg in that iconic winner-takes-all victory over Philadelphia Union, he only returned to action towards the very end of the following season. Soon usurped by the incoming former FIFA World Cup winner Hugo Lloris, he was left with no choice but to depart if he wanted regular minutes.

Two stop-start seasons with Portland later, Crépeau still has a point to prove. Crucially, he wants to play for Orlando, which is more than can be said of Coronel.

Give him the trust he so dearly wants, and he may well repay it with the sort of form that made him one of the most formidable 'keepers in the league just a few short seasons ago.

The great enabler?

Crépeau has every chance of reaffirming such credentials, but one thing we know is for certain: Orlando won't be paying a premium for him to do so.

Earning a base salary of just $585,000 last year, that's basically half of what we were paying Gallese to commit game-throwing howlers every other week. Sure, Crépeau's camp may have negotiated a rise with what might've cut an increasingly desperate Orlando, but he'll still command considerably less than his (perhaps overpaid) predecessor.

Such savings should go some way towards beefing up the rest of Orlando's roster. We may have already enjoyed the fruits of this in the uncharacteristically ambitious heist of Braian Ojeda from Real Salt Lake, but the best, supporters will hope, is still yet to come.

Of course, there still remains a huge amount of work to be done this off-season. But, with this goalkeeping saga finally at its end, Moreira is one step closer to building the team he believes can achieve great things this year.