(Photo by Victor Tan / New Day Review)
Orlando City SC and midfielder Matías Pérez García couldn’t come to an agreement as his contract neared expiration. On Wednesday, the Lions announced they waived the Argentinian midfielder just two days before his contract expired on June 30.
“We tried our best to reach an agreement with Matías, but, unfortunately, we weren’ta ble to,” City general manager Niki Budalic said, per the team’s press release. “I want to thank Matías for his contributions to our club. He is a tremendous teammate and person. We wish him the best of luck moving forward.”
Just 11 days before being waived, MPG scored his first Orlando City goal in a 3-3 draw with the Montreal Impact. After the game, the 32-year-old hinted that his final days in purple could be upon him.
“To be honest, it’s been a really long time since I scored a goal,” MPG said, translated from Spanish, after the draw, per OSJSoccer.com’s Mike Gramajo. “Tonight, I thought about not thinking of that and just play and enjoy the game. I have 15 days left on my contract. Maybe it’s my last one, but the goal was a long-time coming.”
Pérez García was City head coach Jason Kreis’ first roster addition after he acquired the job on July 19, 2016. MPG was acquired in August in a trade that sent then-Orlando City midfielder Darwin Cerén to the San Jose Earthquakes. In his two seasons with the Lions, MPG recorded 1,854 minutes, four assists and a goal, starting 22 of his 28 matches.
But with Pérez García’s departure, the Lions now have room on their roster. Taking the newly vacant spot is center-back Léo Pereira. The Brazilian has played most of the season with Orlando City B but has now been recalled to the first team. In his three starting appearances for the club’s Major League Soccer side, Pereira has played all 270 minutes of two draws and a loss. Like midfielder Richie Laryea, who made his MLS debut with 26 minutes in the 4-0 loss to the Chicago Fire, Pereira is on loan with a right of recall to OCB.
City will conclude their three-game road stand when they travel to face bottom-dwelling Real Salt Lake on Friday at 9:30 p.m.
For updates on Pereira and his new fixture on the first team, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
