Orlando City Kickoff Countdown Day 25: Pedro Ribeiro
We are counting down to Orlando City’s kickoff of the 2016 MLS season against Real Salt Lake. Each of the remaining 25 days leading up to March 6th we will take a look at one player on the club’s first team roster and their potential role and impact for the coming season.
Day 25: Pedro Ribeiro
Ribeiro joined Orlando City last season via the Expansion Draft from the Philadelphia Union. Making 8 starts and appearing in 18 games overall. Although he wasn’t a regular starter, he was able to make his presence felt in Orlando’s first season.
The Brazilian started three games in a row early in the season (Vancouver, Montreal, and DC United) and performed well before an injury that caused him to miss a bit of time. Upon his return he wasn’t used as extensively and wasn’t as impressive as he had been earlier in the season, but he did put in some quality minutes — using his obvious size to his advantage.
So where do we see him fitting into the side in 2016?
Pretty much exactly where we saw him in 2015. Expect Ribeiro’s role to resume right where he left it at the end of last season. His role as player off the bench who can provide quality minutes when asked often goes overlooked, but it is a role that’s an important part of the squad makeup. While Ribeiro may see an occasional start don’t expect that to be the case regularly unless unforeseen injuries make their way into the team.