Orlando City made national headlines on Monday with the unveiling of Facundo Torres, one of South America’s premier prospects and a full Uruguay international at the tender age 21, as its newest Young Designated Player. Torres and fellow Uruguayan César Araújo, a U22 Initiative signing, have fans and experts excited for Orlando’s potential in 2022.
But a huge part of bringing in young talent from South America, or anywhere in the world, is adapting them to a new culture and putting them in the best position to succeed. Often, these players are leaving their families and are living in a new country for the first time, all at an impressionable age.
It was crucial for Orlando City to retain a strong veteran core to help young players like Torres and Araújo have a smooth adaptation process to MLS and Central Florida. At the center of that effort will be their countryman, Uruguayan attacking midfielder Mauricio Pereyra.
“I will try to help them give 100% and more and try to make them feel comfortable,” Pereyra said speaking with reporters ahead of Tuesday’s preseason training session. “Of course, maybe they are from my country, and maybe I have more weapons to help them and it’s easier for me to do this because of the culture.”
Pereyra said he’s already been in contact with both Torres and Araújo and is excited for their arrival to the City Beautiful. As a fellow attacking player and one of their home country’s brightest young stars, Torres in particular has Pereyra hyped.
“It’s good to play with a player like Facundo, because he’s really skillful and he has a lot of potential,” said Pereyra. “He’s a national team player, I know that he’s young but he has a lot of potential and when you play with a player with the [same] characteristics as him, it helps me in my position and it helps the team.”
Pereyra has been a senior professional since 2009, when he debuted as an 18 year-old for Uruguayan powerhouse Nacional, the archrival of Torres’ former club Peñarol. He’s played in Uruguay, Argentina, Russia and the United States over a prolific 13-year career. Asked if he feels a responsibility to lead, he noted that he and other veterans like Júnior Urso, Pedro Gallese and Alexandre Pato have a lot to teach their younger teammates.
“It’s not just me,” he said. “Urso, Pedro, Pato…when you are over 30, you feel like a leader just because of the experience you have and because the young players respect you a little bit more.”
I needled Pereyra a bit about the Peñarol-Nacional rivalry, asking him if he and Torres could put aside their former clubs’ history. Pereyra laughed it off, but he also showed a bit of that maturity that could help young talents like Torres and Araújo blossom.
“I am [too old] already for this,” he said with a smile. “Maybe he’s coming with something because he’s young, but I know how to deal with this.”
There’s life lesson number one in what should be a very educational 2022 season in Orlando.
