Orlando City coach lavishes praise on former Palmeiras player: ‘It's not a surprise’

Orlando City drew 2-2 with RBNY on Saturday night (15) in a match valid for the 4th round of the MLS. With goals from Marco Pasalic and Martin Ojeda, the ‘Lions of Florida’ took the lead on two occasions, but were unable to leave Harrison with the three points.

After the game, coach Óscar Pareja held a press conference and one of the most praised players was Eduard Atuesta, a midfielder who joined the team at the start of the season after cancelling his contract with Palmeiras. When asked if the Colombian's performance surprised him, the coach said it didn't and emphasised the player's importance to Orlando's current squad:

‘I'm not surprised (Atuesta's performance). Eduard knows the league. His personality came out in the game today in a short period of time. He's bonding with the players in a way that makes us better, especially in a midfield spot where we need someone to take responsibility for marking and running. And I think they (the players) are all doing an excellent job in that regard.’

As well as being important defensively, Atuesta was decisive in the build-up to the RBNY game, providing the assist for Marco Pasalic's goal. At first, the midfielder arrived as an addition to City's squad, but after the injury to Peruvian Wilder Cartagena, he became a starter.

Atuesta well, is Pasalic a concern?

In the same interview, Pareja took the opportunity to report that Marco Pasalic had not suffered any injuries following a collision at the end of the game. The Croat was substituted minutes after the collision and left the pitch with a limp. As a result, the No 87 has been Orlando's offensive reference point alongside Martin Ojeda.

‘We took him out of the game, but it wasn't because of any injury. He only suffered a knock, but nothing major, so he's fine,’ concluded Pareja.

So far, Pasalic has scored three goals and provided one assist in four MLS games. He was signed in the current transfer window from his native Rijeka for US$4.5 million.

Orlando City's next game

With the draw against RBNY, Orlando City remain at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference table. The Florida Lions are now in 11th place with four points from four games, one win, one draw and two defeats. The team's next match will be on Saturday (22) at 7.30pm EST vs DC United in round 5 of MLS.