ORLANDO – David Mateos and Adrian Winter have barely had time to get to know the names of their new Orlando City SC teammates, but they will be expected to play an integral part in the final 10 games of the season as the Lions look to salvage their playoff hopes.
The Spanish center back and the Swiss attacking midfielder have so far had less than a week to acclimate to both the Florida summer weather and the heat of the MLS chase for the postseason, which has seen Orlando claim just one win in their last seven league outings to fall under the all-important red line.
Injuries and inconsistency have played their part in the past six weeks, hence the newcomers will be expected to shoulder much of the burden when it comes to turning things around, but head coach Adrian Heath certainly has high hopes for the new duo.
“They are two very welcome additions,” the City boss insisted before the team’s flight to Seattle for Sunday’s showdown with the similarly struggling Sounders (5 pm ET; ESPN2). “We said we needed some reinforcements after the Toronto game, and these guys are vital for us now.”
If that is the big picture scenario for the Lions, the small picture focus will be even more heavily on Mateos and Winter with the likes of Seb Hines, Rafael Ramos, Brek Shea and Harrison Heath still sidelined, alongside long-term injury victims Kevin Molino, Conor Donovan and Tony Cascio.
Mateos, 28, hails from the Real Madrid youth system but spent the last two seasons with Ferencvaros, helping the Hungarian outfit to second place and a Europa League spot last term. A technically-capable defender, he should dovetail well with the bruising Aurelien Collin, whose fluency in both Spanish and English will also likely help alleviate any communication issues.
“David couldn’t have come at a more opportune time,” Heath explained. “With Seb injured, we need some more experience at the back, and he definitely fits the bill. The worst-case scenario on Sunday is that he will be on the bench, but he is certainly a contender to start.
“Center back is an area of need for us, and David has all the tools for the position. One of the key things is that he is 6-foot-4. He is very imposing and a big guy, so that should definitely help.”
Orlando have conceded 16 goals in their last six games and needed a desperate rearguard action in the final 15 minutes to salvage a 0-0 draw in their last outing at home to goal-shy Philadelphia. But Heath is impressed by what he has seen of Mateos so far.
“One of the things that is quite apparent, even after only a couple of training sessions, is that he is very comfortable on the ball,” he added. “David is a footballing center back, which is part and parcel of being a Real Madrid player, and that has really stuck out for the staff here.
“It is well known we like to pass the ball, and even the defenders have to be part of the attacking play, so that’s important for us. As much as you want to be able to possess the ball in the attacking areas of the field, that isn’t always possible, so having someone of David’s skills is a big plus.”
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While Mateos will be counted on to shore up the backline, the one area of consistent need this year for Orlando since Molino went down with his season-ending ACL injury in early May has been on the right flank of midfield, which is where Winter comes in.
“We have had to mix and match on that right side quite a bit,” Heath admitted. “We’ve had left-sided players over there and Eric Avila out there on his own at times, so we have needed a natural right-footer in that area, and Adrian is a much-needed acquisition.
“He knows his roles and responsibilities as he played in the same system for Luzern, and he is a little bit different to what we have in that he is more direct. He is a really good runner with the ball, he looks to get past people and get into the box, and he is a seasoned pro who has played over 200 games in the Swiss Premier League.”
The 29-year-old made an 18-minute cameo debut appearance in last Saturday’s draw with the Union but has a good chance for a first MLS start after impressing in training this week.
“He is not far behind the rest of the group in terms of fitness,” Heath added. “He had been doing a full preseason program in Switzerland so he is not far short of full match readiness.
“He is going to have no trouble settling in either. He speaks good English, so he fits in perfectly in that sense, and we need the kind of energy he showed on Saturday. We will have to decide whether he starts on Sunday, but I don’t think he will be far off.”
Orlando’s other new signing who has yet to figure is lanky ex-Columbus Crew SC striker Adam Bedell, but the 6-foot-7 forward will also be in the 18 for Seattle.
“He is a big unit, so he gives us something different up front,” Heath said. “He is potentially an awkward player to have to defend in the league in general, so it will be handy to have him on the bench to start with.”
