Orlando City have added striker Matheus Aias from Watford to their squad.
A new striker has arrived for Orlando City. The Florida club announced the signing of Matheus Aias from English side Watford This acquisition comes after a surprising run to the MLS is Back Tournament final. Orlando City will now be looking to translate their good tournament form to the Major Leauge Soccer regular season. Aias has the potential to be a very good signing to help Orlando make their first MLS Cup playoff appearance.
Copa del Rey Success
It’s been a career mostly spent on loan for Aias thus far. The striker joined Watford in 2017, but he never featured for their senior team while on the books at the English club. The majority of his playing time has come in the lower leagues of Spain.
Aias’ most recent season was spent with CD Mirandes in La Liga 2. In 34 appearances in all competitions, he scored 12 goals and registered one assist. The Copa del Rey was the competition where he performed exceptionally. In seven appearances, he scored six goals to help lead Mirandes to the semifinals of Spain’s domestic cup. A brace against La Liga club Sevilla in the Round of 16 was one of the highlights of his season.
A difference-maker for Orlando
Having lost striker Dom Dwyer due to injury for the remainder of the season, Orlando are thin at the position. The 23-year-old Brazilian will provide much-needed depth due to the absence of Dwyer. As of late, Tesho Akindele has been the go-to striker for Orlando. But Aias appears to have the quality to compete for the starting role with Akindele.
Orlando can really benefit from having a highly productive striker in front goal. Players such as Nani and Chris Mueller have shown the ability to create high-quality chances, and now they just need to find a player who can finish those opportunities. Aias can be the consistent goal scorer Orlando needs.
Although Aias never played for Watford, the fact they signed the Brazilian showed they viewed him as a promising player. Watford were a Premier Leauge club up until this season, and when they signed Aias, they were playing in England’s top flight. For this reason, Aias may turn out to be a top player in MLS at the striker position. Watford saw something in his ability, and he may show his quality on full display in MLS.