Last year it was Tony Cascio who left a hole in the Orlando City midfield depth due to a back injury. This year, it was Pedro Ribeiro.
The last man standing from the Lions’ Expansion Draft selections, Ribeiro had high hopes entering the 2016 season after impressing in the defensive midfield. Perhaps the team’s most versatile player, Ribeiro could play anywhere in the midfield, at striker, or even — in an emergency — as a center back, a position he played in the USL.
After 18 games (eight starts) in 2015, producing two goals and two assists, the 26-year-old Ribeiro looked to finally become an MLS regular.