Orlando City midfielder Mauricio Pereyra was finally cleared to return to competition Sunday in time for the Lions’ final three matches of the regular season.
Pereyra appeared to pull his hamstring against the New York Red Bulls on Oct. 3, and he missed the subsequent five matches. Without Pereyra pulling the strings in the midfield, the Lions clearly struggled to maintain their attacking vision and fluidity, stumbling to three draws and their first loss since August.
But with the midfielder back in the rotation, the Lions are nearing full strength and the top version of their attack.