Orlando City SC‘s hunt for left back depth is now over after Oscar Pareja‘s Lions signed Jonathan Suárez on a one-year loan from Liga MX side Querétaro earlier today.
A one-year loan with an option to buy, the 23-year-old is Orlando City SC‘s second loan signing of the off-season after welcoming Brandon Austin from Tottenham last month.
NEWS: City has acquired American defender Jonathan Suárez.#VamosOrlando
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) February 3, 2021
With first choice left back João Moutinho missing a large portion of 2020 through injury, Orlando City SC needed cover at full back.
Especially since City also bid farewell to Kamal Miller who joined the newly-branded CF Montréal at the end of last year.
Filling a position of need, who exactly is Orlando City SC‘s latest recruit? Orlando City UK found out a little more.
Who is Jonathan Suárez?
Jonathan Suárez is a 23-year-old American left back who joins on loan from Mexican top flight side Querétaro.
It’s not the first time Orlando City SC has signed a player on loan from the Liga MX side after recruiting Luis Gil in April 2017.
A native of Anaheim, California, Jonathan Suárez has spent his entire senior professional career south of the border in Mexico.
A graduate of Querétaro’s youth system, Suárez kickstarted his senior career on loan at Cimarrones de Sonora in 2018.
This was the same club that Santiago Patiño spent time with last year.
After this, Jonathan Suárez enjoyed follow-up loan spells at U.N.A.M. and their B team Pumas Tabasco prior to his Exploria Stadium switch.
In his senior professional career to date, Suárez has tallied 55 appearances and over 3,600 minutes of first-team action.
Besides his domestic career, Jonathan Suárez has represented the United States at youth international level too.
Back in October 2017, Suárez made his debut for the United States U-20 Men’s National Team.
He saw 22 minutes of action as a second-half sub in an international friendly after unused sub appearances against Germany U-20 and England U-20 a year earlier.
>> CLICK HERE TO VIEW JONATHAN SUÁREZ’S PLAYER PROFILE <<
NEW SIGNING 🚨 | Jonathan Suárez joins @OrlandoCitySC on loan (option to buy). 💜🦁💛
⚽️ LB
🗓 22 February 1997
🇺🇸 USA
⬆️ 5 ft 10 in
🇲🇽 @Club_Queretaro ➡️ @OrlandoCitySC 🇺🇸
👕 Jersey # TBCVIEW PLAYER PROFILE 📕: https://t.co/lep7OBjuYh#OCTwitter #OrlandoCity #MLSUK pic.twitter.com/47vcV2lAfI
— Orlando City UK (@Orlando_CityUK) February 3, 2021
Did Orlando City SC need Jonathan Suárez?
In a word, absolutely!
Like we mentioned at the outset, Orlando City SC couldn’t afford to gamble on João Moutinho and his injury proneness.
The only out-and-out left back on the Lions’ roster prior to Jonathan Suárez‘s arrival, this move was always coming.
While Jonathan Suárez doesn’t boast bags of experience, he fits the bill of a young and hungry depth piece – much like Rodrigo Schlegel last season.
With Ruan and Kyle Smith at right back and João Moutinho and Jonathan Suárez at left back, Ricardo Moreira and Luiz Muzzi can now address other areas.
Orlando City SC‘s next position of need this off-season is a backup option to Mauricio Pereyra with young David Loera the only natural number 10 on the roster behind the Uruguayan.