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Orlando City

Orlando City at D.C. United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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4 years ago

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A goal in the seventh minute by Mauricio Pereyra secured three points away from home for Orlando City in a 1-0 win over D.C. United. It was a strong defensive effort as the team achieved its third clean sheet in the first five games of 2021.

Let’s take a look at how each individual Lion did in the win.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — It’s hard to say anything bad about a goalkeeper in a clean sheet. Gallese had a solid game, though he didn’t have that much work in this one. D.C. United only put one of its 13 shots on goal, forcing Gallese to make one save. When Gallese was called upon to make a decision to come off his line, he made the right one and put an end to the United attack.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — The return of João Moutinho and the injury to Ruan last week allowed Kyle Smith to move back to his natural right back position. Just as he’s been at left back, Smith was solid in this game. Defensively, the right back led the team with seven tackles and also had an interception and two clearances. Offensively, Smith completed 67% of his 42 passes and made one key pass. He was accurate on two of his three crosses and delivered a great long ball to Pereyra in the box for Orlando’s goal.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — While Gallese will be credited with the clean sheet, much of the praise should go to the center backs. D.C. had 13 shots in this game but only one was on target and that was largely because opposing players didn’t have great opportunities. Carlos ended the game with three interceptions and a team-leading 13 clearances. Offensively, the defender completed 79.3% of his 20 passes, including seven of his 11 long balls.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Similar to Carlos, it was a very solid game from the center back. The defender was strong on the back line, ending the game with two interceptions and seven clearances. Going forward, he completed 67% of his 24 passes.

D, João Moutinho, 6 — This game saw Moutinho return to the starting lineup for the first time since Aug. 29, 2020. His performance was what Orlando City fans were hoping to see from the healthy defender as he helped the back line achieve its third clean sheet of the season. While Oscar Pareja utilizes a system with the outside backs often going forward, Moutinho’s biggest impact was when making a sliding block in the first half that kept a shot from reaching Gallese. Moutinho finished the game with one tackle, four interceptions, and two clearances to go along with the block. He completed 58% of his 45 passes, including one key pass, but he was most impactful when helping the team keep D.C. off the scoreboard.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 6.5 — Defending for 83 minutes is a difficult task and the defensive midfielders were key in the Lions’ success. While both Mendez and Junior Urso were terrific, you can’t find a negative in Mendez’s performance. The midfielder completed 93% of his 43 passes, but his biggest impact was on defense. His seven interceptions were the most on the team and key in keeping D.C. from being sending numbers forward.

MF, Junior Urso, 6 — Urso was solid in this game. The seventh-minute goal meant Orlando City was going to need to defend well for most of the game and Urso made his presence felt. He finished the game with two tackles and two interceptions in the midfield. A link to the attack, Urso completed 77% of his 30 passes before being taken off in the 82nd minute for Joey DeZart.

MF, Benji Michel, 5 — Michel was pretty quiet in his 50 minutes in this game. He only had 14 passes, completed 64% of them, and didn’t take any shots. He had an opportunity to make an impact in the final moments of the first half, but a heavy touch saw him lose a chance at a shot on goal. He was a part of a tactical substitution by Pareja in the 51st minute as Robin Jansson came on as a fifth defender.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 (MotM) — Mauricio Pereyra was the key player in this game that Orlando City fans have been used to. The midfielder scored his first goal of the 2021 season in the seventh minute, which ended up being the difference. After receiving the ball from Tesho Akindele, Pereyra did well to shield Drew Skundrich and put it past Jon Kempin with his only shot. Aside from the goal, Pereyra was solid in the midfield once again, completing 86% of his 21 passes, including one key pass. Unfortunately, his last action in this game was a booking, but it was a strong performance by the midfielder.

MF, Nani, 6 — Nani saw his three-game scoring streak end in this one but joined in the defensive effort after Pereyra’s early goal, coming away with two tackles and three clearances. He completed 75% of his 40 passes and all four of his shots were off target. He did nearly score another wonderful goal in the first half, but the curling shot just missed the frame. The captain was successful on two of three attempted crosses.

F, Tesho Akindele, 6 — The role of Akindele for much of this game was keeping pressure on D.C. to help maintain the lead. The forward’s only shot in 82 minutes of play was blocked and he completed 65% of his 17 passes. Most importantly, he assisted Pereyra in the seventh minute for the game’s only goal.

Substitutes

D, Robin Jansson (51’), 6 — Jansson made his season debut as a second-half substitute. He replaced Michel to become the third center back when the Lions went to a five-man back line. Despite playing most of the second half, Jansson only completed two of four passes and made one clearance. However, he did help stop D.C. from scoring as the Lions held onto their third clean sheet of the season. Jansson had two clearances and completed nine of his 11 passes.

MF, Andres Perea (70’), N/A – Perea came on in the 70th minute for Pereyra, but didn’t do much in this one. A defensive change, Perea didn’t have any possession, shots, or defensive stats other than a tackle.

MF, Joey DeZart (82’), N/A – DeZart was a part of a double substitution with eight minutes remaining in the game, replacing Urso. While he didn’t make a huge impact, he did block a cross in the dying moments. DeZart did well to keep his arms at his side, ensuring that a penalty wouldn’t be called.

MF, Chris Mueller (82’), N/A – The biggest note about Chris Mueller’s night was that it was his 100th competitive appearance for the club. The other half of the late substitutions, Mueller came on as fresh legs for Akindele. He was booked in stoppage time for time wasting, had one pass, no shots, and no defensive contributions.

That’s how I saw the individual performances of Orlando City in this game. Let us know what you thought about the players and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Mauricio Pereyra34
Pedro Gallese2
Antonio Carlos34
Sebas Mendez2
Other11

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Orlando City

Orlando City Signs Defender Thomas Williams Through 2026

Orlando City signs Homegrown center back Thomas Williams to a new contract through 2026 with a club option for 2027.

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6 hours ago

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January 22, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City announced this morning that the club has signed defender Thomas Williams through the 2026 season with a club option for 2027. The Homegrown Player has been with the first team since 2021 and will continue for at least two more years.

“Thomas is someone whose future we’re still very excited about and we’re happy to get him locked in with us for a couple more years,” Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s shown a lot of growth these last few seasons, continuing to get game action with Orlando City B and proving the importance of our development pathway, and we’re looking forward to having him with us for the foreseeable future.”

The Titusville native joined the Orlando City Academy in 2015 and made his professional debut for the club on Aug. 7, 2020 against New England Revolution II. He played in 13 games that year with 10 starts and recorded 844 minutes. His play on the Young Lions’ back line earned him a first-team contract on June 15, 2021, at just 16 years old, making him the youngest player in club history to sign a Homegrown contract.

The 20-year-old center back made his MLS debut on April 16, 2022 in a 2-0 win over the Columbus Crew in Ohio. He made five appearances with three starts in all competitions that season, recording 271 minutes. To date, those are the only appearances he’s made with the first team.

Since joining OCB in 2021, Williams has made 69 appearances with 61 starts and recorded 5,132 minutes. He’s been booked 19 times and sent off twice, both times after receiving second yellow cards.

What It Means for Orlando City

Williams is the fourth natural center back for Orlando City on the current squad behind Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Rodrigo Schlegel. He played well early in his OCB and MLS career, but has struggled recently. Last year, he played exclusively with the second team, partnering with Nabi Kibunguchy.

While Williams hasn’t made much of an impact on the first team so far, he’s only 20 years old and still has plenty of time to develop. Extending his contact shows that the club still has faith that he can turn into a key player for the MLS side.

It’s unlikely that Williams will see any time with the first team in 2025 (barring injuries and/or suspensions), considering that he’s also been behind versatile defender Kyle Smith at the center back position. He’ll likely spend the upcoming season with OCB, continuing to develop and earn his spot with the first team. As a Homegrown Player, there isn’t much risk in signing Williams to a new contract, especially if the club’s technical staff thinks he can develop into a quality defender.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/22/25

Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.

Published

10 hours ago

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January 22, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The ManeLand

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.

Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International

While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881755961125449765?s=46&t=pMoq7Wulqfb35D7C8ydroA

Pride Preseason Begins

The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.

USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight

Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.

Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move

USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.

MLS Transfer Updates

Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.

https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/1881741042904350864

Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881786193693823104

Free Kicks

https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1881749040863588770?s=12&t=_WZBNG4ILAyRLdwBeB4mpQ
  • Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
https://twitter.com/nwsl/status/1881749035218042954?s=46&t=pN-YJp3s7ZQlCXqnTAgSfw

That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/21/25

Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.

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1 day ago

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January 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! If you had yesterday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then I hope you enjoyed some restful time off. If not, then I hope you got your week started off on a good and productive note. There’s a lot going on around here this week as the United States Men’s National Team is in town, and Orlando City will play its first preseason match on Saturday. That means we have plenty to discuss, so let’s dig into today’s links.

Orlando Pride Drop Preseason Roster

Monday might have been a holiday but the Orlando Pride were busy, as they announced the roster for their upcoming preseason camp. Almost all of the usual suspects from the 2024 season are back, as the Pride return 98% of the player-minutes from last season and every single scorer. Mariana Larroquette is on the list although she’s currently on loan in Argentina, and Amanda Allen is likewise included after her loan at Lexington Sporting Club was terminated due to a torn labrum. The biggest intrigue comes from the trio of non-roster invitees: goalkeeper DeAira Jackson, midfielder Aryssa Mahrt, and forward Simone Jackson.

Scouting Costa Rica

The USMNT takes on Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium to wrap up the team’s annual January camp. Like the U.S., Costa Rica is bringing a roster devoid of the majority of its important players. Costa Rica also has a new manager at the helm in Miguel Herrera, who will take charge of the team for the very first time on Wednesday. Herrera typically lines his teams up in a 5-3-2 where the wingbacks take on a very important role and the team looks to hit on the counter while staying compact at the back. This will be the last time we see the USMNT in action until the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in early March.

Women’s Soccer January Transfer Grades

January has been a busy time for transfers in the women’s soccer world, so which teams have done the best business? Well, the Orlando Pride received an A grade for signing Marta to a new two-year deal, retaining a player who helped the team win its first ever trophies. Liverpool got an A for signing Julia Bartel on loan from Chelsea. Leicester City made an interesting call by transferring goalkeeper Lize Kop to Tottenham despite just being a point above the relegation zone. The Foxes get a C for the move, while Spurs get a B+ for adding a capable netminder.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in some very important games over the course of this week. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus face Club Brugge today in the UEFA Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Esmir Bajraktarević, Malik Tillman and PSV Eindhoven take on Crvena Zvezda in the same competition. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will play Girona in the UCL on Wednesday, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic take on Young Boys. On Friday, John Tolkin could make his Bundesliga debut when his new team, Holstein Kiel, travels to face Wolfsburg.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride players reported for their preseason physicals on Monday.
  • Meanwhile, Orlando City took on the dreaded beep test during Monday’s training session.

That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!

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