Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Published

2 years ago

on

Orlando City defeated Toronto FC 4-0 at Exploria Stadium on Saturday night. It was a dominating performance from the Lions heading into the international break. Earning all three points at home was a big help as Orlando City is looking to make the playoffs for a third season in a row. It was also the most goals scored by the Lions during the 2022 regular season.

Let’s look at how the Lions performed individually in the win.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — El Pulpo didn’t have a lot to do on the night since Toronto only took 11 shots, and only three of those were on target. His toughest challenge of the night came on a reaction save in the 88th minute. This was Gallese’s ninth clean sheet in the regular season, and his first since the 1-0 over New York Red Bulls on Aug. 13.

D, Joao Moutinho, 6 — It was another solid outing from Moutinho. On defense, he made two tackles, three clearances, and committed two fouls. He stood up former Lion Richie Laryea in the 61st minute, taking the ball right off his foot. He did receive a yellow card in the 38th minute for a hand to the face as he tried to create some separation. Moutinho sent in six crosses on the night with the one in the 48th minute resulting in an own goal by Lukas MacNaughton.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Schlegel showed why he’s the best backup center back in MLS. He had two tackles, seven clearances, and one blocked shot. He passed the ball at an impressive 91.7% rate and completed five of eight long balls on the night. Long balls like those are something that Orlando City has missed with Robin Jansson out due to injury, so it was nice for Schlegel to provide that for the Lions.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6.5 — Carlos was determined to get into the attack against Toronto. He took two shots — one on target — and provided the nifty back heel pass to Facundo Torres that led to the first goal. He was his typical efficient self on defense with two tackles, six interceptions, and two clearances. He passed at an 84.4% rate and was successful on one of four long balls.

D, Ruan, 6 — Ruan was his typical self. He played pretty well in defense with one tackle, one interception, and one blocked shot in the 73rd minute that saved a goal. He attempted two crosses, one of which actually made it into the 6-yard box, though Kara wasn’t able to do anything with it. He subbed off for Kyle Smith in the 80th minute.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena did exactly what he was brought in to do — be an effective backup for César Araújo. He made three tackles and two interceptions on defense. He also got involved in the offense, taking one shot and making two key passes. He passed at an 88.9% rate and completed five of seven long balls. This was a very solid performance from the Peruvian.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — The captain once again played a little deeper in the midfield providing more defense while still directing the offense. Defensively he made one tackle and had two interceptions. Offensively, he did not take any shots but did have two key passes, including a perfect through ball to Kara for Orlando City’s second goal. He completed 84.4% of his passes, including five of five long balls. He was subbed off for Andres Perea in the 71st minute.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 8 (MotM) — From the start, Iván Angulo was all over the pitch on both offense and defense. Angulo led the team with five shots — two on target — and contributed two key passes. He had a team-high 92.6% passing rate on 27 passes, with one cross. He completed his only long ball, and his only through ball provided the assist on Tesho Akindele’s goal. On defense, he made two interceptions, and on clearance. Most importantly, his work rate was outstanding. He was everywhere along the left side, and seemed to be completely in tune with Torres. He figured in three of the four goals, getting a primary assist on Akindele’s, a secondary assist on Torres’ opener, and his pass sent Moutinho to the end line on the play that resulted in the own goal. This was Angulo’s best match so far as a Lion and as such it was deserving of our pick for Man of the Match.

MF, Junior Urso, 6.5 — The Bear put in his normal efficient shift. He sniffed out trouble in Toronto’s half before it could develop. He had three dribbles and worked well with Pereyra and Torres in attack. His only shot was on target, but it was saved. He passed at an impressive 91.2% rate, with two key passes, and connected on three of his four long balls.

MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5 — Torres continued his run of good form scoring the first goal of the match in the 9th minute. After receiving the back heel pass from Carlos, he moved from the right side, along the top of the box, and finally smashed the ball inside the near post with his left foot. It was such a perfect shot that he froze Toronto keeper Quentin Westberg. As I mentioned, he and Angulo were seemingly reading each other’s minds. He almost scored a brace on a pass from Angulo, but he hit the left post. To be especially fair, the angle on that shot wasn’t great. He finished with three shots — one on target — and one key pass. He drew four fouls, and made one interception. He wasn’t perfect, as he passed at an 81.2% rate, and had a giveaway in the 60th minute that was the result of poor communication with Urso. Regardless, this was another excellent performance from the Young Designated Player.

F, Ercan Kara, 6.5 — Kara showed what he can do when given proper service. His run on Pereyra’s assist in the 22nd minute was perfectly timed and his finish was clinical. He almost added an assist when he chested the ball in the box to Angulo for shot that resulted in a corner kick rather than a goal. Kara’s second shot was not on target and seems to have been an homage to Carlos Rivas, as it hit the Heineken sign. Kara actually assisted on the defensive end as well, making one interception. He was subbed off in the 71st minute for Benji Michel.

Substitutes

F, Benji Michel (71’), 5 — Michel only had six touches after coming on for Kara, and two of those were aerials he won. The other four touches were passes, but he only completed one of them. He probably should have won a free kick and a red card on Shane O’Neill for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity on a late potential breakaway but the foul wasn’t given. The important thing is he didn’t do any harm and helped the team see out the victory.

MF, Andrés Perea (71’), 6 — Perea was pretty active after he came on for Pereyra. He took two shots, including a header that went wide in the 95th minute. He passed at an 83.3% rate, with one key pass, and he completed one of two long balls. Defensively, he made four tackles, one interception, and committed two fouls. A very solid night for the young man.

D, Kyle Smith (80’), 5.5 — The Accountant didn’t have any last-minute heroics in this match, and that is fine. The match was well in hand before he entered the match, and he helped see it out. Defensively, he made one tackle, one interception, and one clearance. Smith made one key pass — a good ball to Perea that was headed wide — and one cross.

F, Tesho Akindele (80’), 6.5 — Akindele scored his third goal of the season in the 84th minute to really emphasize how over the match was at that point. He made a nifty little move to run onto the pass from Angulo, and one-timed the ball inside the far post. Akindele also contributed a key pass.

MF, Nicholas Gioacchini (85’), N/A — Gioacchini came on late for Cartagena. He only had three touches, and passed at a 33.3% rate.

That’s how I saw the individual performances for Orlando City in this Eastern Conference bout. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Facundo Torres17
Ercan Kara0
Ivan Angulo29
Mauricio Pereyra0
Other (Tell us in the comments below)0

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Ivan Angulo

The midfielder started every regular season and playoff game in 2024.

Published

52 minutes ago

on

December 23, 2024

By

Image courtesy or Orlando City SC

Orlando City acquired midfielder Ivan Angulo on a 12-month loan from Brazilian Serie A side Palmeiras on July 25, 2022. The Lions accepted the option to extend the loan for six months on June 22, 2023, before making a permanent transfer for the winger on Jan. 3, 2024. Angulo has since become a mainstay in Oscar Pareja’s starting lineup. The Colombian played a big role in helping the Lions claim the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and advance to the Eastern Conference final for the first time.

Let’s take a look at how Angulo did during the 2024 MLS season.

Statistical Breakdown

Angulo started all 34 regular-season matches on the left side of the midfield this year, recording 2,772 minutes played. He put 10 of his 34 shots on target and scored five goals. Despite being on the left, 24 of his shots came with his right foot. As you would expect from someone in his position, his biggest contribution came in the build-up. He completed 86.7% of his 1,063 passes, including 41 key passes, 11 crosses, three long balls, and 10 assists — third most on the team. Defensively, Angulo won 35.3% of his 17 aerial duels, 47 tackles, 19 interceptions, 12 clearances, and two blocks. He was called for 23 fouls, drew 24 fouls, and was booked four times in his 34 games.

The left-sided midfielder also started all five MLS playoff games in his usual spot, recording 408 minutes. He put two of his five shots on target and didn’t score but completed 90.1% of his 145 passes, including three key passes and an assist. On the defensive end, Angulo tallied five tackles, three interceptions, and five clearances in the postseason. He committed seven fouls while drawing five and was booked once in those five postseason appearances. 

Angulo appeared in three of the four Concacaf Champions Cup games (all starts) — all except the home match against Cavalry FC — playing 231 minutes. He didn’t score or put any of his three shots on target, but he completed an impressive 89.3% of his 75 passes with four key passes, two crosses, and an assist. He contributed one tackle and two interceptions defensively, drawing three fouls while conceding two. He wasn’t booked.

The Colombian played in two of the three Leagues Cup games (both starts) and recorded 179 minutes without a goal contribution. The midfielder didn’t put his only shot on target, but he completed 84.5% of his 71 passes, including two key passes. Defensively, he chipped in two tackles, three interceptions, and a clearance. Additionally, Angulo was fouled four times and committed two himself without being booked.

Best Game

Angulo’s two best games came in a 5-0 win over D.C. United on July 6 at Inter&Co Stadium and in a 3-1 win at FC Cincinnati on Oct. 5. He had a goal and an assist in both games, but while the Cincinnati game was more impactful on the team claiming the fourth seed in the playoffs, Angulo’s best game was against D.C.

The midfielder started and played all 90 minutes, completing 84.9% of his 66 passes. He only put one of his three shots on target that night, but had three key passes, including his secondary assist on Facundo Torres’ goal. However, his biggest moment of the game came in the 42nd minute.

Receiving the ball from Torres, Angulo played Martin Ojeda into the box. D.C. goalkeeper Tyler Miller blocked Ojeda’s attempted cross, but Angulo followed the play. Nobody else pounced on the ball and the midfielder passed it calmly in to give his team a commanding 3-0 lead.

Additionally, Angulo made four tackles that night and drew two fouls without conceding any.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Angulo a composite grade of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2024 MLS season. It’s the same grade the staff gave him for his 2023 campaign and also equaled the rating we gave him in 2022. The highs of Angulo’s season were tremendous, but his inconsistency continued this year. He would see his grade rise if he would put a string of quality performances together. Regardless, it was another good year for the winger.

2025 Outlook

Angulo signed a two-year contract with Orlando City before last season, keeping him on a guaranteed deal through the 2025 season. He has a club option for 2026, so he could be in purple for the next two seasons before the club has to decide on his future. He played in every league game the last two years, starting all but five. It’s hard to see anyone else taking over the left side of the midfield in the near future with how Pareja trusts the 25-year-old. The departure of Facundo Torres this off-season causes bigger concerns than the Colombian, and knowing he’s back in the attack provides some comfort for the front office as it prepares for next season.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/23/24

Orlando City sells Facundo Torres to Palmeiras, Lions draft four players, latest MLS transfer moves, and more.

Published

4 hours ago

on

December 23, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. My weekend has been busy working at Under Armour, with Christmas just two days away. I also covered high school hockey and went to a Chicago Bulls game. Besides that, I finally got all my Christmas shopping done. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Announces Facundo Torres Transfer to Palmeiras

Orlando City announced on Friday that forward Facundo Torres has been sold to Palmeiras for a club-record fee. Torres leaves Orlando as the Lions all-time goal-scoring leader. He had 123 appearances across all competitions, scored 47 goals, and added 25 assists in three seasons in Orlando. Torres made a big impact as a Lion, helping the club reach the playoffs the last three years and winning the 2022 U.S. Open Cup title.

The Lions will have an open Designated Player spot to fill during the off-season. Their home opener against the Philadelphia Union is less than two months away.

Lions Select Four Players in 2025 MLS SuperDraft

The Lions made four selections during the 2025 MLS SuperDraft on Friday. With the 27th overall pick, they chose midfielder Joran Gerbet out of Clemson. Gerbet had a solid collegiate career, recording 12 goals and 15 assists, and he led Clemson to the 2023 National Championship title as well. In the second round, the Lions added another Clemson Tiger by selecting center back Titus Sandy, Jr. with the 46th overall pick. Sandy played in 48 matches, logging 2,520 minutes, and was also part of the 2023 National Championship team. Later in the same round, the Lions picked forward Collins Oduro out of Indiana. Oduro made 44 appearances for the Hoosiers, scoring eight goals to go with seven assists. The Lions concluded their 2025 MLS SuperDraft by selecting Marshall defender Takahiro Fujita in the third round with the 87th overall pick. MLSSoccer.com unveiled its draft grades for each club, and Orlando City received an A- as its grade.

NJ/NY Gotham FC Trades Lynn Williams to the Seattle Reign

We had a trade that went down in the National Women’s Soccer League as NJ/NY Gotham FC traded forward Lynn Williams and goalkeeper Cassie Miller to the Seattle Reign. In exchange, the Seattle Reign acquired midfielder Jaelin Howell, an international roster slot, and $70,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM). Williams spent two seasons with Gotham FC, recording 17 goals and seven assists. She made 75 appearances for the U.S. Women’s National Team and was part of the squad that won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Miller began the 2024 NWSL season as the number one goalkeeper for Gotham but was moved to a backup role once the club acquired Ann-Katrin Berger. Howell made eight appearances for the Reign this season after being acquired from Racing Louisville FC in August.

Latest Transfer Moves in MLS

We have some MLS transfer news to catch you up on from over the weekend. Real Salt Lake acquired forward Elias Manoel and four MLS SuperDraft picks from the New York Red Bulls in exchange for $700,000 in GAM. The Red Bulls maintain a sell-on percentage for Manoel as well. Atlanta United also made a trade, acquiring midfielder Mateusz Klich from D.C. United in exchange for Atlanta’s first round 2025 MLS SuperDraft Pick and up to $50,000 in conditional GAM if Atlanta re-signs Klich. The New England Revolution signed goalkeeper Alex Bono to a contract through the 2026 season. Bono spent the previous two seasons with D.C. United. The Revolution also added defender Tanner Beason, who previously played five seasons with the San Jose Earthquakes. Beason’s deal is through the 2026 season, with an option for 2027.

Premier League Weekend Roundup

We had plenty of action in the Premier League over the weekend. Manchester City fell 2-1 to Aston Villa on Saturday and has lost nine out of its last 12 matches across all competitions. Arsenal cruised past Crystal Palace 5-1, Newcastle United defeated Ipswich Town 4-0 with Alexander Isak getting a hat trick, and Nottingham Forest won 2-0 against Brentford. West Ham United and Brighton fought to a 1-1 draw. On Sunday, Manchester United lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth. Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur 6-3, with Mohamed Salah scoring twice. Vitor Pereira won his first match as Wolverhampton’s manager, as his side beat Leicester City 3-0. The Everton and Chelsea and Fulham and Southampton matches ended in a scoreless draw.

Free Kicks

  • In an interview with Fast Company, former Orlando Pride player Alex Morgan gave insight into her next chapter since retiring from pro soccer. Morgan discussed how she’s navigating through her post-playing career, investing in other sports, and continuing to support current and future generations of female athletes.
  • Atlanta United named Ronny Deila as its next head coach. Deila previously coached Standard Liege, New York City FC, Celtic, and Club Brugge.
  • FIFA and Netflix signed an agreement for exclusive broadcast rights in the United States for the 2027 and 2031 editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
  • In another coaching move, USL Championship side Sacramento Republic FC announced former Tampa Bay Rowdies head coach Neill Collins as its next head coach after activating his release clause at Raith Rovers.
  • Weston McKennie scored a goal in the first half to help Juventus snap its run of four consecutive draws in league play with a 2-1 win against Monza on Sunday.
  • Jesus Navas played his final match for Sevilla as his side lost 4-2 to Real Madrid on Sunday. Navas will retire from professional soccer after his contract ends this month after a stellar 21-year career.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

Continue Reading

Orlando City

2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Wilder Cartagena

The midfielder helped Orlando City own the center of the field throughout the majority of the 2024 season.

Published

23 hours ago

on

December 22, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City initially acquired midfielder Wilder Cartagena on loan through the 2022 MLS season. After a successful end of the year, the club exercised the option to extend the loan through the 2023 season. He became a key player in the starting lineup for the Lions that season, resulting in the club signing him to a permanent deal through the 2025 season on Dec. 14, 2024. The Peruvian midfielder built a powerhouse partnership with fellow midfielder César Araújo, forming what may have been the best central midfield duo in all of MLS during the 2024 season.

Let’s take a look back at Cartagena’s season with Orlando City.

Statistical Breakdown

Cartagena participated in all four of the competitions Orlando City played in during 2024, playing primarily in his normal central defensive midfielder role but also filling in as center back for around seven games worth of minutes (631). Despite playing in a brand new position for approximately 20% of his total minutes, Cartagena ended up leading the team in plus-minus for the season, finishing +22 across all competitions, meaning the Lions were much better with him on the pitch than they were when he wasn’t.

In MLS regular-season play, the Peruvian international appeared in 27 matches, starting 25 and playing 2,192 minutes. He only recorded one goal contribution on the season, an assist, though he took 24 shots, putting eight on target. He completed 89% of his passes with 16 key passes, one successful cross, and 25 completed long balls. On the defensive side, he recorded 76 tackles, 20 interceptions, 42 clearances, and nine blocks. He committed a team-leading 48 fouls, suffered 28 fouls, and received seven yellow cards and one red card, which he picked up after the conclusion of the game against Minnesota United. Coincidentally, his red card suspension and his one-game ban for yellow card accumulation each resulted in him missing a regular-season game against Atlanta United — both were Orlando losses.

During the MLS playoffs, Cartagena started all five matches, playing 431 minutes with no goals or assists. He took two shots, placing one on target, and he completed 87.2% of his passes with a single key pass. Defensively, he recorded nine tackles, four interceptions, 11 clearances, and one block. He drew eight fouls and committed nine, and he was booked twice, with both being yellow cards.

Cartagena played in all four Concacaf Champions Cup matches, starting every game and playing 315 minutes. He did not take any shots, so he did not score any goals, and he didn’t contribute any assists either. He completed 86.6% of his passes, including four key passes. Defensively, he tallied eight tackles, five interceptions, four clearances, and one block, and he committed three fouls, while suffering five. He was booked twice, earning two yellow cards.

During Leagues Cup play, Cartagena started all three games, playing the full 270 minutes with zero goal contributions. He took three shots, placing one on target, and completed 92.1% of his passes, but with zero key passes. He added three tackles, three interceptions, four clearances, and one block on defense, and he committed three fouls and drew one. Unlike in the other three competitions, in Leagues Cup play he did not receive any cards.

Best Game

While Cartagena only had one goal contribution for the season, the positions he played do not lend themselves to being able to use the commonly cited stats like goals and assists to evaluate which game was the finest. That said, I think the one game in which Cartagena had an assist was his finest performance, but the assist was only the cherry on top of an outstanding game all over the field by the Peruvian midfielder, as his performance helped lead the Lions to a dominant 5-0 victory over D.C. United on March 9.

Cartagena completed 77 of his 81 passes (95.1%), and while any game with that many completed passes and that high of a completion percentage would be excellent, it was the types of passes that he completed that really set this game ahead of all of his other performances. He completed 22 of those 77 passes into the attacking third of the field, meaning they were attacking balls forward towards goal that went from the middle or defensive third into the attacking third. If 22 sounds like a lot, well, that’s because it is. There were only seven instances during MLS play in 2024 of a player completing 22 or more passes into the attacking third in a single game.

If that was not enough, Cartagena also went 11 of 12 (91.7%) on long passes (passes of at least 30 yards) on the night, one of only 24 instances during MLS play in 2024 of a midfielder completing at least 11 long passes and being successful on more than 90% of his long pass attempts.

On top of both of those stats, Cartagena also got on the score sheet for the only time all season, playing a beautiful cross from the right flank onto the head of a charging Robin Jannson, who smashed in his header and gave the Lions a 2-0 lead.

Cartagena went the full 90 in this match, contributing not only offensively but also defensively, with three tackles, four recoveries, and one clearance, and his dominance in the center of the field helped the Lions keep a clean sheet.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land awarded Cartagena a composite rating of 7.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season, the same as the 7.5 we gave him last season. I mentioned earlier that the team was +22 while Cartagena was on the field, and that +22 equaled a +0.62 goals per 90-minute average over his total minutes played, meaning that when Cartagena played, the Lions were nearly two-thirds of a goal better than their opponents. On the flip side, when Cartagena was off the field, the Lions were -5 for the season, which equaled a -0.48 goals per 90-minute average. The net of those two per 90-minute averages is +1.10, meaning that Orlando City was more than one goal better than its opponents when Cartagena was on the field as compared to when he was off, showing just how valuable he was to the team during the 2024 season.

2025 Outlook

I expect 2025 to look very similar to 2024 for Cartagena, as both he and his midfield partner Araujo are set to return and are completely comfortable in Head Coach Óscar Pareja’s system. The Lions also parted ways with Felipe, Jeorgio Kocevski, and Heine Gikling Bruseth, meaning that Nico Lodeiro is the only player on the roster with significant experience in the role where Cartagena usually plays, and Lodeiro is more of a supersub than a starter at this point in his career and a much more offensive minded No. 8 option than a defensive, double-pivot type. Kyle Smith and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson both have the skillset to potentially get some minutes there, and Orlando City used its first-round draft pick in the MLS SuperDraft to select midfielder Joran Gerbet from Clemson, but it should be Cartagena’s job to lose during the 2025 season, and I expect to see him on the field for the vast majority of Orlando City’s minutes.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Continue Reading

Trending