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2022 Orlando City Season in Review: Jake Mulraney

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2 years ago

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Orlando City acquired winger Jake Mulraney from Atlanta United on May 5 in exchange for $200,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM), with half of that coming from the club’s 2022 pool of GAM and the other half coming from its allotment in 2023. There was another $75,000 in 2023 GAM potentially going Atlanta’s way if certain unnamed performance metrics were reached.

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Mulraney had a bit of a reputation in Atlanta as a super sub who could provide a spark off the bench and get down the left flank to provide service and some danger. But Mulraney ultimately didn’t add much to the Orlando City attack, and when MLS U22 Initiative signing Gaston Gonzalez injured his knee in his final match with his former club, the OCSC front office had to bring in Ivan Angulo to strengthen the position.

Let’s look back at the Dublin, Ireland native’s first season in Orlando.

Statistical Breakdown

Mulraney was cap tied to Atlanta United in the U.S. Open Cup prior to the trade to Orlando, so he did not appear in any of that competition’s matches as a Lion in 2022.

In MLS play, however, Mulraney appeared in 17 matches with Orlando (10 starts), playing 726 minutes. He didn’t play a full 90 in any match with the Lions this year. Mulraney did not contribute a goal or an assist on the year, attempting 11 shots and getting only one of them on target. His passing rate was a solid 82.5% and he contributed six key passes, but he also turned the ball over 14 times. Defensively, Mulraney contributed 17 tackles, five clearances, and three interceptions. He committed just eight fouls and drew 22 on the opposition and was booked twice.

The winger also played 13 minutes off the bench in Orlando City’s playoff match at CF Montreal. He did not contribute a goal, assist, shot, or key pass in the game and only touched the ball three times. He completed his only pass attempt and served an unsuccessful cross into the box. He did not register any defensive statistics, committed no fouls while drawing one, and was not booked.

Best Game

It’s tempting to go with the 1-0 win over Inter Miami on July 9 here. Mulraney played just 20 minutes in that match and completed all eight of his passes, but the most memorable moment was his cross in stoppage time that resulted in the Damion Lowe own goal that gave the Lions the victory. I mean, look at this beauty:

That said, let’s be a little more fair and go with his performance in Orlando City’s 2-1 home win over the Houston Dynamo on June 19. Mulraney started the match and played 65 minutes, recording a season-high four shot attempts on the evening, although none were on target. He passed at a 76.5% rate on 17 attempts — tied for his fourth most on the season. Mulraney also completed a dribble and drew two free kicks without conceding one. He may not have gotten an assist, but he was part of the buildup to Ercan Kara’s opening goal in the match, getting the ball into the corner and laying off for Joao Moutinho, which you can see on the replay in this goal video:

Mulraney also flicked a header on later in the match that deflected off a Houston defender to captain Mauricio Pereyra, who fired a shot off of Kara and in for the second Orlando goal — the eventual game winner — in the match.

Even though his performance didn’t provide the single-most memorable moment of his season with the Lions, it was his most complete and solid attacking performance. In a season in which Mulraney struggled to get involved in the Orlando attack, he was involved against the Dynamo.

2022 Final Grade

Mulraney’s composite grade from The Mane Land staff is not a good one. This is not a player the staff enjoyed watching in 2022, which is reflected in his rating of 4 out of 10. And there wasn’t much variation across the staff. The lowest grade was a 3.5 and the highest a 4.5, so members of the staff were universally unimpressed with his performance after his arrival from Atlanta United. More performances like his game against Houston would certainly have helped his rating.

The move seemed to make sense at the time — Orlando City needed wing play on the left side, and it was worth taking a shot at a veteran guy who was looking for more playing time and had previously had an 18-month stint with English Premier League side Queens Park Rangers. The Irishman had a somewhat promising start with Orlando, but toward the end of the season he was adding so little that his inclusion in the team made it seem like the Lions were playing with 10 men at times. This was reflected in his managing only three touches in 13 minutes with Orlando chasing the game at Montreal in the postseason.

2023 Outlook

The big question is what Mulraney’s contract status is at the moment. He has played two seasons in MLS since being signed by Atlanta in January of 2020. Terms of his deal were not disclosed in the signing announcement. Mulraney was announced as already being under contract for 2022 in Atlanta’s year-end roster announcements after the 2021 season. It is possible that Mulraney either has a third year or a club option year remaining on his contract (or possibly two option years). The deal with Atlanta will seem worse when Orlando City sends the $100,000 in 2023 GAM to its northern rival.

This is a player who might be able to better integrate into the team with a training camp under his belt, but our staff grades clearly indicate that we feel Orlando should move on from this player as soon as possible. The winger had a base salary of $301,600 and a guaranteed compensation of $338,777 in 2022. The clubs split Mulraney’s 2022 budget charge but did not announce what percentage each team was paying. His salary is far too much money to spend on a player who had so little production and didn’t seem to mesh well with the other players on the pitch. That’s especially true if the player is likely to be, at best (assuming Angulo remains with the Lions), the third option at his position in 2023. Mulraney has fallen behind Angulo in the pecking order already and Gonzalez will be expected to jump to the front of the line when he’s healthy.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to ensure a victory over FC Cincinnati Saturday at home?

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4 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City looks to bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Cincinnati has twice as many points as Orlando City and more than twice as many wins. FCC has only scored one more goal than Orlando City, but with only nine goals conceded compared to Orlando City’s 17, it’s easy to see why Cincinnati is sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference.

What I’m trying to say is that the task doesn’t get any easier this weekend. What does Orlando City need to do to secure all three points at home against FC Cincinnati?

Accost Acosta

Cincinnati’s attack revolves around Luciano Acosta. The attacking midfielder has four goals and five assists so far this season. To put that into perspective, Duncan McGuire — Orlando City’s leading scorer — also has four goals but only one assist. If we look at the Lions’ attacking midfielders, Facundo Torres has one goal and one assist, Ivan Angulo and Nico Lodeiro both have one goal and two assists, and Martin Ojeda has zero goals and only one assist. Luis Muriel is still at double zeroes.

The defensive midfield and the back line must do everything possible to mark him out of the match. It’s not enough to keep him from scoring, they must also keep him from setting up chances for his teammates. Most importantly, the defense must do that for 90 minutes plus stoppage time. There is no room for the mental lapses we’ve seen throughout the first part of this season.

Break Through

Cincinnati is stingy on defense. As I mentioned above, the club has only allowed nine goals this season. The back line is formidable with the likes of Matt Miazga, Miles Robinson, and Ian Murphy. On the wings are DeAndre Yedlin and Luca Orellano. This is a tough defense, and whether it is McGuire or Muriel who gets the start, they must find the spaces in between.

Just as importantly, Torres, Angulo, Ojeda, and Lodeiro — depending on who is in at any given moment — must be able to thread the passes in for McGuire, Muriel, or each other to create quality chances. On top of that, the Lions must convert on those chances, which is not something that has been a strength so far this season. If the Orlando City defense continues to give up cheap goals, then the offense will need to one-up the competition when it comes to scoring.

Deal with an Unknown

FC Cincinnati recently signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. Kelsy comes in as an MLS U22 Initiative player and is eligible to play against Orlando City. Even though Kelsy is only 19, he has 68 professional appearances, including UEFA Champions Leagues matches. At 6-foot-3, he can be a challenge for defenders, especially in the air.

Kelsy hasn’t had much time with the team, but he could be a second-half substitution for Cincinnati. Given that Orlando City just gave up two late headers against Toronto FC, the back line will need to be careful that Kelsy doesn’t hurt the Lions in the same manner — especially if he comes on late when legs and minds are tired.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/2/24

The Pride win big, OCSC celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month, USMNT news, and more.

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8 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

It’s Thursday, Mane Landers. Of course, the name Thursday comes from Thor’s day, and as such, it isn’t a big leap for us to consider it Thorhallsson’s day. Though I suppose that is a bit of a mouthful, so we’ll just keep things the way they are, but do hold Dagur Dan close to your heart today. Also, let us wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Luana. Despite the devastating news that dropped about her health earlier this week, we hope that her spirits are high and we wish her nothing but happiness today. It’s also Dagur Dan Thorhallsson’s birthday today, so we’re celebrating him as well. Let’s get to the links.

The Pride Dominate the Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 4-1 in a midweek match at Inter&Co Stadium. The Pride did indeed dominate the Courage as much as the score line indicates. It was once again the Barbra Banda show, with the Pride’s newest player contributing a brace and an assist on the night. It is the Pride’s fourth straight victory and the undefeated run continues.

OCSC Celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are doing their part this May to observe Mental Health Awareness Month. The club is sponsoring and attending events and forums available to the general public, as well as holding club staff workshops around promoting mental health. I have to say my favorite is the therapy dogs visits that will be available to the staff. There’s nothing as good for my personal mental health as the joy and unconditional love a dog can bring. If I didn’t have dogs of my own, I’d be really jealous.

The Billionaires Clubs

Orlando City and Orlando Pride owners, the Wilf family, are not the only billionaire owners in the NWSL. There are more and more owners and ownership groups that fall into that category. The influx of more money is a growth opportunity for the league and potentially for those owners. It’s a bit of a “rising tide lifts all boats” mentality for these owners as they do better when the league as a whole does better. It’s not just the owners who think so. The NWSL was ranked No. 5 on the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2024. I’m just glad the Pride are in the club.

USMNT News

I hate starting off a section with bad news, but Sergino Dest tore his ACL in training with PSV Eindhoven and will miss the Copa America. Dest will require surgery though there is no time frame yet for when he may return. The loss of Dest is a blow to the U.S. defense heading into the competition this coming June. The USMNT plays Bolivia on June 23.

In better news, Tim Weah provided the assist for Juventus on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal against Lazio. Juventus entered the second leg of the Copa Italia semifinal up 2-0, but Lazio drew level before Milik’s goal. Juventus advanced 3-2 on aggregate and will play in the final.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. There’s plenty more soccer to come this weekend with all three teams playing. Check back for more as we get you ready for those matches. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/1/24

Mason Stajduhar was arrested, Orlando Pride play at home tonight, Colin Guske discusses his signing, and more.

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1 day ago

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May 1, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday and welcome to May, Mane Landers. Don’t forget that the undefeated Orlando Pride are in action tonight, so check back for our match preview and the latest episode of SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for additional pre-match coverage. In the meantime, let’s get to the links.

Mason Stajduhar Arrested Early Sunday

Orlando City goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar and his wife Tatiana Stajduhar were both arrested on disorderly conduct charges following an incident at a nightclub overnight Saturday in the early hours of Sunday morning. The couple were reportedly disrespectful to the club’s staff and got into an altercation with the security guards. Mason stated he was only resisting the security guards to re-enter the club because the bouncers allegedly hit his wife. Tatiana allegedly pushed the police officers after they arrived, and she was not charged with battery on a law enforcement officer. The couple were released Monday after posting a bond. Orlando City provided the following statement to WESH 2 News:

“The Club is aware that goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar was arrested early Sunday morning. We are currently gathering more information and will have no further comment at this time.”

Orlando Pride Host the North Carolina Courage Tonight

After a 3-2 win on the road last Friday against the Washington Spirit, the Orlando Pride are back in the City Beautiful and will take on the North Carolina Courage tonight. Unbeaten in their six games so far this season, the Pride have also won their past three games and sit fourth in the standings. They’re tied on points with a Courage team that beat the Seattle Reign Saturday. Orlando has scored at least one goal in every match this season. Forward Barbra Banda had a great performance in that win against the Spirit, so hopefully the scoring trend continues tonight for the Pride.

Orlando City/Pride Earn Golden Brick Awards

Have you enjoyed the new food options at the stadium? I know I have, and I’m looking forward to trying even more. The efforts made by Orlando City’s front office to feature more local food and beverage options did not go unnoticed, as the club won the Hospitality & Dining category in the Downtown Orlando Partnership’s 2023 Golden Brick Awards. The Orlando Pride’s 2023 Highway Woman Kit also won the award in the Arts & Culture category. The home jersey was inspired by the work of Mary Ann Carroll, the sole woman in the famed Highwaymen artists from decades ago.

Colin Guske Speaks On Signing First Pro Contract

Orlando City Development Academy player Colin Guske signed his first professional contract with the club last month and spoke on the importance of this moment in his career. The 17-year-old is now on an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B, and he has started in nearly every game for the Young Lions this year. Both of Guske’s brothers have also played for Orlando City’s academy over the years, and he thanked his family for helping him reach this point.

“It’s awesome to represent the Guskes,” Colin said. “Thanks to my brothers for always pushing me through early mornings and late nights, always putting in the work, doing video sessions, everything. My sister as well, for always being there for me and my parents, too. They’re always helping me and what was the best for me.”

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy all of the sights and sounds from the Pride’s big win over the Spirit in the nation’s capital.
  • The Champions League semifinals are underway and Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played to a 2-2 draw in Germany. The second leg will take place on May 8 in Madrid.

That will do it for today. If you can make it out to the stadium tonight to catch the Pride in action, I strongly suggest you do so. Barbra Banda is about to take the NWSL by storm and you’ll want to see it in person. Vamos Orlando!

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