Connect with us

Orlando City

2022 Orlando City Season in Review: Cesar Araujo

Published

1 year ago

on

Orlando City signed Uruguayan midfielder Cesar Araujo on Jan. 7 from Montevideo Wanderers to a three-year contract with an additional club option year. Araujo’s signing was part of Major League Soccer’s U22 Initiative, a program designed to promote the growth of younger players and to remove some of the roadblocks to their paths to professional soccer by giving teams incentive and opportunity to sign such players at a reduced budget charge.

Araujo was expected to come in and battle Sebas Mendez, Andres Perea, and Joey DeZart for playing time but instead he quickly claimed the club’s No. 6 role as his own and made Mendez a bench player who was ultimately shipped out in search of playing time elsewhere.

Let’s look back at Araujo’s first season in Orlando.

Statistical Analysis

In the U.S. Open Cup, Araujo appeared in all six matches (5 starts), logging 475 out of the 600 total available minutes (two of the games included 30 minutes of extra time). He scored two goals on three shot attempts, putting two of the three on target. Araujo completed 88.4% of his 293 pass attempts with 19 accurate long balls and recorded two key passes but did not notch an assist. He finished with eight interceptions, committing 11 fouls, suffering 15, and earning two yellow cards.

During the regular season, Araujo appeared in 31 of Orlando City’s 34 games (28 starts), logging 2,462 minutes — fifth most on the team. He did not score a goal but he did assist on one, attempting just 17 shots all season and getting only two on frame. He passed with 90.7% accuracy, 12 key passes, 74 accurate long balls, and two accurate crosses. Defensively, he compiled 73 tackles, 31 interceptions, 29 clearances, and six blocks. He committed 43 fouls and suffered 69, receiving eight yellow cards and getting sent off once.

Araujo also started in Orlando’s playoff match in Montreal, logging 87 minutes. He did not score or assist on a goal or attempt a shot. He connected on 87.8% of his 41 passes and completed three accurate long balls but did not have a key pass or a cross. Defensively, he finished with three tackles, an interception, and a clearance. He did not commit a foul but drew one and was not booked.

Best Game

Just going by defensive play and controlling the midfield, there are a lot of matches to choose from, but the no-brainer best game here from Araujo is his two-goal performance against the New York Red Bulls in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals on July 27 in Exploria Stadium.

The Lions fell behind in stoppage time just before the break when Lewis Morgan scored in transition and it looked as though the Red Bulls would carry momentum into halftime. But Orlando City won a corner kick in the final seconds of the opening period and made it pay off. Araujo pounced on the rebound of a header that crashed off the left post and swept it home for his first professional goal, tying the score at the death of the half. The youngster’s excitement was obvious and the celebration seemed to boost the entire team, setting the scene for a big second half.

Mauricio Pereyra gave Orlando its first lead in the game just one minute and 16 seconds into the second half, finishing a fantastic team goal. That set the stage for Araujo to give the Lions some insurance in the 62nd minute on another corner kick. Alexandre Pato’s delivery was deflected into the air. Benji Michel headed it across the box and Araujo picked it out of the air in one motion and smashed it home for his brace, giving Orlando City some breathing room en route to a 5-1 drubbing of the Red Bulls.

Araujo’s two goals were scored on his only two shot attempts of the match. His two shots were a season high in all competitions, matched only once, and his two shots on target were a season high. He passed at an 87.2% rate in the game, with three accurate long balls.

Defensively, Araujo helped limit the dangerous Morgan to just two shot attempts and 68.8% passing. He committed three fouls and took a booking in the match, but that’s part of the central midfielder’s job and without Araujo snatching momentum from New York at the death of the first half, Orlando City might not have won its first major trophy in its MLS era this past season.

2022 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff rated Araujo’s first MLS season with an incredible composite score of 8 out of 10 for the 2022 season. Among the staff, Araujo is considered one of the team’s most valuable players from this past season and while some of that is likely that his contributions were a bit surprising in comparison to some of the higher profile signings, it is mainly because he played extremely well. Just 20 when he was signed, the now-21-year-old midfielder has looked far more like a seasoned veteran than many older central midfielders around the league. If the Uruguayan had any issues adjusting to a new culture, league, and team, those issues never showed, which is a testament to Araujo’s maturity and quality of play.

The only knock on his game isn’t really a knock at all. Defensive midfielders aren’t expected to contribute heavily to a team’s offense, but if Araujo can provide more opportunities for his teammates via long balls or through balls (although he does have a mean long throw), and knock in an occasional goal in league play, he’d become even more exceptional.

2023 Outlook

Araujo is signed through 2024 with an option for 2025, but European teams will be inquiring soon if they aren’t already. Orlando City would be wise to keep him for as long as he’s willing to stay. If the Lions manage to hang onto him for another year, and he continues to play like he has, I’d be shocked if he wasn’t in Europe by the start of the 2023-2024 season. Ideally, if/when the Lions sell Araujo, the club should do what it can to find a partner willing to loan him back to Orlando City the way the Chicago Fire did with Chelsea and goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina. The young Uruguayan midfielder is just 21 and is already among the best defensive midfielders in Major League Soccer. You don’t part with a player like that until you absolutely have no choice.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

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?

Published

10 hours ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

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!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/2/24

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

Published

13 hours ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

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!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/1/24

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

Published

2 days ago

on

May 1, 2024

By

,
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!

Continue Reading

Trending