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

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10 years ago

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I’ll be honest, grading this squad, on the first day of the 2019 season is not something that I would wish on anyone. Pretty much no matter the outcome of the match, good, bad, or the draw we witnessed, this is a daunting task. I will give this my best go.

Starters

GK, Brian Rowe, 6 — First time out for new Lion Rowe, whose one-on-one stop was the icing on the cake for a pretty good outing. It was a bit surprising to see Rowe sending kicks long, considering that we all witnessed the certain play from the back towards the end of last season, but it could be because the height of the targets may have increased this season. Rowe ended the night with four solid saves. I am not sure there was much he could have done on the two NYCFC goals, but the ones that he should have handled, I give him credit for handling them very well.

D, Kamal Miller, 6.5 — How long has he officially been a Lion? I will say the left side was easily the more dangerous side for the home squad all evening, and Miller was a big part of that. Tracking back was solid, the communication was good, and the vision was there. For a back line that seems a bit patchwork, Miller was a very bright light throughout the match. Two aerials won, three tackles, and an 81% passer rating was a solid outing.

D, Alex De John, 6 — One goal might be on Alex, but he made up for it as the match went on. Being the center of three in the back, as a new Lion, would be a tall task for anyone, but you could certainly see the chemistry starting to blossom. The task was fairly tall, especially after NYCFC went up by two, but Alex grabbed the back line by the back of the neck and pulled the boys together, ending the afternoon with three solid tackles and an 85% passer rating.

D, Shane O’Neill, 6.5 — The second year Lion was solid again. The “veteran” on the back line played well both in defense and running up the sideline in attack. He passed at an 83% rate, with one attacking dribble, and one tackle, highlighting a good outing. He also showed good speed tracking back against counter attacks.

WB, Danilo Acosta, 6.5 — Again, part of the left side of the formation that certainly seemed the more dangerous all evening. The give-and-go play with Miller, Sebas Mendez, Chris Mueller, and Sacha Kljestan was solid, as was the tracking back to assist on defense. A solid first outing in purple, and certainly a stake in the ground to keep starting in that position. His 82% passing was decent, and you could certainly see the sparks flying and what the future holds.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 6 — He was given the softest of soft yellows from my vantage point, but the rest of the match was interesting to say the least. The rating here may be due to being with a new team, and Sebas expecting players to be in places where they weren’t. However, the fire was there, the drive was there, and seeing him grab players during every break and talk to them was extremely impressive, as was his 91% passer rating, and his two tackles on defense.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 6 — It was a decent outing for the captain, and he certainly had many moments of shock and awe. It was certainly a bit crowded in the middle of the pitch all match, as NYCFC kept its formation fairly tight for the match, which was certainly a factor in keeping his passer rating at 76%. To his credit, he also had three total shots, with one on target and two blocked, but it was good to have him shooting on goal, if for no other reason than to keep the defense thinking. He could have had an assist on a shot Mueller missed just wide.

MF,Will Johnson, 7 — If only that first shot had gone in. If tonight didn’t remind you why Johnson is in purple, I am not sure what will. He had two shots, although both were a bit off target, a 90% passer rating, one aerial won and five solid tackles, which had him in the running for MotM. Tonight should endear him to the detractors, as he was still running his guts out in stoppage time, and if you still have questions, just re-watch the match. Solid night for Will, and a solid sign for what to expect for the season to come.

WB, Kyle Smith, 6 — Another new Lion to get familiar with, Smith had a good outing, with an 89% passer rating and three shots — with one on target and two blocked — and one tackle to round out his time on the pitch. He may not have the name recognition yet, and his crosses need a bit of work, but it is coming. Smith worked extremely well with O’Neill to hold down the right side. Keep an eye on this guy moving forward.

F, Chris Mueller, 7.5 (MotM) — Cash Rules Everything Around Me (CREAM). Just remember, Wu Tang is for the masses, and so is Chris “Cash” Mueller. Do not let the 71% passer rating detract you from the fact that Mueller was that beast mode player we saw last year, only more so. The free kick, put in the most dangerous of places, was so good that no one touched it, and it ended up in the back of the net. His hustle on offense and defense was infectious, and every time he got on the ball, the crowd was just waiting for the magic to happen. It might be a close call, but he certainly deserves the MotM call today for his goal, his team-high five chances created, and his hustle in multiple positions.

F, Tesho Akindele, 7 — Another field player with a deceptively low passer rating, Akindele finished at 73%. It was the rest of his time on the pitch that made the impact. He had one shot, and oh by the way it went into the back of the net, to go along with the aerial battles and two tackles. Can any of you remember a more consistent threat up top as a true striker behind Dom Dwyer? Yes, that statement was a bit rhetorical, but think back to last season and let me know the last time you can say the high press, the target striker, and hold and attack worked as well as it did today. Tesho was a very big part of that, a driving part.

Substitutes

F, Dom Dwyer (69’), 6.5 — It only took Dom a few minutes to make an impact, and that impact was assisting on the game tying goal, with a great run and assist to Tesho in the 75th minute. As Dom gets more minutes, it will be interesting to see he and Tesho gain more minutes together. He nearly provided the game winner that Maxime Chanot knocked down with his hand, too.

MF, Nani (70’), 6 — As hard as it is for me to cheer for a former Red Devil, Nani is going to be a name, and a player, to watch this season, Although we didn’t get to see much on the offensive side, he unlocked New York City’s defense with one long through ball that found Dwyer to set up the tying goal, earning him the proverbial hockey assist. His defensive prowess was on display, ending the evening with two solid tackles. With a solid 15 minutes on the pitch, you could see the vision, but the 67% passing rating might deceive you (small sample size). His passes were to where players should have been, and will get there with a bit of time.

MF, Josué Colmán (77’), 6 — When Colmán came on for Tesho, it was the first time this season that Orlando City has had all of its DPs (regular and YDP) on the pitch at the same time. His effort was solid, but 13 minutes is not a good amount of time to completely show what you have learned since last season. There were some flashes, like the pass that sent Mueller to the end line to cross for Dwyer, and we certainly saw a bit more confidence in going directly at opposing players. This is definitely a player to whom more minutes will mean the world.

It was a solid first outing for 2019, and the Lions have continued their tradition of being undefeated to begin the MLS season. Again, OCSC fielded a starting XI that may not be the ultimate best XI, but we may have just been witness to the depth that is to come. Head Coach James O’Connor has shown a wildly different side to team and tactics, something that many did not expect. It should stand as a positive as to what is to come moving forward in the 2019 season. Who was your MotM? Let us know in the poll below, and give me an idea how you rated the Lions in the comments below.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Tesho Akindele 7
Will Johnson 29
Danilo Acosta 3
Chris Mueller 210
Shane O’Neill 8
Other 13
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2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Javier Otero

The Homegrown goalkeeper made his MLS debut in 2024 under difficult circumstances.

Published

4 hours ago

on

December 9, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City signed Javier Otero to a Homegrown Player contract on July 10, 2023, keeping him in purple through the 2024 season with club options for 2025 and 2026. Otero was the starting goalkeeper for Orlando City B during the beginning of the 2024 season but was called up with Pedro Gallese on international duty, eventually making an unexpected debut when Mason Stajduhar went down with a season-sending injury. From that point on, Otero moved up to the senior roster permanently and dressed with Orlando City as the backup for the rest of the season.

Let’s take a look back at Otero’s 2024 season.

Statistical Breakdown

The Venezualan goalkeeper was expected to spend most of the season playing for OCB, and during the beginning of the season that was the case, as he started nine of the team’s early season matches. He made 34 saves and gave up 13 goals for a save percentage of 72.3% and a goals against average of 1.44 for the Young Lions, while also passing at a 76.8% completion rate. Otero likely would have been the starter for most of the rest of OCB’s matches, getting valuable game experience, but Stajduhar’s injury meant the senior Lions needed him on the game day roster as the backup for every game, and they could not risk him playing again for OCB.

While he was in the lineup for every game except one from the end of June through the end of the season, Otero played in only one match for Orlando City, subbing in for the injured Stajduhar and playing the final 61 minutes during the team’s 4-2 loss at New York City FC on June 28. During his 61 minutes on the field for the senior Lions, Otero gave up three goals and did not make any saves, though he wasn’t put in the best spots by his teammates during the game. He successfully fielded one of the four crosses that were played into the box. He completed 71.4% of his passes and had one defensive action outside of his penalty area.

During his one regular-season game, Otero did not commit a foul or draw one, and he was not booked.

Otero did not dress during the Concacaf Champions Cup games and was on the bench, but did not play, during the Leagues Cup and MLS playoff matches.

Best Game

There’s no contest since Otero played in only one match in 2024 with the senior Lions. It has to be the 4-2 road loss at NYCFC on June 28. When the game kicked off, I am sure Otero did not expect to play, and had the assistant referee raised his flag on an obvious offside call, he probably would not have played, because Stajduhar would not have suffered his awful injury. As it was, Stajduhar had to be stretchered off, and Otero entered the game in the 29th minute and was immediately under duress, as within the first few minutes he faced a corner kick and a free kick against an NYCFC team that was clearly the more aggressive side, completely comfortable with how to play on its tiny baseball field. Nothing came of the early action though, and Otero was engaged and communicative, talking to the defense and organizing the back.

Unfortunately, that was probably the high part of his match, because in first-half stoppage time, NYCFC scored two goals, one on a deflected shot off of Robin Jansson that Otero looked to be in position to save pre-deflection and one on a tap-in from a brilliant cross that gave Otero no chance to make a play. In the second half, the Lions played much better, cutting the lead to 3-2 and limiting NYCFC’s offensive attacks, but a giveaway and a poor tackle attempt late in the game allowed another shot on goal, and it was bent perfectly around Otero’s outstretched fingers for his third goal against.

The Homegrown goalkeeper may not have made any saves and gave up three goals in only 61 minutes on the field, but I thought he was well-positioned throughout the game and probably would have saved his first goal against if not for the deflection, and only an inch-perfect shot on the third goal was able to sneak by him. It was a trial by fire coming off the bench into MLS action on a field that plays differently than every other pitch in the league due to its shape, but I thought Otero played well and was not at fault for any of his goals against.

2024 Final Grade

With only 61 minutes on the field across all competitions in 2024, Otero did not play enough minutes to get a grade for the 2024 season, receiving an incomplete from The Mane Land staff. 

2025 Outlook

Orlando City announced Dec. 5 that the club has exercised Otero’s 2025 option as part of the team’s end-of-season roster decisions. With all three of Gallese, Stajduhar, and Otero under contract for 2025 I expect that, barring an unexpected transfer of Gallese or Stajduhar, Otero will return to splitting his time between OCB and Orlando City, playing games with OCB while practicing with both teams and being on the game day roster when Gallese is called up for national team duty or injuries arise. The big question that remains to be answered is how soon Stajduhar can return, and if he can get back to playing at the level he had achieved before he was injured.

If Stajduhar can return to full health, then it makes sense for Otero to get as many minutes on the field as he can to help with his development, and those minutes would likely be with OCB. The Venezuelan just turned 22, and with the 2024 season basically being a wash for him, he will want to get back out on the field in a starting role, but with the OCB option there, it is not likely he will push to go to another club before the 2025 season. This may be why Orlando City did not retain Carlos Mercado, who backstopped the Young Lions after Otero was needed with the first team.

I believe that Orlando City is grooming Otero to eventually compete for the starting role, so the technical staff will want to see him on the field in 2025 with OCB.

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Lion Links: 12/9/24

Former Lion Nani announces retirement, OCSC U-19 team winning at MLS NEXT Fest, FIFA Club World Cup schedule revealed, and more.

Published

11 hours ago

on

December 9, 2024

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I had a busy week at Under Armour and watched a Chicago Blackhawks game with friends. Besides that, I’ll be working the Christmas Winterland Event at Wrigley Field later this week. We have plenty to cover today so let’s get to the links.

Nani Announces His Retirement

Former Orlando City captain Nani announced his retirement from professional soccer on Sunday after a stellar career. The 38-year-old left a heartfelt message on social media to announce the news.

The Portuguese star spent three seasons with Orlando City after joining the club from Sporting Lisbon in 2019, scoring 31 goals across all competitions. Nani recently played for his hometown club, Estrela da Amadora, in Portugal. He also spent time with Manchester United, Valencia, Fenerbahce, and many other clubs over the span of his career. At the international level, Nani made 112 appearances for Portugal, scoring 24 goals and helping the team win Euro 2016 in France. We here at The Mane Land wish him all the best in his retirement.

OCSC U-19 Team Beats LAFC and FC Cincinnati

MLS NEXT Fest kicked off this weekend and Orlando City’s U-19 team has been on fire. Orlando beat LAFC 7-4 in its first game of the event, with Jack Basinet and Gustavo Caraballo each scoring two goals.

The team followed that up with a 4-0 win against FC Cincinnati on Saturday. The U-19 academy team will be back in action later today to face the LA Galaxy.

Orlando Matches Set for FIFA Club World Cup

The full schedule for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup was unveiled and we’ve learned which games will be held in Orlando’s two venues for the tournament.

Inter&Co Stadium will host two matches, with Ulsan HD of South Korea playing against South African club Mamelodi Sundowns on June 17 before Benfica takes on Auckland City on June 20. Camping World Stadium will host four matches. The first will be June 24 between Club Leon and Flamengo, and Juventus will play Manchester City on June 26. Camping World Stadium’s third match will be a round-of-16 matchup on June 30, while the fourth match will be a quarterfinal on July 4. MetLife Stadium will host nine matches, including the semifinals and final.

LA Galaxy Defeat the Red Bulls to Win MLS Cup

The LA Galaxy beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 to win the MLS Cup at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday. It’s the sixth time that the Galaxy have won the MLS Cup. Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic put the Galaxy ahead 2-0 before the Red Bulls pulled one back in the first half with a goal by Sean Nealis. Despite missing their star player, Riqui Puig, the Galaxy held onto their lead in the second half to secure the win. The Galaxy snapped their title drought that had lasted since 2014, and Head Coach Greg Vanney became the fourth coach to win an MLS title with two MLS clubs. Gaston Brugman won the MVP honors for the match for his role orchestrating things in the midfield.

Free Kicks

  • The Guardian named its 100 best female footballers in the world for 2024. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda was seventh, while Marta was 27th on the list. FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati took the top spot.
  • Christian Pulisic left the pitch in the first half of AC Milan’s 2-1 defeat to Atalanta on Friday due to a calf injury. However, AC Milan manager Paulo Fonseca stated after the match that the injury doesn’t look too serious.
  • The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly in talks to acquire Monterrey forward Brandon Vazquez.
  • Here are the 10 MLS clubs that have qualified for the 2025 Champions Cup.
  • Botafogo defeated Sao Paulo 2-1 on Sunday to win its first Brazilian league title since 1995. It secured 78 points and finished six points ahead of runner-up Palmeiras.

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

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2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Mason Stajduhar

The backup goalkeeper was playing the best soccer of his professional career until suffering a nasty season-ending injury.

Published

1 day ago

on

December 8, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City Homegrown goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar has been a mainstay on the Lions’ roster, having signed a Homegrown Player contract all the way back on Nov. 9, 2015. Following the 2021 season, in which he saw his role as the primary backup to Pedro Gallese begin to develop, Stajduhar had his contract option exercised to keep him on the roster through 2022. He then inked a new three-year contract with the club in June of that year designed to keep him in purple and gold through at least 2025, with a club option for 2026. 

Let’s look back at Stajduhar’s season, which ended prematurely, and at a time he was playing at his highest and most confident level to date.

Statistical Breakdown

Stajduhar equaled his career highs in appearances (5) and starts (5) in 2024, but a short outing in the last of those five resulted in his second-most minutes in regular-season play (389). He conceded eight goals, which was the most he’s allowed, but he was much more under fire, making a career-high 21 saves in the regular season — nine more than his next-highest total from a year ago, with three of those goals coming in a loss to LAFC (one from the penalty spot). The team went 2-1-1 in his five starts, and he earned one clean sheet, finishing with a 1.60 goals-against average.

He was unable to stop either of the two penalties he faced. His passing accuracy of 72.4% was his highest since 2021. The 27-year-old contributed four interceptions and a clearance to help his own cause. He did not commit or suffer a foul and was not booked this season.

Unfortunately, Stajduhar’s season came to an end on June 28 at New York City FC in what was ultimately a 4-2 loss, although the score wasn’t as important as what happened in the 17th minute. On an obviously offside play, the assistant referee kept his flag down, as is customary in the age of video review. However, because the play was still live, Stajduhar came charging out to try to prevent a breakaway by Malachi Jones. The two players collided heavily as they met at the ball. Both had their season end in that moment, requiring surgery to repair the broken tibias and fibulas of both men. Stajduhar was credited with a loss, although the score was only 1-0 at the time he departed and was replaced by first-time starter Javier Otero.

Stajduhar also appeared in one match during Concacaf Champions League play, a 3-1 home victory over Cavalry FC on Feb. 27, picking up the win to help Orlando City advance in the competition. He conceded one goal, stopping two of the three shots on target he faced for a 66.7% save percentage. He also completed 66.7% of his 16 passes that night. He did not commit a foul in the match, drawing three from the opposition, and he was not booked.

Due to his season-ending injury, Stajduhar did not appear in Orlando City’s playoff run or in Leagues Cup.

Best Game

This was an easy decision. Stajduhar’s best match wasn’t his 1-0 shutout against Austin on March 23, in which he only had to make one save. His best work of the year came in a 4-2 home win over the Chicago Fire on June 22, in which the goalkeeper was under duress for much of the evening. The Lions roared out to a 3-0 lead in the contest with Stajduhar making four first-half saves on the Fire’s four shots on target (eight total attempts) in the first half. Stajduhar slammed the door on the visitors up until a handball call on a sliding Rodrigo Schlegel gave Chicago a penalty, which Maren Haile-Selassie converted in the 53rd minute.

The Fire put a tired Orlando defense under a great deal of pressure over the final half hour of the match, and Stajduhar faced a total of 13 shots on target and 19 total attempts, finishing with a club record 11 saves in the match. [Note: The club announced he tied the record with 10 saves on 12 shots, while the MLS match center page lists 13 shots and 11 saves, so one may have been added after review. Either way, he reached a club mark.] He commanded his box well down the stretch, punching away crosses from corners and free kicks, helping his team secure a multi-goal victory. His performance drew high praise from Head Coach Oscar Pareja.

“I think tonight we saw the best of Mason, and I know he has more than that,” Pareja said. “He has been very patient in waiting for his opportunity. And in this moment when we needed that position to step up, he did and provided us a lot of security. We were drained at the end and Chicago was taking shots, but Mason provided us a lot of security and we felt safe. So, congratulations to Mason. We’re very proud of him and his performance. He deserves it because he works tremendously hard.”

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Stajduhar a grade of 7 out of 10 for his 2024 season. This is a step up from the 6.5 he received both in 2022 and again in 2023. While not reflected in the multiple goals he conceded in three straight games from June 15-22 — a span during which the Lions played three times in eight days — Stajduhar played his best soccer to date as a professional while Gallese was away on international duty, making up for a defense that was leakier than expected during the season’s first half. His huge game against Chicago seemed to be his coming out party, despite conceding a penalty kick goal and a point-blank strike which Robin Jansson should have cleared. Unfortunately, he gave up a pinpoint accurate shot by Santiago Rodriguez at NYCFC — one of three early shots on target by the Pigeons, of which Stajduhar stopped two — and then suffered his horrific, season-ending injury two minutes later.

2025 Outlook

Under contract for another year, Stajduhar figures to again be the primary backup goalkeeper for Orlando City next season. The hope is that he can fully recover his form and fitness after sustaining the terrible double bone break in his lower leg. Beyond the physical recovery, he’ll need to overcome the mental hurdle of remaining aggressive in situations that call for him to come off his line or out of his penalty area to prevent a big scoring chance. Having just turned 27, Stajduhar is entering the prime years of a goalkeeper’s career. If he can build on his play from just before his injury, he may push Gallese for more minutes in 2025, especially during Leagues Cup. He will also handle the starting role when the Peruvian international must represent his country in season, meaning Gallese can’t afford to have a dip in form as he had early in the 2024 season.

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