Connect with us

Orlando City

Player Grades: Orlando City SC vs. Houston Dynamo

Published

10 years ago

on

Through week two of the MLS regular season, how many players can legitimately say they have single-handedly won AND lost a match for their team? Houston Dynamo keeper Tyler Deric may well be the only one, as his dramatic gaffe handed the Lions a 1-0 victory.

After a man of the match performance against the Columbus Crew in week one, Deric’s mistake in the 74th minute tonight gave Orlando City SC its first ever MLS victory. After misplaying the ball with his feet at the top of the box, the Dynamo keeper lost a frantic scuffle with 6-foot-4 substitute Pedro Ribeiro to keep the ball out of the Houston goal.

Must Reads

Orlando City Gets First MLS Win, 1-0 at Houston

Joshua McKinney

Pedro Ribeiro’s second-half substitution and a goalkeeping mistake leads to Orlando City’s first Major League Soccer victory.

Must Reads

Orlando City Gets First MLS Win, 1-0 at Houston

At the moment, Major League Soccer is crediting Deric with an own goal, but that won’t stop Orlando fans from heaping praise on Ribeiro’s hustle and determination. The Lions’ other Brazilian entered for Carlos Rivas at 54′, and he played well up top before helping in the eventual winner.

Kaká was again the best player on the pitch for much of the night, and his swerving 30-yard free kick in the 41st minute was only barely saved. Kevin Molino again played well, and Sean St. Ledger was solid filling in for Aurelien Collin.

In the end, the goal was lucky, but Orlando again had the better of the play for much of the night. Let’s see how the team graded out!

Player Grades:

G, Donovan Ricketts, 6.5 — Serious question: will Donovan Ricketts ever be seriously challenged for the Lions? Despite a preseason full of backline questions, the Jamaican keeper was hardly called upon at all, facing zero shots on goal and making zero saves against Houston.

D, Brek Shea, 6.5 — Another stellar performance for Shea in the backline. Hasn’t broken any games open offensively yet, but he wasn’t beat defensively either. We’ll take that.

D, Seb Hines, 7.0 — A good night for the Englishman, who continues to look threatening in the air on the offensive end as well. He had one poor (and dangerous) clearance but was otherwise very solid.

D, Sean St. Ledger, 6.0 — St. Ledger filled in solidly for a suspended Aurelien Collin. He played well, but also had a few very shaky clearances. Not sure he did enough to create a true CB controversy just yet (calm down, City fans), but it’s good to know we have depth.

D, Rafael Ramos, 8.0 — A break-out performance for the Portuguese fullback. He was more aggressive offensively, and contained USMNT veterans Brad Davis and DaMarcus Beasley for most of the night.

M, Amobi Okugo, 7.5 — Two matches, two quietly great performances. He made the smart passes when called on, and he held things down defensively when Ramos and Molino ventured forward. His yellow card was actually a smart tactical foul to stop Boniek Garcia from creating a scoring chance.

M, Darwin Ceren, 5.5 — The USL veteran finally got his chance in MLS, and it was a bit of a mixed bag. He was a controlling force in the midfield next to Okugo, but he also had a bad giveaway or two. Could be quite the battle between him and Cristian Higuita, but depth is a good thing!

M, Lewis Neal, 5.5 — Another fairly invisible performance for the winger. His defensive coverage is important with Brek Shea’s forays forward, but at some point he needs to contribute more int he attacking third to keep the starting spot. He missed a gift of a chance at 51′ from the top of the box.

M, Kaká, 7.5 — Again, the captain was incredible. His vision is sublime, and his combinations with Molino were again a constant threat. He could have scored on a free kick just before the half if not for an impressive save from Deric. Houston was physical with him but he never backed down.

M, Kevin Molino, 7.0 — Ditto for Kevin Molino, who again looked extremely comfortable next to Kaká. It’s only a matter of time before he scores his first MLS goal.

F, Carlos Rivas, 5.5 — Better tonight, but still not quite able to capitalize. We’ve yet to see anything objectively spectacular from the Colombia, but you can’t help but feel watching him that he’s capable of more. Fired a laser just high in the first half.

Subs:

F, Pedro Ribeiro (54′), 8.0 — Can we all just agree to give him the goal on that one?! His hustle and strength scored the winner for Orlando, and he deserves credit. His height also came in handy on defense as well, as he was able to head away at least one cross to help Orlando close out the match.

M, Eric Avila (82′), 6.0 — Came in late for Kaká to add fresh legs and some defensive grit. Held the ball well, and helped the Lions close out the match.

Sorry for the unexciting grades tonight folks! It was a match where almost everyone played very well, but no one quite stood out as spectacular. Bad for my column, good for the Lions!

As always, if you thought anyone deserved better or worse, let us know in the comment section,

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City Releases Full 2025 Preseason Schedule

The Lions will face three MLS sides, a Brazilian Serie A club, a USL Championship team, and a Canadian Premier League side this preseason.

Published

21 hours ago

on

January 24, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

On the eve of Orlando City’s first preseason friendly of the team’s 2025 camp — and 11 days into training — the club has released its full schedule for the remainder of the preseason. The Lions will play six matches, calling two of them “friendlies” and the other four “scrimmages,” but they all amount to competitive minutes for the squad ahead of the 2025 MLS regular season.

Two of the games are open to the general public, including Saturday’s FC Series friendly against Atletico Mineiro and the Feb. 14 preseason finale against Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. In addition, season ticket members can access a preseason scrimmage against CF Montreal on Feb. 8. Club staff will reach out to season ticket members with the details for that game. The other three scrimmages will be closed door.

The preseason schedule is similar this year to what the club has had for the last several years under Oscar Pareja, with mostly closed scrimmages and a mixture of MLS and other assorted competition.

After facing the Brazil Serie A side on Saturday, the Lions will head to Mexico for a week of training and team bonding, with one scrimmage against Forge FC from the Canadian Premier League. Orlando City will play three MLS clubs in the preseason, along with one team each from the Canadian Premier League and the USL Championship.

Orlando City will kick off its 2025 regular season at home against the Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

2025 Orlando City Preseason Schedule

  • Saturday, Jan. 25 — Preseason friendly vs. Atletico Mineiro at Inter&Co Stadium
  • Sunday, Jan. 26 — Preseason camp opens in Mexico
  • Tuesday, Jan. 28 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Forge FC (Closed Door)
  • Wednesday, Feb. 5 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Atlanta United (Closed Door)
  • Saturday, Feb. 8 — Preseason scrimmage vs. CF Montreal (Season Ticket Members Exclusive Match)
  • Tuesday, Feb. 11 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Rhode Island FC (Closed Door)
  • Friday, Feb. 14 — Preseason friendly vs. Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/24/25

Cesar Araujo will reportedly stay in Orlando, USMNT takeaways, MLS transfer news, and much more.

Published

24 hours ago

on

January 24, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! It should be a pretty decent weekend with plenty of soccer to enjoy both in Orlando and abroad. Orlando City’s first preseason game is Saturday against Atletico Mineiro at Inter&Co Stadium. While I won’t be in attendance, I’m looking forward to learning how they do. But for now, let’s jump into today’s links!

Cesar Araujo Will Reportedly Stay in Orlando

There have been rumors and reports swirling around regarding midfielder Cesar Araujo leaving Orlando City this off-season. However, the 23-year-old will reportedly stay in Orlando for the 2025 season according to Tom Bogert. Uruguayan club Nacional has reportedly been trying to sign Araujo while he has a year left on his contract.

Sources: Cesar Araujo to stay at Orlando City.Nacional tried to sign him this winter but plan is for Araujo to stay. One year left on his contract and Orlando will still work on a new contract but know the team is better if he stays. Prioritizing 2025 over small transfer fee.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-01-24T01:07:39.303Z

It makes all the sense in the world for Orlando to want to keep Araujo in the center of its midfield for 2025. He’s been incredible since joining Orlando back in 2022 and has been integral to the club’s success in recent years. Clubs were always going to come knocking for Araujo’s talents, but I expect it would take a hefty offer for the Lions to let him go before his contract is up.

Takeaways From USMNT January Camp

While the United States Men’s National Team’s January camp usually isn’t too impactful, this year’s edition had some extra intrigue due to some standout performances across the two friendly wins. Zack Steffen had a statement game against Costa Rica, making a few sensational saves to secure a clean sheet. He needed a game like that to stay in the mix for the starting job after a rough season with the Colorado Rapids. Striker Patrick Agyemang played his first two USMNT games this month and scored in both, making the most of his opportunity. Diego Luna taking an elbow to the face and coming back out to assist on the team’s first goal against Costa Rica is also the kind of moment that could earn him more looks in the future.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

MLS teams other than Orlando City continue to make moves ahead of the 2025 season. The exodus from FC Dallas rolls on, as Alan Velasco was officially transferred to Boca Juniors in Argentina for a reported $12 million transfer fee. Dallas also traded center back Nkosi Tafari to LAFC in exchange for $300,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money and an international roster slot.

The Karol Swiderski era in Charlotte is over, as the club transferred him to Panathinaikos for a reported transfer fee of $2 million. Real Salt Lake added a young striker, signing 20-year-old Ariath Piol from MacArthur FC in Australia. Nashville SC signed American goalkeeper Brian Schwake from CD Castellon in Spain’s second division to provide more depth behind Joe Willis. Austin FC’s busy off-season continued by signing Zan Kolmanic to a new contract through 2026. The club is also reportedly closer to signing forward Myrto Uzuni for a club-record fee.

Europa League First Phase Nears Conclusion

Lazio is the only team to guarantee a spot in the Europa League’s round of 16 so far, doing so after a 3-1 win over Real Sociedad. English clubs Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur edged closer to securing a spot. A late winner from Bruno Fernandes gave United a 2-1 victory against Rangers, while Tottenham beat Hoffenheim 3-2 thanks to a brace from Heung-Min Son. The upset of the round belonged to Latvian club FK RFS, which took down Ajax in a 1-0 win at home. Eintracht Frankfurt, Union Saint-Gilloise, and Midtjylland also picked up wins this week. This phase of the tournament will wrap up with 18 games on Thursday.

Free Kicks

  • Bay FC bought out Deyna Castellanos’ contract, with the midfielder joining the Portland Thorns as a free agent soon after.
  • After a vote approving funds to repair Al Lang Stadium, the Tampa Bay Rowdies announced that they will play there for their upcoming USL Championship season.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/23/25

Orlando City signs Thomas Williams to new contract, Orlando Pride schedule revealed, USMNT wins against Costa Rica, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

January 23, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

I hope you all are staying warm as we deal with cold weather across Florida. It’s at least been nice to break out some of my heavier blankets and forgotten hot cocoa packets I’ve had stored away. My cat has also been curling up next to me more, which is always a plus. Still, not shivering while waiting for my car to warm up would be great. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Thomas Williams Signs New Orlando City Contract

Orlando City center back Thomas Williams signed a new contract with the club that lasts through 2026, with an option for 2027 as well. Williams joined the club’s academy back in 2015 and became the youngest Homegrown Player in club history when he signed a first-team contract at 16 years old in 2021. The 20-year-old hasn’t featured much for the first team, and he’ll likely spend most of this year with Orlando City B for consistent playing time. Hopefully Williams can take a step forward in his development and provide the Lions some helpful depth at center back in the event of injuries.

Orlando Pride 2025 Season Schedule Unveiled

The NWSL announced its 2025 season schedule Wednesday, and the Orlando Pride will start their title defense season at home against the Chicago Red Stars on March 14. Their first road game will be the following weekend on March 23 against NJ/NY Gotham FC. Decision Day returns to the schedule this year, with all 14 clubs in action on Nov. 2. The Pride will close out their regular season at home that day against the Seattle Reign, with the postseason set to begin on Nov. 7. There’s also a break in the schedule in July, with no regular-season games scheduled due to international tournaments like the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and Copa America Femenina.

USMNT Shuts Out Costa Rica in Orlando

The United States Men’s National Team beat Costa Rica 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando Wednesday night to stay perfect at the home of the Lions and Pride at 7-0-0. Goalkeeper Zack Steffen truly earned his clean sheet, coming up with some great saves to deny Costa Rica. It was also a solid attacking performance from the Yanks, and Patrick Agyemang put a bow on what’s been a great month for him with his second goal in as many games. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has some time to assess things before the USMNT plays Panama in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals on March 20

Keeping Up With MLS Transfer News

San Diego FC added another Designated Player ahead of its inaugural season, signing Danish winger Anders Dreyer from Anderlecht for a transfer fee reportedly near $5 million. He recorded 31 goals and 23 assists in 87 appearances across all competitions for Anderlecht and joins San Diego on a three-year deal. Charlotte FC officially added Wilfried Zaha on loan from Galatasaray. He’ll occupy a DP spot and the loan lasts through Jan. 16, 2026, with an option to extend it through June of that year as well.

LAFC made a trade with its rival to strengthen its midfield, acquiring Mark Delgado from the LA Galaxy in exchange for $400,000 in General Allocation Money. The Portland Timbers signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Shakhtar Donetsk as an MLS U22 Initiative player, with FC Cincinnati receiving GAM for his discovery rights. Real Salt Lake, which signed Mason Stajduhar from Orlando City earlier this month, continued to make changes to its goalkeeping group. The club signed veteran goalkeeper Rafael Cabral as a free agent and transferred 19-year-old American Gavin Beavers to Brondby IF in Denmark.

UEFA Champions League Roundup

The penultimate round of the UEFA Champions League’s league phase wrapped up this week. Paris Saint-Germain beat Manchester City 4-2 in the heavyweight matchup of the round, with all six goals coming in the second half. Joao Neves gave PSG the lead in the 78th minute before Goncalo Ramos put the game on ice in stoppage time. City now needs to win its final game against Club Brugge on Wednesday in order to advance.

Real Madrid cruised to a 5-1 win against RB Salzburg to advance, with both Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. scoring braces. Celtic also booked its spot in the next round after a 1-0 win against Young Boys. Feyenoord pulled off an upset by winning 3-0 against Bayern Munich as well. Elsewhere in the tournament, AC Milan won 1-0 at home against Girona, Arsenal beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-0, and RB Leipzig did well in a 2-1 victory over Sporting CP.

Free Kicks

  • American goalkeeper Michelle Betos announced her retirement from professional soccer after a career that included winning the 2016 NWSL Shield with the Portland Thorns and the 2023 NWSL Championship with Gotham. Betos was also named NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year with the Thorns in 2015.
  • Arsenal and Chelsea are among the multiple clubs reportedly keeping an eye on American forward Trinity Rodman, whose contract with the Washington Spirit ends after this year.
https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1882171400481542482

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a great Thursday and rest of your week!

Continue Reading

Trending