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Player Grades: Orlando City vs. Portland Timbers

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10 years ago

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Orlando City continued its road success with a huge 2-0 win over the Portland Timbers at Providence Park on Sunday evening.

Rookie Cyle Larin was the hero of the day, netting his first professional goal in his first ever MLS start. Kaká added the second from the penalty spot in the 85th. The game was physical at times, but Aurelien Collin and Amobi Okugo stepped up as enforcers for the Lions.

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Lions Continue Road Success, Win 2-0 in Portland

Andrew Marcinko

Orlando City played well again, and this time they were able to get the ball in the net! Cyle Larin’s first MLS goal was the winner, and Kaká’s PK in the 85th iced it for the Lions.

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Lions Continue Road Success, Win 2-0 in Portland

Orlando came out in something like a 4-3-2-1 formation, with Cristian Higuita getting a start in the midfield. The continued formation tinkering hasn’t seemed to bother the Lions much, as the offense still controlled possession and moved the ball forward through Kaká.

Lions Head Coach Adrian Heath also got more great play from his fullbacks, as Rafael Ramos played well on the right, and Brek Shea was again exceptional on the left. Donovan Ricketts had his best game for the Lions as well, shutting out the Timbers and making a few great saves in the process.

Here are our player grades for the Lions’ 2-0 victory over the Portland Timbers:

Player Grades

G, Donovan Ricketts, 8 — A well-earned shutout for the Jamaican keeper, playing against his former team. He made great saves on Nagbe at 18′, and then another on Asprilla in the 71st. He was also strong in the air throughout. His best match as a Lion.

D, Brek Shea, 7.5 — Another great match for Shea. He was forward constantly, but actually did particularly well shutting down Asprilla and Nagbe on the defensive end. He was unlucky not to earn an assist when he set Molino up in the 13th minute. It’s only a matter of time before he gets on the score sheet for Orlando.

D, Seb Hines, 7.5 — It was an active night for Hines. He was inconsistent at times, but he had three huge blocks including a lunging, desperation block on Fanendo Adi in the 68th minute. His last-ditch defending may well have preserved the win for the Lions.

D, Aurelien Collin, 8 — The match was physical from the early going, and Collin rose to the occasion. The Lions are a smaller team and have already earned a bit of a reputation for soft play, but the Frenchman was having none of it today. Was absolutely dominant in the air all day long.

D, Rafael Ramos, 6.5 — A quieter night for Ramos, but still a good one. He was solid on defense and did manage to get forward on occasion. He showed his incredible motor and stamina by sprinting the length of the field to get back on defense in the 90th minute.

MF, Darwin Ceren, 6.5 — With three holding midfielders in the 4-3-2-1 formation, Ceren was given more freedom to get forward in attack. He failed to get any shots off, but he did flash some ability in the offensive end.

MF, Amobi Okugo, 7 — Another solid performance from the midfielder. He adjusted well to the formation shift, and provided some physicality as well. He rarely ventures out of the middle third of the pitch, but his constant cycling of the ball is essential in freeing up Kaká and Molino. He also had a sliding block on another Adi shot at 68′.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 4.5 — A very quiet night for Higuita, who was subbed off for Eric Avila in the 70th minute. He really failed to involve himself at all, and his one shot was miles over the bar. Perhaps he’s still shaking off the rust after missing a few matches with a hamstring issue.

MF, Kaká, 6.5 — Still the catalyst for Orlando City’s offense, but not the best night for the Brazilian. He failed to put any shots on target, and his passing was uncharacteristically bad on occasion. He did score the penalty kick, though, to be fair, it took him two tries.

MF, Kevin Molino, 5.5 — The Trinidadian gets some credit for his assist on the Larin goal, but really did not play well at times. He was set up by Shea for what looked like an easy goal in the 13th minute, but his hesitation allowed a Portland defender to block his shot.

F, Cyle Larin, 7 (Man of the Match) — A first ever MLS start, and a first ever MLS goal! Larin was not spectacular, but his intensity up top added a new element for Orlando City. His chested goal was creatively taken and proved to be the winner for the Lions.

Substitutes

MF, Eric Avila, 6 — Avila doesn’t do anything incredible, but his motor and composed play are clearly important to Heath. He entered for Higuita in the 70th minute, and he was able to help Orlando slow down the game and hold on for the victory.

F, Carlos Rivas, 7.5 — Adrian Heath gets coaching kudos for this sub! Rivas came on for Larin in the 82nd minute, when Portland was pressing to equalize. His speed caused immediate problems for the Timbers, and he earned the PK just a minute after entering, when Kwarasey was forced to bring him down in the area.

It’s a great night to be an Orlando City fan! Thoughts on our grades? As always, let us know in the comment section!

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Orlando City

Orlando City Unveils New Perfect Storm Kit Ahead of 2025 MLS Season

The Lions’ new kits are meant to represent the uniqueness and intensity of the Central Florida weather.

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18 hours ago

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February 12, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City unveiled the club’s new home “Perfect Storm” kit today. The new home purple kit is meant to evoke the intensity of the Central Florida weather, and features a lightning bolt (called a “thunderbolt” by the club) made out of the Orlando area code, 407, on the back of the neck and a jocktag with a doppler radar storm icon. Per the club, no two kits will have the exact same pattern.

The Perfect Storm kit will be available on MLSStore.com and on OCMobileShop.com, with pick-up at The Den at Inter&Co Stadium starting Thursday during regular business hours.

“This kit is a tribute to our fans who have supported us day in and day out, through everything, rain or shine,” said Orlando City Chief Marketing Officer Pedro Araujo in a club press release. “It is also inspired by our players’ ability to thrive in adverse weather conditions, and a reminder that Inter&Co Stadium is one of the toughest environments in Major League Soccer for visiting teams to compete in.”

The Perfect Storm Kit will be first available to fans at the club’s official jersey launch tonight at 6 p.m. at Canvas (1401 Florida Mall Ave.). Fans can purchase the new shirt and have it customized. The first 200 fans in attendance to purchase the new kit will receive an exclusive CITYiD patch

The Lions will first wear the new kit at their home opener against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, Feb. 22.

Here are some shots of the new kit:

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Lion Links: 2/12/25

Leagues Cup Schedule released, Sams and Moorhouse called up, Champions League results, and more.

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21 hours ago

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February 12, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! It’s new home kit reveal day, so get ready to potentially spend some money. I may end up getting one regardless of how it looks. I’ve lost some weight, and while that is good, none of my jerseys fit anymore. I hope it’s a good one.

We want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Jhon Solis. Additionally, I want to wish my son Chris a very happy birthday. Now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City’s Leagues Cup Fixtures Revealed

The official Leagues Cup 2025 Phase One schedule dropped Tuesday, meaning we now know Orlando City’s first three matches of the competition. All three matches will be played at Inter&Co Stadium against Liga MX squads. The Lions will face Pumas UNAM in the first match on July 30, followed by Atlas FC on Aug. 2, and then Necaxa on Aug. 6. Phase One of the competition is effectively a group stage. If Orlando City can advance out of Phase One, the Lions will head to the knockout rounds.

Pride International Call Ups

The Orlando Pride’s Emily Sams and Anna Moorhouse received call-ups for the USWNT and the England Women’s National Team, respectively. USWNT Coach Emma Hayes included Sams on her 23-player roster for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup later this month. The U.S. will play matches against Japan, Australia, and Colombia.

Moorhouse was selected by Lioness coach Sarina Wiegman for the UEFA Women’s Nations League. England’s first two matches are against Portugal on Feb. 21 and against Spain on Feb. 26. After that, the competition continues in April.

MLS Transfer Round Up

With Orlando City finally signing some new players, other MLS clubs continue to make moves in the off-season. Former Orlando City midfielder Junior Urso signed with the Houston Dynamo through 2025 with an option for 2026. Houston is the Bear’s third MLS club.

French second-division side Amiens SC is in a selling mood. The club sent defender Osaze Urhoghide to FC Dallas. Minnesota United FC signed midfielder Owen Gene from Amiens SC to an MLS U22 Initiative contract.

Elsewhere, the Philadelphia Union signed Homegrown forward Eddy Davis III, and D.C. United signed midfielder Brandon Servania. Out west, the San Jose Earthquakes have signed goalkeeper Daniel to a contract extension, and Nashville SC signed midfielder Matthew Corcoran from USL Championship side Birmingham Legion FC.

Champions League Results

UEFA Champions League continued Tuesday, with Paris Saint-Germain getting things going with a 3-0 win over Brest. Ousmane Dembélé scored a brace in the match to cement the victory. Borussia Dortmund also managed a 3-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon. All three goals came in the second half, including Serhou Guirassy’s 10th in the competition to equal Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski.

Real Madrid scored two goals to come from behind and defeat Manchester City 3-2. Jude Bellingham scored the winning goal in second-half stoppage time. Weston McKennie got things going for Juventus in its 2-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven. Samuel Mbangula scored the winning goal.

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That will do it for today. Check back later today for our coverage of the new kit. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 2/11/25

Orlando City signs Eduard Atuesta, MLS news roundup, Americans in midweek action, and more.

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2 days ago

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February 11, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, gang! It was a long weekend for me but an interesting one, as I attended an event at St. Louis City’s Energizer Stadium on Saturday night. It was a fun time, but personally I prefer Orlando City’s home digs. We have plenty of things to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando City Signs Eduard Atuesta

Orlando City has found its replacement for the injured Wilder Cartagena, as the club announced the signing of Colombian midfielder Eduard Atuesta from Palmeiras on Monday. Atuesta’s deal runs through the end of the 2025 season and also contains a club option for 2026. While the Lions still have some depth issues that need to be addressed at various positions, Atuesta will pair alongside Cesar Araujo in midfield, and if his previous numbers in Major League Soccer are any indication, he may even provide more goal scoring and creation from the position than Cartagena usually did.

MLS News Roundup

With the start of the MLS season under two weeks away, the off-season news is still flying thick and fast. First up, the Colorado Rapids have signed midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro from D.C. United in exchange for up to $1.4 million in cash, with United also maintaining a sell-on percentage in the player. The trade was executed using the league’s cash-based trade system, with Colorado becoming the latest team to make use of the new mechanism. Up next, San Diego FC has signed defender Willy Kumado from Lyngby Boldklub in the Danish Superliga. The right back joins on a two-year deal that also contains option years for 2027 and 2028. Finally, Tom Bogert is reporting that Joseph Paintsil is expected to be out of action for over a month after sustaining an injury to his quadriceps.

Americans in Midweek Action

As always, there are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, and there’s a heavy emphasis on UEFA Champions League play. Things get started later today, as Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Juventus face a PSV Eindhoven side that has all four of Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Sergino Dest, and Malik Tillman injured. Meanwhile, Gio Reyna, Cole Campbell, and Borussia Dortmund will travel to face Sporting CP. Wednesday has Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah traveling with AC Milan to take on Feyenoord, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic will be sorely tested at home against Bayern Munich. Thursday will wrap up European play with Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis squaring off against Gent in the Conference League.

Josh Sargent’s Opportunity

Josh Sargent had a difficult end to 2024, as he spent several months on the sideline while recovering from a groin injury that eventually required surgery. There were some natural moments of wondering what he’d be like when he made his return, but he’s hit the ground running since his first game back on Jan. 25, as he has four goals in three games for Norwich City. Not only is he getting his chance at the club level, but with Pepi and Folarin Balogun both currently injured, Sargent looks almost certain to lead the line for the United States Men’s National Team for March’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal matches. Sometimes timing is everything, and right now Sargent’s timing is pretty damn good.

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That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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