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Orlando City at New York Red Bulls: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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9 years ago

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I mean. I can’t even muster an introductory paragraph after that performance by Orlando City and yet another significant blown call by an MLS referee.

Let’s just get to the grades.

Starters

G, Joe Bendik, 8.5 (MOTM) – The Lions’ keeper did everything he could to keep his team in it but the dam eventually burst and Orlando allowed a season high goals against to a team that had been shut out five times in seven matches. His heroic diving stops on Mike Grella and Felipe are the stuff legends are made of. His long ball for Larin should have resulted in a scoring chance but Karl Ouimette’s scissor tackle takedown prevented that. Joe deserved better from his teammates, who repeatedly put him under pressure with poor defending and even worse passing.

D, Brek Shea, 5 – Mixed bag for Shea, who showed off some skill going forward at times. He gave Lloyd Sam perhaps way too much respect on the left side, allowing the NYRB midfielder to have lots of space to rain crosses into the box. He did make a vital goal-saving blocked shot in the 41st.

D, Tommy Redding, 5.5 – The teenager was outstanding when defending one-on-one even though the team struggled to defend as a unit. Blocked several shots throughout the game and made perhaps the tackle of the season in the box, getting it just right in the 67th minute. I’m docking points for the fact he got badly nutmegged on the Grella goal, but the teenager has been solid this season.

D, Seb Hines, 5 – Blocking shots and getting a foot in at the last second throughout the game, it still wasn’t Seb’s best match. His passing seemed a bit off (everyone’s did) and a few too many scrambly moments at the back. Had a few chances to clear that went wanting. Not a terrible outing, but we’ve seen better.

D, Rafael Ramos, 6 – Easily Rafa’s best game going forward, crossing the ball and being dangerous in the attack. However, he still lost his man far too often in defense. Grella and Bradley Wright-Phillips ate him up down the channel and he allowed too many dangerous crosses to get into the area. Still, given the way he’s played this season so far, this is a step forward for the young Portuguese defender and maybe something he can build on.

MF, Adrian Winter, 5 – It was a tough and quiet night for the Swiss midfielder. He put in his typical hard-working shift before being subbed off for Hadi Barry in the 77th minute. His passing rate was pretty good, but he attempted only 17 all night, as he had trouble getting into pockets of space and linking up with teammates. He finished with 33 touches, the least of the starting midfielders.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 5.5 – He’s so good at breaking up the play in the midfield that it’s sometimes easy to overlook his flaws, but the young Colombian displayed both his strengths and weaknesses in this game. He finished with a game high seven tackles and harassed New York’s midfielders all over the pitch, but also committed four fouls and all of them allowed free kicks in dangerous spots, with one of those resulting in a goal. He also got another yellow card and turned the ball over with subpar passing on multiple occasions.

MF, Darwin Ceren, 5 – Basically everything I said about Higuita but without as many tackles (2), free kicks given or the booking. He did have four interceptions though. Darwin was as guilty as anyone of turning the ball over in Orlando’s end.

MF, Kevin Molino, 4 – Let’s see, two shots — neither on target –a paltry 69.2% passing accuracy, numerous turnovers, and he tired visibly in the final 20 minutes. Not the Trinidadian’s best game.

F/MF, Julio Baptista, 5 – I’m grading on a curve here, since it was just his second start. His pass sprung Ramos on Larin’s goal, which was good. His numerous turnovers were bad. Like Molino, he visibly tired in the second half. Completed 79% of his 19 passes, which isn’t great. Took one shot, which was on target but had no real menace to it.

F, Cyle Larin, 7 – Fairly strong effort from the Canadian international considering he wasn’t getting a lot of service. Finished the Ramos cross with ease and composure. Saved a shot off the line late in the first half with a timely header. Shook free of the defense for a chance on goal, only to be chopped down from behind by Ouimette without getting a call. Narrowly missed a second goal off a header. Did struggle at times in his hold-up play and lost the ball easily a few times.

Substiutes

MF, Carlos Rivas (63′), 4.5 – Contributed a couple of dangerous crosses and a near-miss on a free kick. Also picked up a yellow card and turned the ball over on a play that turned into a goal.

F, Hadji Barry (77′), N/A – I’m not sure if I should give him a bad grade or no grade, getting only four touches in 13+4 minutes but I’ll be generous here and give the rookie the benefit of the doubt since he did play for Orlando City B in Pittsburgh on Friday.

Be sure and vote for your Man of the Match below and let me have it with both barrels for whatever I said that you disagree with. It’s a good time for that because I’m completely numb.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Joe Bendik 192
Rafael Ramos 3
Cyle Larin 9
Other 5
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Orlando City

Orlando City Extends Oscar Pareja’s Contract through 2028

The most successful coach in Orlando City’s MLS history has signed on for another three seasons.

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1 hour ago

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April 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City SC announced today that the club and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have come to terms on a new three-year contract through 2028. The winningest head coach in club history, Pareja’s previous two-year contract was scheduled to expire after the 2025 season. With the Lions off to a 3-2-3 start, and coming off the deepest MLS Cup playoff run in the organization’s history — the 2024 Eastern Conference final — the club locked down the veteran coach

“Throughout his career, Oscar has proven to be a coach deeply committed not only to winning and competing for championships, but also to building teams that fans can proudly rally behind,” Orlando City Owner and Chairman Mark Wilf said in a club press release. “Here in Orlando, he’s shown that same passion and dedication — taking immense pride in representing our club with integrity and driving us closer each year to our ultimate goal of winning it all. His unwavering positivity and focus have helped shape a culture grounded in respect and ambition. We’re thrilled to have Oscar continue leading us forward in the City Beautiful.” 

Pareja has led Orlando City to a record of 89-59-55 across all competitions in 203 matches, reaching the playoffs in each of his seasons at the helm of OCSC. He also won the team’s first MLS-era trophy by leading the Lions to the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title, and he’s guided the club to its first two appearances in Concacaf Champions League/Cup and to the MLS is Back Tournament final in 2020.

With 176 MLS victories, Pareja is No. 5 on the league’s all-time wins list. He ranks second among all active coaches. Orlando City initially hired Pareja, 56, as head coach on Dec. 4, 2019. He succeeded James O’Connor, Jason Kreis, and Adrian Heath as OCSC head coaches in the club’s MLS era. Prior to joining the Lions, Pareja spent one season in Liga MX with Club Tijuana after five successful seasons as head coach at FC Dallas. Pareja started his MLS head coaching career with the Colorado Rapids in 2012, leading the ‘Pids for two seasons, including a playoff appearance in 2013. He also coached the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team from 2007-2008. 

“First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Mark Wilf, his family, the entire ownership group, and our executive board for their continued trust in the vision and culture we’ve built over the years,” Pareja said in the club’s release. “Their unwavering support is the foundation of everything we strive to achieve each day. Above all, I’m profoundly thankful to our incredible fans and the dedicated staff who pour their hearts into making Orlando City such a remarkable club. Together, we’ve grown stronger with each passing season, moving steadily closer to our shared ambition of bringing more trophies home to this great city. I remain deeply inspired by what lies ahead and look forward to continuing this journey in pursuit of more championships.” 

As a player, Pareja spent 1987-1995 with Independiente Medellin in his native Colombia as a midfielder, appearing in 263 matches and scoring 18 goals. He moved to Deportivo Cali, where he scored 11 more goals in 122 games from 1995-1998 and then joined the New England Revolution, appearing in 13 games that year. He finished his playing career with FC Dallas, scoring 13 goals in 170 appearances from 1998-2005. He also earned 11 caps from 1991 to 1996 with Colombia’s national team, scoring three goals.

What It Means for Orlando City

As I wrote when Pareja re-signed in December of 2023: quite simply, it means the Lions retain their most successful coach since joining Major League Soccer. Pareja has created a culture and an identity that was lacking at the club prior to his arrival. While it’s common for players to say the team feels like a family and a city feels like “home,” the Lions have walked that walk during Pareja’s tenure in the City Beautiful.

Pareja’s challenge for the upcoming season is to improve upon the club’s deepest run in the playoffs and perhaps the fourth-place finish the Lions enjoyed in 2024. That’s not an easy task, and it shouldn’t be held against him if he can’t reach those lofty heights.

In the short term, Pareja’s job is to get the team scoring goals again while maintaining the high defensive standards set over the last two matches.

Pareja’s tenure with Orlando City will ultimately be measured in trophies. So far, he’s won one of them. That’s more than everyone who came before him won with Orlando in the MLS era, but it’s understandable for fans and ownership to ask for more.

Oscar Pareja’s Coaching Record at Orlando City (W-L-D)

Major League Soccer Regular Season: 167 games, 74-48-45
MLS Playoffs: 12 games, 5-6-1 (Note: MLS considers draws losses if they happen in the best-of-three round but if it goes to penalties in a single-elimination game, it’s a draw.)
U.S. Open Cup: 7 games, 4-1-2
Concacaf Champions League/Cup: 6 games, 2-1-3
Leagues Cup: 7 games, 2-2-3
MLS is Back Knockout Stages: 4 games, 2-1-1

Total: 203 games coached, 89-59-55

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Lion Links 4/16/25

Orlando Pride on top, OCB falls to Inter Miami II, USMNT eyes Gold Cup, and more.

Published

16 hours ago

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April 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I know I’ve said it before, but I love that I can always find soccer to watch. Whether it’s UEFA Champions League or the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, or anything in between, I love it. I’m willing to bet you love it too. Speaking of love, we want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City Designated Player Luis Muriel. Let’s get to the links.

All the Rankings

With the win over the Seattle Reign, the Orlando Pride stayed perfect on the season. It was enough for the Pride to remain on top of the standings and also at the top of numerous power rankings. All for XI kept the Pride at No. 1 with a shoutout to Anna Moorhouse, SI.com did the same, while noting Summer Yates’ injury, and Goal.com completed the sweep. The Pride also landed at No. 8 in Opta’s global power rankings for women’s clubs. Strangely, the Kansas City Current were two spots above on that particular list.

OCB Falls to Inter Miami II

Orlando City B traveled to IMG Academy to take on Inter Miami II Tuesday night. The Young Lions went down early on the road, but were able to equalize thanks to a goal from Tahir Reid-Brown. Unfortunately, Inter Miami scored two more goals before a penalty in second-half stoppage time gave OCB a slight lifeline. It was not enough as the team fell 3-2 to their in-state foes.

Generation Adidas Cup Matchups

Orlando City Academy’s U-18 squad won Group J in the Generation Adidas Cup. Now the team will face St. Louis City SC 2 in the Round of 16. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the younger generations of players in Orlando City’s system, here is your opportunity.

U.S. Eyes Gold Cup

We’re about two months out from the start of the Concacaf Gold Cup and it feels like a must-win for the USMNT given recent results. Winning an eighth Gold Cup title will not come easily. Naturally, all eyes fall on Christian Pulisic to lead the squad, though not everyone thinks he should be the pick for captain. Tyler Adams is looking for more belief from his teammates heading into the competition.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/15/25

Pride players nominated for weekly awards, Americans in midweek action, UEFA Champions League preview, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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April 15, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was a solid weekend for the two Orlando teams in action, as Orlando City played to a hard-fought scoreless draw against the New York Red Bulls, while the Orlando Pride knocked off the Seattle Reign 1-0 on the road. We have plenty of things to talk through today, so let’s dive right in.

Orlando Pride Players Up for Weekly Awards

A pair of Orlando Pride players have been nominated for weekly awards due to their efforts in the team’s 1-0 win over the Seattle Reign on Saturday. We start with Anna Moorhouse, who was actually nominated for two awards, as she is up for both the NWSL Save of the Week and Player of the Week! Moorhouse stonewalled Reign winger Maddie Dahlien in the 81st minute during a 1-v-1 situation to preserve the Pride’s slender 1-0 lead on the road.

She also racked up five saves on the night, kept a clean sheet, and was hugely instrumental in the Pride winning a fourth straight game to start off the 2025 season.

Summer Yates, meanwhile, has been nominated for the Assist of the Week for her pinpoint pass to Barbra Banda for the game’s winning goal. In the 41st minute, she hit a stepover, glided past Madison Curry on the left side of the box, and played a great cross to Banda in the six-yard box, who made no mistake with the finish.

Make sure you go vote for our nominees!

Americans in Midweek Action

There are lots of American players taking part in games during the working week, so let’s check in on what we have to look forward to. Gio Reyna and Borussia Dortmund have the unenviable task of trying to overturn a 4-0 first-leg deficit against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League today. Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace travel to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Wednesday. Thursday has Tanner Tessman and Lyon on the road against Manchester United in the Europa League, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis hit the road to take on Jagiellonia Białystok in the Conference League. Things wrap up with some American vs. American violence on Friday when former Lion Daryl Dike and West Bromwich Albion travel to play Haji Wright and Coventry City in the EFL Championship.

UEFA Champions League Preview

The UEFA Champions League returns this week, with the second leg quarterfinal matches set to take place today and tomorrow. Aston Villa will need to actually come out and attack Paris Saint-Germain in Birmingham today, as the Premier League side comes into the match facing a 3-1 aggregate deficit. Borussia Dortmund has a mountain the size of Everest to climb to overturn a 4-0 deficit against a Barcelona team that looked absolutely lethal on the counterattack last week. Real Madrid also finds itself in a big 3-0 hole against Arsenal, and Los Blancos need to look much more dangerous going forward if they want to have a chance against a Gunners team that will surely look to defend and protect what they earned in the first leg. Bayern Munich is in the best position of the teams that trail after the first leg, as Inter Milan’s aggregate lead is only 2-1. That means Bayern can be fairly flexible approaching the second leg, although the Germans will need to do a much better job at finishing chances than they did last week.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

With the end of most European seasons creeping closer and closer, the transfer rumor mill is starting to spin with increasing intensity, so let’s take a look at some of today’s notable stories. We start with Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, who has 19 goals in all competitions this season and could fetch a price in the range of 100 million euros if he is sold this summer. Manchester United is reportedly interested in signing former Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who is likely to leave Southampton this summer after the Saints were relegated this year. Speaking of Manchester United, Red Devils striker Rasmus Hojlund is said to be attracting interest from both Juventus and Inter Milan, and he could be on the move this summer.

Free Kicks

  • Barbra Banda and Marta received their trophies for making the 2024 FIFPRO World XI.
  • Orlando City’s U-18 team enjoyed a successful campaign in group play at the Generation Adidas Cup, earning a spot in the Championship Bracket.
  • The Orlando Pride rightly remained the no.1 team in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
  • Despite dominating the New York Red Bulls while playing most of the second half with 10 men, Orlando City somehow dropped a place below those same Red Bulls in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
  • Chelsea spent the most on agent fees out of all Premier League clubs for a second consecutive year, as they dished out a whopping  £60 million to agents for transfers.

That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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