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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Montreal Impact: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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9 years ago

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Orlando City finally got back into the win column with a 2-1 win over Montreal. Impact fans may feel a bit salty about not getting an offside call on Cyle Larin on the last goal and Mauro Biello certainly disagreed about the foul call that led to the first, but if all of the early season bad calls (and bad no-calls) that cost the Lions points are going to even out over the long haul, it’s got to start somewhere, and I’m certainly not going to feel bad for anyone over it.

The Lions started the match kind of a mess, and Montreal did grab a much deserved early lead. But as the game wore on, a funny thing happened — Orlando City started to play as a team. Adrian Heath promised lineup changes and we got them. He put Cristian Higuita and Servando Carrasco in the central midfield above his back line and went with an attacking midfield of Carlos Rivas, Kaká, and Adrian Winter, pushing Antonio Nocerino and Kevin Molino to the bench. Seb Hines returned to the starting lineup but his night ended early with another knock.

I had a lot of very low ratings running through my head for the first half hour of the match, but now some of these will probably be scoffed at as too high. That’s OK. These are my grades and disagreement isn’t a bad thing. Let’s get to those player ratings.

Starters

G, Joe Bendik, 9 (MOTM) -€” Another sparkling outing for the former Toronto FC man, who made some key saves in the second half, including somehow stopping a deflected shot one-handed while moving the other direction. He came off his line twice to prevent dangerous chances for Montreal and finished with six saves on the seven Montreal shots on goal, including a huge save in the 71st on Oduro. The only one he couldn’t keep out took a deflection and he could do nothing about it. Kept the game level long enough for the Lions to find a late winner.

D, Brek Shea, 5 -€” He spent much of the first half trying to get booked (and eventually succeeding in the 41st minute), getting a lecture in the 11th and 29th minutes from referee Mark Geiger. Venegas flopped in the 40th to try to get him booked, and succeeded, but the left back should never have gone after the Montreal player, after having already won the free kick. Should have scored off a cross in the 51st minute but the ball went between his legs as he attacked the net. Worked well with Rivas down the left, though, so it wasn’t all bad for Brek.

D, David Mateos, 7 -€” Solid if unspectacular night for the Spaniard. Headed away a free kick in the 24th minute. Worked well with both Seb Hines and Tommy Redding, teaming up to keep Oduro and Piatti from getting many quality looks. Completed 87.2% of his passes and completed five of his seven long balls.

D, Seb Hines, 7 -€” Was having a good night before leaving in the 40th minute with a knock. Completed 94.7% of his passes and all five long balls were accurate. Stopped Oduro in the open field just moments before Piatti opened the scoring. Dispossessed Lucas Ontivero in the 30th off a free kick to clear the danger.

D, Rafael Ramos, 3 -€” Before leaving with an apparent hamstring injury in the 34th minute, the Portuguese youth international was having somewhat of a nightmare game. He was beaten on Ignacio Piatti’s goal in the fourth minute, he allowed a free kick with an unnecessary foul in the corner, and Dominic Oduro also beat him in the 15th minute, before having his cross deflected. Speaking of deflected crosses, neither of his were accurate. Ramos had one blocked and mishit another. Just a tough night all around for the youngster.

MF, Servando Carrasco, 6.5 -€” Started the match a bit tough, deflecting the Piatti shot that beat Bendik and taking a couple rough challenges, but came into the game as it wore on. He completed 80% of his passes and two of his five long balls were accurate. He finished with two tackles, two clearances, three interceptions and a blocked shot and helped Higuita lock down the middle of the pitch just above the back line.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 7 -€” Led the team in tackles (6), interceptions (6) and clearances (5) and completed 86.2% of his passes. Tracked back in the 33rd off a Ramos turnover to thwart the counter attack. Was better in the air than usual, getting his head on a few of Montreal’s set piece crosses to clear the danger. I have to mark him down a bit for taking a silly yellow card for dissent when a call went against him in the 53rd after he thought he’d dispossessed Piatti cleanly.

MF, Carlos Rivas, 5.5 -€” It was a night of almosts for the Colombian, who may have been a tad rusty after not seeing the field much recently. Used his speed to get up the left wing and create havoc but only three of his team-high nine crosses were accurate. Nearly served up an easy goal for Baptista, but the pass was just off. Came close to an Olimpico on a corner kick but it was cleared by Montreal. Completed just 66.7% of his passes and took an unnecessary yellow card for kicking the ball away to keep Montreal from playing quickly. Made a bad play going for goal in the 89th from a bad angle rather than heading to the corner to waste some valuable seconds. He was an agent of chaos, but that’s not always a bad thing.

MF, Kaká, 8 -€” If not for some slight disappearances in the opening 20 or 25 minutes, this could have been an even better night for the captain. Assisted on both of Larin’s goals and took three shots, forcing a save on one. Got in alone on goal and Wandrille Lefevre had to be perfect on his tackle to avoid a penalty. Led the team with four key passes. Really asserted himself in the game starting late in the first half and willed his team to victory.

MF, Adrian Winter, 6 -€” Typical hustle game for Winter but he didn’t really get into dangerous spaces with the ball, had only one key pass, and didn’t get any attempts at goal. Earned an early yellow card with a couple of crunching tackles and settled down after that. Managed only 25 touches in his 74 minutes.

F, Cyle Larin, 8.5 -€” Scored one with his head and one with his foot, and got into dangerous spaces all night. He earned the free kick that led to his first goal, sprinting up the left sideline. Lefevre got the ball cleanly on the slide tackle but raised his boots and took down the Canadian. Three of his game-high five shots were on target, including a header at Evan Bush in the 75th minute and the two goals. It wasn’t a perfect night, as he took a heavy touch in the clear in the 55th and shot just wide from a poor angle instead of squaring the ball to an open teammate for the easy goal. Still, a good night for Kid Fantastic, who got his first multi-goal game of the season.

Substitutes

D, Kevin Alston (34′), 7 -€” Subbing in for the injured Ramos in the first half, Alston showed well in the game. Adrian Heath called his efforts “smashing” after the match. He missed on a few passes and long balls, and he took a yellow after getting beat by Piatti in the 66th, but defended well overall and was an attacking presence. His wicked cross in the 87th had to be punched away by Bush.

D, Tommy Redding (40′), 7.5 -€” Spelled Hines and picked up where the starter left off with a fantastic performance. His vital tackle on Piatti in the box in the 73rd minute had to be perfect and it was. In the 80th, he shut down Michael Salazar’s bid to get past and into the box with a neat tackle. Finished with only three tackles but all were 1-v-1 and kept Montreal from generating a dangerous chance. He also completed 86.7% of his passes and both of his long balls were accurate. His positioning wasn’t always perfect but the youngster played well.

MF, Julio Baptista (75′), 6 -€” It wasn’t the best outing for The Beast until his gorgeous chip to Kaká set the winning goal in motion, although he did complete 85.7% of his passes. Fell in the box on a Rivas cross while trying to reset his feet to get a shot off. Attempted one shot but it was off target.

* * *

Those are my grades for the Lions’ skid-snapping win over Montreal. Please vote for your Orlando City Man of the Match in the poll below and let me know what your ratings were.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Kaká 118
Cyle Larin 43
Joe Bendik 149
Cristian Higuita 34
Tommy Redding 12
Other 12
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Orlando City

Orlando City Signs Defender Thomas Williams Through 2026

Orlando City signs Homegrown center back Thomas Williams to a new contract through 2026 with a club option for 2027.

Published

3 hours ago

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January 22, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City announced this morning that the club has signed defender Thomas Williams through the 2026 season with a club option for 2027. The Homegrown Player has been with the first team since 2021 and will continue for at least two more years.

“Thomas is someone whose future we’re still very excited about and we’re happy to get him locked in with us for a couple more years,” Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s shown a lot of growth these last few seasons, continuing to get game action with Orlando City B and proving the importance of our development pathway, and we’re looking forward to having him with us for the foreseeable future.”

The Titusville native joined the Orlando City Academy in 2015 and made his professional debut for the club on Aug. 7, 2020 against New England Revolution II. He played in 13 games that year with 10 starts and recorded 844 minutes. His play on the Young Lions’ back line earned him a first-team contract on June 15, 2021, at just 16 years old, making him the youngest player in club history to sign a Homegrown contract.

The 20-year-old center back made his MLS debut on April 16, 2022 in a 2-0 win over the Columbus Crew in Ohio. He made five appearances with three starts in all competitions that season, recording 271 minutes. To date, those are the only appearances he’s made with the first team.

Since joining OCB in 2021, Williams has made 69 appearances with 61 starts and recorded 5,132 minutes. He’s been booked 19 times and sent off twice, both times after receiving second yellow cards.

What It Means for Orlando City

Williams is the fourth natural center back for Orlando City on the current squad behind Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Rodrigo Schlegel. He played well early in his OCB and MLS career, but has struggled recently. Last year, he played exclusively with the second team, partnering with Nabi Kibunguchy.

While Williams hasn’t made much of an impact on the first team so far, he’s only 20 years old and still has plenty of time to develop. Extending his contact shows that the club still has faith that he can turn into a key player for the MLS side.

It’s unlikely that Williams will see any time with the first team in 2025 (barring injuries and/or suspensions), considering that he’s also been behind versatile defender Kyle Smith at the center back position. He’ll likely spend the upcoming season with OCB, continuing to develop and earn his spot with the first team. As a Homegrown Player, there isn’t much risk in signing Williams to a new contract, especially if the club’s technical staff thinks he can develop into a quality defender.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/22/25

Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.

Published

7 hours ago

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January 22, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The ManeLand

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.

Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International

While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881755961125449765?s=46&t=pMoq7Wulqfb35D7C8ydroA

Pride Preseason Begins

The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.

USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight

Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.

Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move

USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.

MLS Transfer Updates

Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.

https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/1881741042904350864

Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881786193693823104

Free Kicks

https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1881749040863588770?s=12&t=_WZBNG4ILAyRLdwBeB4mpQ
  • Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
https://twitter.com/nwsl/status/1881749035218042954?s=46&t=pN-YJp3s7ZQlCXqnTAgSfw

That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/21/25

Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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January 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! If you had yesterday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then I hope you enjoyed some restful time off. If not, then I hope you got your week started off on a good and productive note. There’s a lot going on around here this week as the United States Men’s National Team is in town, and Orlando City will play its first preseason match on Saturday. That means we have plenty to discuss, so let’s dig into today’s links.

Orlando Pride Drop Preseason Roster

Monday might have been a holiday but the Orlando Pride were busy, as they announced the roster for their upcoming preseason camp. Almost all of the usual suspects from the 2024 season are back, as the Pride return 98% of the player-minutes from last season and every single scorer. Mariana Larroquette is on the list although she’s currently on loan in Argentina, and Amanda Allen is likewise included after her loan at Lexington Sporting Club was terminated due to a torn labrum. The biggest intrigue comes from the trio of non-roster invitees: goalkeeper DeAira Jackson, midfielder Aryssa Mahrt, and forward Simone Jackson.

Scouting Costa Rica

The USMNT takes on Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium to wrap up the team’s annual January camp. Like the U.S., Costa Rica is bringing a roster devoid of the majority of its important players. Costa Rica also has a new manager at the helm in Miguel Herrera, who will take charge of the team for the very first time on Wednesday. Herrera typically lines his teams up in a 5-3-2 where the wingbacks take on a very important role and the team looks to hit on the counter while staying compact at the back. This will be the last time we see the USMNT in action until the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in early March.

Women’s Soccer January Transfer Grades

January has been a busy time for transfers in the women’s soccer world, so which teams have done the best business? Well, the Orlando Pride received an A grade for signing Marta to a new two-year deal, retaining a player who helped the team win its first ever trophies. Liverpool got an A for signing Julia Bartel on loan from Chelsea. Leicester City made an interesting call by transferring goalkeeper Lize Kop to Tottenham despite just being a point above the relegation zone. The Foxes get a C for the move, while Spurs get a B+ for adding a capable netminder.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in some very important games over the course of this week. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus face Club Brugge today in the UEFA Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Esmir Bajraktarević, Malik Tillman and PSV Eindhoven take on Crvena Zvezda in the same competition. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will play Girona in the UCL on Wednesday, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic take on Young Boys. On Friday, John Tolkin could make his Bundesliga debut when his new team, Holstein Kiel, travels to face Wolfsburg.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride players reported for their preseason physicals on Monday.
  • Meanwhile, Orlando City took on the dreaded beep test during Monday’s training session.

That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!

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