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

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9 years ago

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Orlando City is starting to do this regularly and I’m not sure my heart can take it. The Lions are making a habit of rescuing points when there should be no points. It’s crazy, dramatic, and wonderful. We’d all have liked a win, but when it was 2-0 and David Villa was lining up a penalty, who wouldn’t have taken the point then?

I look at it this way: Orlando was the tired, depleted team, playing on the road. New York City FC was the angry, rested, home team with its star players on the pitch. They’re ahead of Orlando in the standings Who was supposed to win this match? The Lions showed the heart of some kind of animal that I can’t think of right now by coming from two goals behind to snatch a win away from their fellow 2015 expansion club. And it was amazing.

So, let’s get to the grades from those who took part.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 7 – Couldn’t do much about the Brillant goal, as his defense on the back post let him down. Not much he could do on the chip by Villa either, as the play at Yankee Stadium can, and does, turn around in the blink of an eye. Not a lot of big saves for him this time, but he did a solid job all game. Distribution was spotty at times, but that is a product of the length and width of New York City’s field.

D, Luke Boden, 5.5 – Bodz struggled to get comfortable in the first half. His service on corners wasn’t great in the first half and his touch failed him a few times. In the second half, the poor service continued, as his crosses and free kicks continuously found their way in the air straight to Josh Saunders. His defense was fine but he didn’t provide much in the attack up the left side, losing his footing on his one good opportunity for a cross in the run of play.

D, Seb Hines, 6 – Was beat by the late runner Brillant on NYC’s first-half goal but was otherwise solid in defense on his return (again) from a knee injury. He put in a full shift trying to keep Villa, Shelton and McNamara at bay. Was unlucky to fall on the ball and concede a penalty, but the soccer gods were just and ball don’t lie, with Villa slipping and missing the spot kick badly.

D, Tommy Redding, 7 – Had a strong defensive first half against David Villa, blocking the Spaniard’s 41st-minute shot. In two matches at Yankee Stadium, Redding has done a great job of limiting Villa, who did get a goal on the break, but the 19-year-old had a good game, although I felt he kicked the ball wildly up field a couple of times when he had time and space to pass. That’ll come with more experience.

D, Kevin Alston, 6.5 – Provided long throws, which is something we haven’t seen this year, but the first two were too close to Saunders. Was solid if unspectacular in the first 45 minutes defending the right flank, but did allow a dangerous R.J. Allen cross that no one could get onto. Got revenge for that Allen cross by dispossessing the same player neatly in the 80th minute. A couple moments he’d like to have back in the 62nd and 64th minutes, taking a yellow for pulling down Villa, and heading out a wayward ball for a corner.

MF, Servando Carrasco, 6.5 – Took a silly booking eight minutes in blocking a quick free kick attempt. But he got under Villa’s skin and did a pretty good job breaking up play in the midfield, not having Ceren or Higuita with him. He took charge of the defensive midfield and despite a couple of shaky moments he had a solid all-around game.

MF, Harrison Heath, 6 – Joined his defensive midfield counterpart by taking an early booking for pulling down Mix Diskerud in the open field 10 minutes in. Had a pretty solid season debut although he conceded a dangerous free kick from just outside the box late in the match that could have changed the outcome. A promising first match of the season for young H.

MF, Brek Shea, 6 -€” A mixed bag for Brek, who started the match in the midfield and finished at left back. His poor defending on Allen, allowing too much space, led to the cross for Brillant’s goal late in the first half. He and Boden were the leakier side against the NYC attack in the first half, and he conceded multiple free kicks out on the wide left side. Sent Larin in with a great through ball in the 61st minute. He fizzed a few dangerous crosses into the box but none found a teammate. Took yet another unnecessary yellow card when he got into it with Villa in the 93rd minute when time was running out on the match.

MF, Kevin Molino 8 (MOTM), – He disappeared at times, but man did he show up when it counted most. His 94th-minute header rescued a point as he powered it off the underside of the bar. Set up Baptista’s first MLS goal with a nice ball in. Played a beautiful ball in for Larin in the 35th minute. Missed a shot wide late in the first half on a play-in from Larin.

MF, Adrian Winter, 6.5 – Put a brilliant cross on Larin’s head seven minutes in on the Lions’ best scoring chance of the first half. Worked his tail off yet again, which was embodied when he sprinted 30 yards to provide high pressure and forced an errant pass. Didn’t get himself into any dangerous areas, but was his normal, hard-working self for 59 minutes.

F, Cyle Larin, 7.5 – Made the mature decision to head Rivas’ 94th-minute cross back across the six-yard box rather than try to score from a bad angle and got an assist on the game-tying goal for his reward. Did everything right in the seventh minute, heading down Winter’s cross but Saunders was there to make the save. His opportunity in the 35th was blocked by the trailing defender after he moved around his marker. Made a great play on a long ball late in the first half to create a chance for Molino.

Substitutes

Julio Baptista (59′), 7.5 -€” Changed the dynamic by coming into the center and moving Molino to the right. Gave his team a lifeline with his first MLS goal, taking an extra touch in the box but that was OK because the NYCFC defense allowed it. Then he turned and powered a shot into the left corner that may have taken a slight deflection off the defender. Helped as a coach on the field, giving instructions to his defensive midfielders to come up and close space, and also worked well with both Molino and Rivas.

MF, Carlos Rivas (70′), 7 -€” In a reversal from his last outing, Rivas got himself in dangerous spots, didn’t take many bad touches and nearly earned his team a penalty in the 90th minute. Made a perfect back-post cross to Larin to start the tying goal sequence. A much-improved performance by the Colombian.

* * *

That’s the way I saw the game. Your mileage may vary. Please vote in our poll below for your Orlando City Man of the Match and tell me how wrong I am in the comments section below.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Cyle Larin 9
Julio Baptista 74
Tommy Redding 27
Kevin Molino 203
Carlos Rivas 11
Other 0
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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/21/25

The U.S. Open Cup journey resumes tonight, Javier Otero signs a new contract, Pride’s Sams and Abello called up, and more.

Published

48 minutes ago

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May 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It is match day with Orlando City hosting Nashville SC tonight in Inter&Co Stadium. I hope you are able to make it out to support the club, since I will have to watch it on television. If you listen to The Mane Land PawedCast you know how much I want Orlando City to focus on the U.S. Open Cup — even at the expense of the Leagues Cup. For now, let’s get to the links.

Nashville is Next

As I mentioned above, the Lions take on Nashville SC in a U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 match tonight. Orlando City is riding a 12-match unbeaten streak through all competitions and has scored 14 goals in the past four games going back to its 5-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Lions will look to continue their goal scoring ways to advance to the quarterfinals.

Javier Otero Has a New Contract

Orlando City signed goalkeeper Javier Otero to a new contract through the 2026 season with options for 2027 and 2028. Otero joined the Orlando City Academy in 2017, moving his way up to Orlando City B and, eventually, the first team. The signing secures Orlando City’s backup keeper for the immediate future.

Pride USWNT Call-Ups

Emily Sams and Kerry Abello were both called up to the USWNT training camp. This is Abello’s first call-up to the U.S. Women’s National Team. Sams and Abello make up two of Emma Hayes’ 24-player roster for the upcoming friendlies against China and Jamaica. Other notable players include Naomi Girma, Lynn Biyendolo, and Lo’eau LaBonta.

FIRST USWNT CALL UP FOR BELLO 🗣️

— Orlando Pride (@orlpride.com) 2025-05-20T15:06:37.081Z

USMNT Gold Cup News

Mauricio Pochettino has yet to name the final 26-player list for the Gold Cup. He has even put out there that he may give playing time to a goalkeeper other than Matt Turner. Pochettino sees the Gold Cup as a great opportunity for the team to bond during the last competition before the World Cup. Prior to the Gold Cup, the team has friendlies with Türkiye and Switzerland.

Free Kicks

  • The Kansas City Current may have defeated the Pride last match, but they paid dearly for it.
  • In sad news, former Sporting Kansas City player Gadi Kinda passed away. Kinda had been dealing with “a complex medical battle.”
  • In the “I’m not at all surprised” category, Lionel Messi was not fined by the league for any of his antics during or after the loss to Orlando City, including his criticism of officials, which is usually an automatic fine.

That will do it for today. Check back for our pre-match and post-match coverage tonight. You can also follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for match updates. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City Signs Homegrown Goalkeeper Javier Otero to New Deal

Homegrown goalkeeper Javier Otero has inked a new contract through 2026 with two option years.

Published

13 hours ago

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May 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions addressed the future of the goalkeeping position today with the club announcing that Orlando City has signed Homegrown Player Javier Otero to a new deal. Otero’s contract runs through the 2026 season and includes club options for 2027 and 2028. This contract eliminates the need for OCSC to pick up Otero’s 2026 option, as his original Homegrown contract was through 2024 with two option years, and the club exercised the 2025 option in December.

“We’re delighted to offer a new contract to Javi, who has been a prime example of our developmental pathway at work,” Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “We look forward to seeing Javi further his growth here with the club.” 

Otero, 22, originally signed as the club’s 14th Homegrown Player on July 10, 2023 out of the Orlando City Development Academy, becoming the backup to starter Pedro Gallese in 2024 after Mason Stajduhar suffered a season-ending lower leg injury. Stajduhar subsequently left Orlando City prior to the 2025 season, making Otero the primary backup.

Thus far, Otero has appeared in three matches for Orlando across all competitions (two starts), keeping one clean sheet. He made his Major League Soccer debut on June 28, 2024, when Stajduhar sustained his injury on the road against New York City FC. Otero entered the match in the 29th minute with the Lions already trailing and conceded three goals in a 4-1 loss, although he was largely hung out to dry by the team in front of him throughout the match, and one of those goals deflected off defender Robin Jansson and changed direction on him.

In MLS play, Otero has one start and one relief appearance, winning his only career regular-season start earlier this season in a 4-1 home victory over D.C. United on March 22. He also started and backstopped Orlando to a 5-0 U.S. Open Cup victory two weeks ago at the Tampa Bay Rowdies for his first shutout with the senior side.

Otero joined the Orlando City Academy in 2017, making his professional debut with Orlando City B in 2020, backing up second-round draft pick Austin Aviza that season. He became the OCB starter in 2022 after OCB took 2021 off in between changing leagues from USL League One to MLS NEXT Pro.

He led MLS NEXT Pro with 100 saves in the league’s inaugural season of 2022. His first-team contract in 2023 made him the second goalkeeper — behind Stajduhar — to earn a Homegrown Player deal.

On the international stage, Otero made his debut with the Venezuelan Men’s National Team in a friendly against Colombia on Dec. 10, 2023. He was recently called up for Venezuela’s friendly against the U.S. in January, along with La Vinotinto’s FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in March. 

What It Means for Orlando City

It is likely that Otero will remain the backup for a while longer, but Gallese’s contract option for 2025 was triggered by performance metrics after last season. So, Orlando’s No. 1 in the position is uncertain beyond the end of the current season. Gallese, however, has played well, despite a narrative that he could/should have done better at the beginning of the season, when individual mistakes in front of him were leaving him little chance to stop the vast majority of the goals that opponents scored. Orlando City may not be quite ready for Gallese to depart, but the Peruvian himself may have other thoughts.

If Gallese isn’t re-signed before the end of the season, it would make things interesting. Moreira may feel Otero is ready to take on the mantle of starter next season or at least to battle for it. But even if Gallese returns or a different player is signed to be the starter, Otero has impressed enough for the club to invest in him as the primary backup. That’s an important position at all times, because injuries and suspensions happen. But it’s especially vital to have a trustworthy backup to a goalkeeper who is representing his country during the MLS season at times, as Gallese has done with Peru over the years.

Of course, Otero could also be called up regularly by Venezuela if his development continues, taking him away for the same tournaments that currently call Gallese back home. If that becomes the case, Orlando City would have an interesting problem on its hands.

In the meantime, it’s a good sign for Orlando City that, in Otero, the academy has produced another player the club values.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/20/25

Lions earn weekly recognition, preliminary Gold Cup rosters released, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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May 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Life always feels a little brighter after your team wins a soccer game, even more so when it’s against a hated rival, so I hope you’ve had as good a start to your week as I have. We have no time to rest on our laurels though, because Orlando City is straight back into action tomorrow with a U.S. Open Cup match at home against Nashville SC. Let’s get into today’s links.

Lions Earn Weekly Recognition

Several Orlando City players are getting some deserved plaudits following the team’s 3-0 win over Inter Miami on Sunday. Pedro Gallese has been named to the starting XI of the MLS Team of the Matchday, while Joran Gerbet is on the bench and Oscar Pareja is the coach of the side. Gallese made four saves while keeping a clean sheet and also assisted Luis Muriel on the first goal of the game. Gerbet did an excellent job of helping to minimize the impact of Lionel Messi, while Oscar Pareja was the man who who masterminded it all. Alex Freeman got some love as one of the standout young players of the matchday, and also had a nice piece written about him in The Athletic (paywall). All the Lions are deserving of their praise, and here’s hoping this isn’t the last time we see them getting some love.

Freeman Named to USMNT Preliminary Gold Cup Roster

The preliminary rosters have been announced for the 16 teams set to participate in this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. Most of the usual suspects are present for the United States Men’s National Team, with the exceptions of Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Gio Reyna, whose teams are participating in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer. Of note for Orlando City fans is Alex Freeman’s inclusion on the preliminary roster. That being said, this early list contains 60 names and will need to be cut down to 26 by June 4. With Sergino Dest and Joe Scally both on the 60-man list, Freeman is probably an outside shot to be included, but you never know.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans playing matches during the working week, so make sure you have everything marked down on your calendar. Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace host Wolverhampton Wanderers in their penultimate Premier League game later today, while Tyler Adams and Bournemouth do the same against Manchester City. Wednesday has Jordan Pefok and Reims visiting Metz in a playoff to decide which team will play in Ligue 1 next season. Alex Zendejas and Club America take on Toluca in the first leg of the Liga MX Clausura final on Thursday, and Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis host Valencia in La Liga play on Friday.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The summer transfer window will be upon us before we know it, so let’s take a look at what the transfer rumor mill is saying these days. Manchester United is said to be on the verge of signing Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and has reportedly agreed to terms on a deal. Man City has reportedly ended its interest in signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, and has instead turned the club’s attention to Barcelona’s Dani Olmo. Finally, Rodrygo is reportedly considering leaving Real Madrid in the summer, with some outlets saying that he “has one foot out of Real Madrid”.

Free Kicks

That does it for me today. Vamos Orlando!

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