Orlando City
Orlando City at Chicago Fire: Final Score 2-2 as Lions Let Lead Slip Away Late Again
Kaká and Cyle Larin found the back of the net, but the Lions lost their lead to a resilient Chicago side and poor set piece defense.
Orlando City went into Toyota Park needing a win to propel the team ahead of the New England Revolution and D.C. United and into the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference. The Lions (5-6-12, 27 points) had to settle for a 2-2 draw with the last-place Chicago Fire (4-11-7, 19 points) after failing to convert on their opportunities and breaking down on a late Chicago set piece. Orlando is in the midst of a 10-game winless streak on the road (0-5-5) since winning its first away match of the year.
It was a poor start for Orlando. After some nervy passing, Tommy Redding — playing for the suspended David Mateos (yellow card accumulation) — fouled David Accam at the edge of the area to set up a dangerous free kick that Bendik managed to punch free. The rebound landed at the feet of Fire midfielder John Goossens, who let loose a low blast from long distance that pinged off the post and past Bendik just six minutes into the match. For all the highlight saves Bendik has made this season, Goossens’ shot from well outside the area is one he’d no doubt like to have back.
Orlando responded quickly, lobbing passes over the defense until one finally found the foot of Cyle Larin. Kaká chipped a perfectly weighted ball over the top and the Canadian managed to get his left foot to the ball, poking it just out of reach of UCF alum Sean Johnson to level it for the Lions, just three minutes later. The goal brought Larin’s total to 12 for the season and was his fourth in the last five matches.
Orlando almost immediately managed to give a goal away as Servando Carrasco slipped on the turf and the ball dropped fortuitously to Accam, who used his speed to round Seb Hines. Luckily, Bendik managed to parry the attempt and relieve the danger. Bendik was tested constantly by Goossens and Accam during the first half, but managed to hold the Fire to one goal at the break.
The offensive game plan was to feed Kaká on the left, running the offense through the Brazilian even from the wide areas. The captain sent ball after ball into the area but couldn’t quite find Larin or Brek Shea on the other end. Johan Kappelhof did well to keep the Orlando captain at bay for the Fire, closing him down before he could get into dangerous positions.
Kappelhof couldn’t do anything on Orlando’s second goal, though. Matias Perez Garcia, in his first start for Orlando, found Carrasco on the right wing, who sent in a cross that reached Larin, but the Canadian striker’s header glanced off the left post. Kaká was there on the second chance and calmly put the ball in the roof of the net to give Orlando the lead. Kaká now has four goals this year, good enough for third on the team behind Larin and Kevin Molino. The captain managed to get all three of his shots on target and finished with a goal and an assist.
Perez Garcia almost created a third goal just before halftime, sliding in to intercept a Chicago pass from Eric Gehrig. Kaká picked up the loose ball and was through on goal. He crossed for Shea, but it was behind the winger and went across the box harmlessly. The Argentine did well in possession and used his vision to pull the strings in midfield whenever he saw the ball before being taken off for Molino in the second half.
Orlando did not start the second half well, either. The Fire saw the majority of possession and Orlando committed various fouls in dangerous areas. Kaká decided to change that, making a run the length of the field, sending Gehrig to the turf as he reached the end line before sending a cross in to Larin that just missed. Kaká seemed willing to shoulder the majority of the offensive load, testing Johnson from distance a few minutes later and forcing a diving save.
Redding had the unenviable task of keeping Accam in check and was booked for his troubles in the 18th minute. Redding finished with two fouls conceded and the speedy Ghanaian got the best of him a few times, but Orlando’s Homegrown defender managed to keep Accam off the scoreboard before Jason Kreis replaced him with Jose Aja near the hour mark for the Uruguayan’s debut.
Cristian Higuita’s return to the starting lineup didn’t last much longer, as he went down injured and was helped off the field in the 61st. Tony Rocha made his MLS debut after appearing twice with the first team in the U.S. Open Cup.
Larin almost bagged his second shortly after, but Johnson came off his line to stuff the Canadian and managed to keep him away from the ball long enough to collect it. Larin took a hit on the challenge, but referee Mark Geiger decided not to call a penalty. Orlando applied consistent pressure on the Chicago back line for the next 10 minutes with a combination of Molino, Rocha, and Kaká that tested Johnson but couldn’t produce a goal. Orlando commanded possession for the majority of the match with 54.7%, but the Lions couldn’t put the game away.
Chicago found the equalizer in the 79th minute. Fire defender Brandon Vincent found Razvan Cocis on a corner, who beat Bendik with a point-blank header to level the score.
For all of Orlando’s promise on offense, the defense couldn’t keep the Fire off the board. Aja gave the Fire life at the death, committing a foul on the edge of the area and earning a yellow card, but Accam’s ensuing attempt sailed wide of the mark.
The last few minutes of the match were filled with Chicago chances and not many threatening attempts by the Lions. The Fire appealed for a penalty when Boden collided with Arturo Alvarez, but Geiger let play continue. When the final whistle sounded, it was a disappointing result for Kreis’ men against a Chicago side floundering at the bottom of the table. The Lions still find themselves on the wrong side of the red line, behind D.C. United on the total wins tiebreaker.
Next week, Orlando travels to Commerce City, CO, to take on this year’s surprise contenders, the Colorado Rapids. You can catch the match Saturday at 9 p.m.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 12/10/24
Facundo Torres linked with move to Palmeiras, Pride players in FIFPRO Women’s World 11, Amanda Allen suffers injury, and more.
Happy Tuesday, everyone. I hope your week is getting off to a good start and that you’re on top of any Christmas shopping that you still need to do, because I’m just now realizing that I’ve done exactly zero of mine. Alas, the only way out is through. As usual, we have a lot to talk through this morning, so let’s get into the links.
Facundo Torres Linked With Palmeiras
Tom Bogert reported on Monday evening that Orlando City has agreed to a deal with Brazilian club Palmeiras for the transfer of Facundo Torres. While Bogert says the two clubs have reached an agreement, the transfer is still pending as Torres and Palmeiras still need to agree on personal terms. While no price tag was given, the fee would reportedly eclipse the $9.5 million fee that West Bromwich Albion paid for Daryl Dike, which is OCSC’s current outbound transfer record. Torres is the club’s record signing, as he joined from Penarol for roughly $7.5 million, and has been central to the team’s success ever since. We will bring you more from this story as it develops.
Familiar Faces in FIFPRO Women’s World 11
FIFA announced the 2024 FIFPRO Women’s World 11 on Monday and there are two familiar faces in the lineup, as Marta and Barbra Banda were named to the team. This is the third time in Marta’s career that she has been chosen for the award, which is the only global player award decided exclusively by the players themselves. Banda is included in the team for the first time, with this also being the very first time that an African player has made the team. Both players had incredible seasons for the Orlando Pride and were instrumental in the team winning its first two pieces of silverware. Congratulations to both for all their hard work and justified recognition!
Amanda Allen Suffers Injury
The Orlando Pride announced on Monday that forward Amanda Allen has suffered a torn labrum in her right shoulder and will undergo surgery to repair it. As a result, Allen’s loan with USL Super League team Lexington Sporting Club has been terminated, and she has been placed on the season-ending injury list. It’s a tough break for Allen, who became the youngest player to debut for the team back during the 2023 season, as she was getting good minutes and experience on loan. We wish her all the best and hope to see her back on the field soon!
Christian Pulisic Injury News
AC Milan announced on Monday that United States Men’s National Team forward Christian Pulisic has torn a muscle in his right calf, and will spend time on the sideline. The winger went off injured during the team’s game on Friday, and Milan has said that he could be on the shelf until January. While the USMNT won’t play a competitive game until March’s Concacaf Nations League semifinals, the timing is a tough blow for Pulisic, who has had an excellent start to the season with eight goal contributions in Serie A and three UEFA Champions League goals. Here’s hoping that he makes a speedy recovery.
Americans in Midweek Action
There are a number of Americans who will take part in games this week, so make sure you get everything marked down on your calendar. Things get started later today as Auston Trusty, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Celtic take on Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Malik Tillman, and PSV Eindhoven face Brest in the same competition. Tomorrow has Yunus Musah and AC Milan hosting Crvena Zvezda in the Champions League, while Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus welcome Manchester City to Allianz Stadium. Things then finish up on Friday as Mark McKenzie and Toulouse host St-Etienne in Ligue 1 play.
MLS Transfer Happenings
We have a lot of MLS transfer moves and roster changes to cover this morning. Cruzeiro has declined the purchase option on FC Cincinnati winger Alvaro Barreal, meaning he has returned to the club following the conclusion of his loan. Expansion side San Diego FC has acquired Tomas Angel and a second-round pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft from LAFC in exchange for $200,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM). Austin FC also bought out Gyasi Zardes’ contract, making the 10th-highest scorer in MLS history a free agent.
The Colorado Rapids signed center backs Ian Murphy and Chidozie Awaziem from FC Cincinnati in exchange for $1 million in General Allocation Money. Tom Bogert is also reporting that Bournemouth is finalizing a deal to sign American center back Matai Akinmboni from D.C. United in a deal worth up to $2.5 million. Finally, in the wildest piece of MLS transfer news I’ve seen in awhile, I simply present the following tweet.
Free Kicks
- Check out this very interesting and informative article detailing how Pedro Araujo, Orlando City’s SVP of Marketing and Brand, sells and markets the Lions and Pride to the club’s fanbases.
- In MLS NEXT Fest action, Orlando City’s U-15 team beat Real Salt Lake 5-0 but the U-16 team fell 3-2 to LAFC.
- The United States Women’s National Team has scheduled a pair of friendlies against Brazil on April 5 and April 8 out in California.
- Former Orlando City goalkeeping coach Tim Mulqueen has been named the men’s soccer coach at his alma mater, Saint Joseph’s University.
- MLS is reportedly considering adding an internal trade market that would let MLS clubs make trades with real money rather than allocation money.
- Angel City FC has parted ways with head coach Becki Tweed.
- The Houston Dash have hired Angela Hucles Mangano as its president of women’s soccer.
That’s all I have for this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Javier Otero
The Homegrown goalkeeper made his MLS debut in 2024 under difficult circumstances.
Orlando City signed Javier Otero to a Homegrown Player contract on July 10, 2023, keeping him in purple through the 2024 season with club options for 2025 and 2026. Otero was the starting goalkeeper for Orlando City B during the beginning of the 2024 season but was called up with Pedro Gallese on international duty, eventually making an unexpected debut when Mason Stajduhar went down with a season-sending injury. From that point on, Otero moved up to the senior roster permanently and dressed with Orlando City as the backup for the rest of the season.
Let’s take a look back at Otero’s 2024 season.
Statistical Breakdown
The Venezualan goalkeeper was expected to spend most of the season playing for OCB, and during the beginning of the season that was the case, as he started nine of the team’s early season matches. He made 34 saves and gave up 13 goals for a save percentage of 72.3% and a goals against average of 1.44 for the Young Lions, while also passing at a 76.8% completion rate. Otero likely would have been the starter for most of the rest of OCB’s matches, getting valuable game experience, but Stajduhar’s injury meant the senior Lions needed him on the game day roster as the backup for every game, and they could not risk him playing again for OCB.
While he was in the lineup for every game except one from the end of June through the end of the season, Otero played in only one match for Orlando City, subbing in for the injured Stajduhar and playing the final 61 minutes during the team’s 4-2 loss at New York City FC on June 28. During his 61 minutes on the field for the senior Lions, Otero gave up three goals and did not make any saves, though he wasn’t put in the best spots by his teammates during the game. He successfully fielded one of the four crosses that were played into the box. He completed 71.4% of his passes and had one defensive action outside of his penalty area.
During his one regular-season game, Otero did not commit a foul or draw one, and he was not booked.
Otero did not dress during the Concacaf Champions Cup games and was on the bench, but did not play, during the Leagues Cup and MLS playoff matches.
Best Game
There’s no contest since Otero played in only one match in 2024 with the senior Lions. It has to be the 4-2 road loss at NYCFC on June 28. When the game kicked off, I am sure Otero did not expect to play, and had the assistant referee raised his flag on an obvious offside call, he probably would not have played, because Stajduhar would not have suffered his awful injury. As it was, Stajduhar had to be stretchered off, and Otero entered the game in the 29th minute and was immediately under duress, as within the first few minutes he faced a corner kick and a free kick against an NYCFC team that was clearly the more aggressive side, completely comfortable with how to play on its tiny baseball field. Nothing came of the early action though, and Otero was engaged and communicative, talking to the defense and organizing the back.
Unfortunately, that was probably the high part of his match, because in first-half stoppage time, NYCFC scored two goals, one on a deflected shot off of Robin Jansson that Otero looked to be in position to save pre-deflection and one on a tap-in from a brilliant cross that gave Otero no chance to make a play. In the second half, the Lions played much better, cutting the lead to 3-2 and limiting NYCFC’s offensive attacks, but a giveaway and a poor tackle attempt late in the game allowed another shot on goal, and it was bent perfectly around Otero’s outstretched fingers for his third goal against.
The Homegrown goalkeeper may not have made any saves and gave up three goals in only 61 minutes on the field, but I thought he was well-positioned throughout the game and probably would have saved his first goal against if not for the deflection, and only an inch-perfect shot on the third goal was able to sneak by him. It was a trial by fire coming off the bench into MLS action on a field that plays differently than every other pitch in the league due to its shape, but I thought Otero played well and was not at fault for any of his goals against.
2024 Final Grade
With only 61 minutes on the field across all competitions in 2024, Otero did not play enough minutes to get a grade for the 2024 season, receiving an incomplete from The Mane Land staff.
2025 Outlook
Orlando City announced Dec. 5 that the club has exercised Otero’s 2025 option as part of the team’s end-of-season roster decisions. With all three of Gallese, Stajduhar, and Otero under contract for 2025 I expect that, barring an unexpected transfer of Gallese or Stajduhar, Otero will return to splitting his time between OCB and Orlando City, playing games with OCB while practicing with both teams and being on the game day roster when Gallese is called up for national team duty or injuries arise. The big question that remains to be answered is how soon Stajduhar can return, and if he can get back to playing at the level he had achieved before he was injured.
If Stajduhar can return to full health, then it makes sense for Otero to get as many minutes on the field as he can to help with his development, and those minutes would likely be with OCB. The Venezuelan just turned 22, and with the 2024 season basically being a wash for him, he will want to get back out on the field in a starting role, but with the OCB option there, it is not likely he will push to go to another club before the 2025 season. This may be why Orlando City did not retain Carlos Mercado, who backstopped the Young Lions after Otero was needed with the first team.
I believe that Orlando City is grooming Otero to eventually compete for the starting role, so the technical staff will want to see him on the field in 2025 with OCB.
Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)
Lion Links
Lion Links: 12/9/24
Former Lion Nani announces retirement, OCSC U-19 team winning at MLS NEXT Fest, FIFA Club World Cup schedule revealed, and more.
Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I had a busy week at Under Armour and watched a Chicago Blackhawks game with friends. Besides that, I’ll be working the Christmas Winterland Event at Wrigley Field later this week. We have plenty to cover today so let’s get to the links.
Nani Announces His Retirement
Former Orlando City captain Nani announced his retirement from professional soccer on Sunday after a stellar career. The 38-year-old left a heartfelt message on social media to announce the news.
The Portuguese star spent three seasons with Orlando City after joining the club from Sporting Lisbon in 2019, scoring 31 goals across all competitions. Nani recently played for his hometown club, Estrela da Amadora, in Portugal. He also spent time with Manchester United, Valencia, Fenerbahce, and many other clubs over the span of his career. At the international level, Nani made 112 appearances for Portugal, scoring 24 goals and helping the team win Euro 2016 in France. We here at The Mane Land wish him all the best in his retirement.
OCSC U-19 Team Beats LAFC and FC Cincinnati
MLS NEXT Fest kicked off this weekend and Orlando City’s U-19 team has been on fire. Orlando beat LAFC 7-4 in its first game of the event, with Jack Basinet and Gustavo Caraballo each scoring two goals.
The team followed that up with a 4-0 win against FC Cincinnati on Saturday. The U-19 academy team will be back in action later today to face the LA Galaxy.
Orlando Matches Set for FIFA Club World Cup
The full schedule for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup was unveiled and we’ve learned which games will be held in Orlando’s two venues for the tournament.
Inter&Co Stadium will host two matches, with Ulsan HD of South Korea playing against South African club Mamelodi Sundowns on June 17 before Benfica takes on Auckland City on June 20. Camping World Stadium will host four matches. The first will be June 24 between Club Leon and Flamengo, and Juventus will play Manchester City on June 26. Camping World Stadium’s third match will be a round-of-16 matchup on June 30, while the fourth match will be a quarterfinal on July 4. MetLife Stadium will host nine matches, including the semifinals and final.
LA Galaxy Defeat the Red Bulls to Win MLS Cup
The LA Galaxy beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 to win the MLS Cup at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday. It’s the sixth time that the Galaxy have won the MLS Cup. Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic put the Galaxy ahead 2-0 before the Red Bulls pulled one back in the first half with a goal by Sean Nealis. Despite missing their star player, Riqui Puig, the Galaxy held onto their lead in the second half to secure the win. The Galaxy snapped their title drought that had lasted since 2014, and Head Coach Greg Vanney became the fourth coach to win an MLS title with two MLS clubs. Gaston Brugman won the MVP honors for the match for his role orchestrating things in the midfield.
Free Kicks
- The Guardian named its 100 best female footballers in the world for 2024. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda was seventh, while Marta was 27th on the list. FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati took the top spot.
- Christian Pulisic left the pitch in the first half of AC Milan’s 2-1 defeat to Atalanta on Friday due to a calf injury. However, AC Milan manager Paulo Fonseca stated after the match that the injury doesn’t look too serious.
- The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly in talks to acquire Monterrey forward Brandon Vazquez.
- Here are the 10 MLS clubs that have qualified for the 2025 Champions Cup.
- Botafogo defeated Sao Paulo 2-1 on Sunday to win its first Brazilian league title since 1995. It secured 78 points and finished six points ahead of runner-up Palmeiras.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.
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