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Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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7 years ago

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After more than a year without a home loss, Orlando City has dropped two straight at Camping World Stadium after a crushing 2-1 loss to Toronto FC. The Lions probably deserved something from a game in which they missed a few early opportunities, fell behind on a play that perhaps should have been their free kick instead of Toronto’s throw, and then drew level early in the second half.

But that’s not how the 2016 script has gone so far and once again it was Jozy Altidore scoring on Orlando off a Sebastian Giovinco assist. This one came late enough for Toronto to hold the lead.

Let’s just get to the grades before I throw up in my mouth (again).

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 7.5 (MOTM) — Could Joe have done anything more to have kept either Toronto goal off the board? I don’t know. Being left one-on-one as a keeper in soccer is asking a lot. Conversely, he made plenty of saves he had no business making but made them anyway. He finished with five saves and all five were difficult. He was decisive in coming off his line to thwart several through balls and punched every cross he could get to. He kept Orlando in this game.

D, Luke Boden, 6 — Bodz got lots of help tonight defensively as Orlando shifted left to crowd the right side of Toronto’s attack – something Greg Vanney talked about after the game. His 82.5% passing was decent, his five interceptions quite good, and his cross on Cyle Larin’s goal was superb. He led the game with 115 touches, but a lot of that was short back-and-forth passing with Kaká in non-threatening spots. However, he overcooked a number of other crosses – one so badly that I swore it had to have been deflected – and his lack of pace continues to put Orlando in dangerous situations.

D, Seb Hines, 6.5 — Seb may have been the best player for Orlando the first half. He wasn’t quite as sharp the second half and it showed in the team-high four fouls conceded, as well as a booking. He took charge of the defense, finishing with two blocked shots, four interceptions, two tackles and two clearances, and passed at an 86.2% clip. Toronto looked more dangerous after Seb’s knee flared up and he was substituted off for David Mateos.

D, Tommy Redding, 5.5 — Three interceptions, three clearances and a tackle don’t tell the full story for Tommy, nor does his 90.2% passing accuracy, although they all helped. He seemed the easier defender to pick on all night, and got caught up field on the first goal. I will say that I took nothing off his grade for that because he cleared the ball out for a throw and then was taken out. A foul should have been given instead of a Toronto throw, in my opinion. Still, it wasn’t called and he not only got beat back, but tripped himself up in the process of trying to keep up with Tosaint Ricketts. Redding has a bright future but still must get better in the air (he won no aerials in the match) and in reading the play.

D, Kevin Alston, 6 — Kevin didn’t always accomplish what he set out to do, but he worked hard throughout the night, finishing with a blocked shot, three clearances and three interceptions. After completing all 11 of his first-half passes he finished with just a 78.9% overall accuracy, with too many careless attempts after halftime. He didn’t have a single cross attempt and was accurate on only three of eight long balls. You definitely can’t fault his work rate though, as exemplified on a play where he not only prevented a Toronto corner, but also earned a free kick through sheer hustle.

MF, Tony Rocha, 7 — Despite what seemed like a quiet night (which is usually a really good thing for a defensive midfielder), the youngster created a game-high four chances and a game-high 93.8% passing accuracy. That’s right. He created more chances than Giovinco, Kaká, or Michael Bradley. In fact Orlando as a team created eight chances and he had half of them. Seven of his eight long balls were accurate. Defensively he had three tackles and an interception against one of the best midfields in MLS.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 6.5 — It was another nice night for the Italian, who is stringing together some good performances now, although not quite as good as he was at Colorado. Nocerino completed 885% of his passes, tracked back well, made two tackles, an interception, and a clearance, and five of his six long balls were accurate. I thought he did well linking play between the back line and the attacking midfield and moving the ball from side to side before coming off in the second half.

MF, Kaká, 5 — I thought the captain was better at Colorado and I didn’t think he was very sharp that night. His pass completion of 77.5% is still low for him. He took four shots and three were on target but all of them were directly at the goalkeeper. He didn’t register a single chance created or accurate cross. His set pieces were short, he had trouble beating defenders and there were at least two occasions where I thought he switched off and was late getting to a ball he might otherwise have won.

MF, Matias Perez Garcia, 6 — MPG showed flashes but it wasn’t a complete game by any means. He won a game-high five fouls, passed at an 85.4% accuracy, and created one of Orlando’s eight chances. He pitched in defensively with two tackles, three interceptions and a clearance. However, he wasn’t always sharp around the box, overcooking an early ball for Larin and another for Kevin Molino.

MF, Kevin Molino, 4.5 — He nearly scored a goal on his return but The Original pushed it just wide of the far post. Aside from that, Molino wasn’t his usual threatening self, registering the fewest touches of any of Orlando’s starting midfielders. His passing accuracy was low (74.2%) and seemed to get caught in between two possible runs a few times. He was somewhat active defensively, with three interceptions and a tackle. He created one of Orlando’s eight chances. Still the Trinidadian led all players in bad touches (4) and didn’t look his usual, confident self.

F, Cyle Larin, 4.5 — Although he managed to get on the score sheet with his 13th goal of the season, it wasn’t the best night for Kid Fantastic. After the match, Jason Kreis chalked it up to a day in the life of a striker, saying on another night he might have put four in. The problem was, he didn’t. Larin tied Kaká for the most shots on the team (4) but only two were on frame and one of those was straight at Alex Bono. His second golden chance was launched well wide of the goal frame and he had another great opportunity he didn’t even get a shot off as it flicked off his heel. He could have been a hero with a powerful late drive in stoppage time but he hit the outside of the right post. He completed just 69.2% of his passes and touched the ball just 30 times in 93 minutes. Hey, that goal was awesome, though. You‘ve got to give him that.

Substitutes

MF, Servando Carrasco (69’), 5 — Serva came on to spell Nocerino as Kreis wanted fresh legs on as he shifted to a single defensive midfielder to move Rocha into the attack. He put in his usual hard night’s work and completed a good percentage of his passes (88.9%) but only touched the ball 12 times. He posted one tackle and one clearance. Still, he didn’t leave much of a mark on the game.

MF, Brek Shea (75’), 5 — Brek came on for a gassed and largely ineffective Molino. He worked hard, making two vital defensive clearances in his own box, and completed all six of his passes. Still, he accomplished little in his 11 touches.

D, David Mateos (82’), 4.5 — It certainly wasn’t planned to bring the Spaniard on for Seb Hines. Kreis said after the match that changing a center back either means someone played poorly or there was an injury. In this case, it was the latter. Mateos’ introduction, or rather Hines’ departure, tilted the field in Toronto’s favor a bit. He quickly picked up a yellow card shortly after being introduced, although I question that decision. David touched the ball only six times and completed just four passes. He didn’t register a defensive statistic.

That’s how I saw tonight’s performances. Let us know what you thought below and be sure to vote for your Orlando City Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Tony Rocha9
Seb Hines3
Joe Bendik113
Antonio Nocerino11
Luke Boden4
Other3

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Orlando City

2023 Orlando City Season in Review: Jack Lynn

The 2022 draft pick spent most of his time with Orlando City B during his second year in purple.

Published

11 hours ago

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December 8, 2023

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Jack Lynn joined Orlando City through the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, when he was selected in the first round by the Lions with the No. 18 overall pick. He was then signed to a one-year deal in February of last year with options for the next three years. Much of his time during his first season was spent with Orlando City B, although he did make a few appearances for the first team.

Let’s take a look back at Lynn’s second year in purple.

Statistical Breakdown

Lynn made three appearances in Major League Soccer with the senior side, all of which came as a substitute, and finished with 33 minutes on the field. Defensively, he recorded one interception and two clearances, while committing one foul. Offensively, he won four aerial duels, took one shot, which was on target, drew two fouls, and completed three long balls while passing with 76% accuracy. He did not score a goal or assist on one.

As in 2022, the majority of Lynn’s season was spent in MLS Next PRO with Orlando City B. He had a phenomenal year in the developmental league, and his campaign finished with him being named the league’s MVP and winning the Golden Boot. He played in 27 games for the young Lions, 20 of which were starts, and racked up 1,826 minutes. Defensively, he recorded three interceptions, committed 16 fouls, and was shown four yellow cards. On offense, he took 72 shots and put 40 of them on target, scored 19 goals, drew 15 fouls, and passed with 74% accuracy while completing 13 long balls and 12 key passes but no assists.

Best Game

There weren’t a lot to pick from, but I’ve gone with his longest appearance of the year, which was a 20-minute shift during Orlando City’s 4-3 comeback win over the Columbus Crew. He didn’t record many statistics on the night, as he won two aerial duels, committed a foul, and passed with 50% accuracy. However, he provided a big target up front as the Lions continued to lump the ball forward in search of goals, and he factored in on Facundo Torres’ goal, pulling players away so Ramiro Enrique could collect the ball and start the move that ended with the ball in the back of the net. Michael Citro graded him as a 5 out of 10 in our Player Grades piece, the only game this year in which he received a grade.

2023 Final Grade

As he fell well short of the 450 minute threshold that we require for a player to be given, Lynn has been given a grade of incomplete for the 2023 season. After spending the bulk of his time with Orlando City B in his first two seasons as a Lion, we still don’t have a great idea of what he might be able to contribute to the first team, and we simply need to see more of him to get a better read on his abilities.

2024 Outlook

Lynn remains fairly young and inexpensive, has option years left on his contract, and just tore up MLS Next PRO with Orlando City B. With there being some whispers about overseas teams scouting Duncan McGuire, and the Lions already a little thin at the striker position, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Lynn’s option year exercised. What sort of role he’ll have will then likely depend on what he’s able to show during preseason, but if nothing else he should remain a key part of OCB.

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Lion Links: 12/8/23

Orlando City will play Flamengo in preseason friendly, Kylie Strom signs new deal, USMNT’s Copa America group draw, and more.

Published

14 hours ago

on

December 8, 2023

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Happy Friday! The work week is almost over and I’m really looking forward to the weekend. I’ll be celebrating a friend’s birthday and knocking out most of the holiday shopping that I haven’t gotten around to just yet. Hopefully the malls aren’t too chaotic. Regardless, it should be a nice next few days. But for now, let’s get to the links!

Orlando Will Face Flamengo in 2024 FC Series

Orlando City’s first preseason game will take place on Jan. 27 when it takes on Flamengo at Camping World Stadium as part of the 2024 FC Series, which was previously known as the Florida Cup. Going up against one of Brazil’s powerhouses should be great preparation for the Lions after a record season in 2023 that earned them a spot in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup. It will be the second meeting between the two sides after a 2015 friendly in Brazil that Flamengo won 1-0. It will be nice to see the Lions in action at Camping World Stadium again and the kickoff time for next month’s match will be unveiled at a later time.

Kylie Strom Signs New Deal With Pride

Defender Kylie Strom, who was a free agent following the 2023 season, will return to the Orlando Pride after signing a three-year deal with the club. She joined the Pride in the summer of 2021 from Atletico Madrid and started in 26 games this past year, holding down the left back position. The Pride now retain their starting back line heading into 2024 and have full protection in Tuesday’s expansion draft. Although the defense struggled at times, it improved as the season wore on and the Pride nearly made the playoffs. Jordyn Listro is now the only free agent left from last year’s squad.

NWSL Announces Blueprint for 2024 Schedule

The framework for the 2024 NWSL season was revealed and the 182-match regular season has been formatted so that NWSL games don’t take place during international breaks. The biggest change is that the NWSL Challenge Cup is no longer a tournament and now just a match between the NWSL Shield winner and the NWSL champion, meaning San Diego Wave FC will play NJ/NY Gotham FC on March 15. However, there will be a weekend tournament organized by the league for all 14 teams during a break in the regular season while the Summer Olympics take place. The playoffs will feature eight teams and won’t include byes this year, with the quarterfinals starting on Nov. 9 and the NWSL Championship set for Nov. 23. Clubs can begin their preseason camps as early as Jan. 22 and no later than Jan. 29.

Copa America Teams Learn Their Groups

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia in its group in the 2024 Copa America. Uruguay was one of the strongest opponents the U.S. could get drawn against, as the South American team has scored 13 goals so far in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying. The important match between the USMNT and Uruguay will take place on July 1 in Kansas City. We’ll see how much Orlando City winger Facundo Torres plays for Uruguay in the tournament. As for Orlando’s Peruvian pair of Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena, Peru is in a tough group against Argentina, Chile, and whichever nation prevails between Canada and Trinidad & Tobago.

We also have a clearer idea on which teams will be playing in Orlando. Two games will take place at Exploria Stadium, with Chile playing either Canada or Trinidad & Tobago on June 29 before Bolivia and Panama face off on July 1.

Gisele Thompson Signs With Angel City FC

Angel City FC signed young defender Gisele Thompson to a three-year contract that had this year count as the first year, with an option for an additional year in 2026. She turned 18 earlier this month and turned down an offer to play at Stanford to instead sign with Angel City, meaning the club did not need to use a draft pick for her to join. Gisele is the sister of Alyssa Thompson, who Angel City traded up to select with the first pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. They are the youngest players on Angel City’s roster and will become the second pair of sisters to play in the league.

Free Kicks

  • The Colorado Rapids are reportedly in talks with American goalkeeper Zack Steffen to sign him from Manchester City.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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2023 Orlando City Season in Review: Favian Loyola

The Homegrown midfielder spent most of the year with OCB but made his MLS debut in July.

Published

1 day ago

on

December 7, 2023

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City signed midfielder Favian Loyola to a Homegrown Player deal through 2025 on Dec. 2, 2022, with club options for 2026 and 2027. The OCSC Academy product became the club’s 13th all-time Homegrown signing and it was no surprise after his fantastic 2022 season. The Camp Lejeune, NC, was coming off a breakout year in the club’s youth system, which culminated with his selection to the 2022 MLS NEXT All-Star Game, in which he was named MVP. After starting the 2022 season on an academy contract, Loyola earned an MLS NEXT Pro deal, signing it last August. When he signed his Homegrown deal in December he became the first player to climb the club’s developmental ladder from the academy, to the current OCB setup in MLS NEXT Pro, to the first team.

Let’s take a look back at Loyola’s 2023 campaign, which was abbreviated due to surgery on his arm to remove a blood clot on Aug. 27.

Statistical Breakdown

Loyola played in just one MLS match with the Lions, making his first-team debut July 1 in a 3-1 home win over the Chicago Fire. The 18-year-old came on as a substitute in the third minute of stoppage time for Facundo Torres and is officially credited with one minute played, although that match went to nine minutes of stoppage. In that short amount of time he managed six touches and attempted six passes, completing all of them — one of them being a key pass. Loyola did not attempt a shot or record any defensive stats, but he did commit one foul, but he was not booked for it.

The bulk of Loyola’s 2023 season was spent with Orlando City B in MLS NEXT Pro, where he was a key player off the bench for Martin Perelman’s side. He appeared in 20 of the team’s 28 matches, starting seven, and logging 732 minutes. He scored two goals and added three assists, putting 10 of his 21 shots on target during the year. Loyola completed 80.3% of his passes with OCB, served up seven key passes and six successful long balls, and completed three crosses. He recorded four tackles and three interceptions, committed 11 fouls while drawing 10, and was booked three times.

Best Game

With just the one MLS match to his credit, Loyola’s MLS debut against Chicago was his best game of the 2023 Major League Soccer Season. It was a memorable match, as he subbed on for Torres, who set the tone for the Lions with a brace that night, and it was also the game in which Mauricio Pereyra made his 100th appearance with Orlando City. Loyola made the most of his short amount of time on the pitch, despite committing a foul during his first minute of MLS play. He settled in and completed all six of his passes and created a scoring chance just seconds after his foul, when he sent a ball to Ramiro Enrique, although the Argentine had his shot attempt blocked from a tight angle.

2023 Final Grade

As Loyola came up short of the minimum total of 450 minutes played to receive a rating on our 1-10 scale, The Mane Land has no choice but to mark his grade as incomplete for the 2023 season. If his meteoric growth continues, Loyola will likely have much more than one appearance next season as his skills at passing and finding pockets of space translate well to the next level. He wasn’t able to return to the pitch after the surgery for his blood clot, but he should be ready to go for 2024.

2024 Outlook

With Loyola being just 18 years old and the club having him under contract, I would expect his role to be the same in 2024. He’ll be learning the ropes with OCB, playing most of the season with the club’s reserve side in MLS NEXT Pro, where he will continue to be a key player. However, if he continues to develop his game, he could push for more late substitute appearances with the first team or even get a start if the Lions draw a lower-league team in the U.S. Open Cup. One thing Loyola will need to work on is controlling the ball, as he turned the ball over 15 times with OCB in 2023.

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