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Orlando City at Philadelphia Union: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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8 years ago

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Well, look at that. We won! While we may not have eliminated Philly from the playoffs, we did make their lives harder, and when you’re already out that’s about as much as you can ask for. Oh, and it was a shutout. Those are always nice. On to the grades!

Starters

G, Joe Bendik, 7 – Joe didn’t have much to do in the first half, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that he had five saves in the game, several of which came in the dying minutes as Philadelphia was pressing and trying to even up the score. He had a particularly good save in the 67th minute to preserve the shutout. Bendik has only given up one goal in the last three games, and has mostly been a bright spot all season. He certainly held up his end today.

D, Mikey Ambrose, 5 – Mikey didn’t make much noise during the game other than drawing the yellow on Fabian Herbers in the 44th minute. He was a mixed bag, as the back line didn’t give up a goal, but he was certainly beat more than a few times on his side.

D, Seb Hines, 5.5 – For the most part, Seb played a solid, if not great, game. He did give away a corner on a ball he should have cleared for a throw-in, but he also had an excellent save on one of Philadelphia’s breakaways, and another header back to Bendik when the Union were pressing. He was also active getting up the field and did get his head on the ball on a Philadelphia corner kick that led to Carlos Rivas’ goal.

D, Jose Aja, 5.5 – Orlando’s newest defender had a pretty good game, despite drawing a yellow card for a foul on CJ Sapong in the 57th minute. He had two shots, one a header that went over the goal. He did a good job anchoring the center of the back line with Seb, and at the end of the day, he helped keep Philly scoreless.

D, Rafael Ramos, 4.5 – Rafa seemed to get beat, especially early in the game. The whole field was bunched up early, which might explain some of it, but even as the game opened up, he kept getting beat along the right side. However, even with two fouls committed, he did no harm, even if he wasn’t great. He also had one nice shot from long distance, but it didn’t find the back of the net.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 5.5 – Cristian did a good job pressing early, and Philly wasn’t able to completely own the midfield. He did even out on fouls by committing two and drawing two. One of those fouls was a dangerous play, but it did not result in a yellow.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 6 – Antonio was solid, being where he needed to be and moving the ball forward. That being said, he didn’t amaze or stand out either. He did take a corner kick, but unfortunately it amounted to nothing.

MF, Kaká, 5.5 – Kaká is still Kaká, but not as much Kaká as he used to be. It might be harsh to grade him based on what he still shows flashes of, but he is the captain, and so I hold him to a higher level. While he did create some chances, he also gave away some balls you wouldn’t expect. Late in the game it was apparent that it’s late in the season, and he knows he can’t beat some of these younger guys to the ball. That’s fine since he is then able to make an adjustment and sometimes get the ball back. The three free kicks he took weren’t his best, and didn’t result in any chances. However, he did almost force an own-goal on Philly, but the post decided to be a homer.

MF, Matias Perez Garcia, 6 – MPG would have had a grade of 8 if he could have scored on any of the three chances he had. Two of the three should have certainly been in the back of the net. Chalk it up to someone jinxing him, or good play by Philly keeper, Andre Blake, but he couldn’t make it happen today. He did draw a foul on Richie Marquez that resulted in a yellow. I just feel that he was doing the right things, but just couldn’t finish it out.

F, Carlos Rivas, 7.5 (MOTM) – Head Coach Jason Kreis went with a 4-4-2 with Rivas and Larin up top. Carlos had five shots on the day. He drew four fouls, while only committing one, and took a shot on a free kick that went way long. Most importantly, he got loose on a breakaway, and despite putting the ball a bit too far out front, was able to deflect his shot over Blake and it dribbled into the goal. That was despite a determined effort by Keegan Rosenberry to try and save the goal. Those of us watching assumed it was an own-goal, but credit was given to Rivas for the score, and that is what sealed the Man of the Match for him this week.

F, Cyle Larin, 5 – Cyle is sitting three goals behind his rookie season total of 17, with only one more game to play. Before the game started, I expected him to come out strong and get at least one goal. It was not to be. To be fair, the Philadelphia defense marked him early and often, which opened up opportunities for Rivas. However, there were times when he seemed to give up on the ball. Don’t get me wrong, he has 14 goals on the season, with a chance to add to that total. There are plenty of forwards that would love to have his stats, but I was hoping for more from the young Canadian today.

Substitutes

F, Julio Baptista (72’), 7 – The Beast came on and immediately started pressing and pushing the ball forward. He was rewarded for his efforts when he timed a counter attack perfectly and scored to put Orlando City ahead for good. This is exactly how Baptista is supposed to be used for Orlando City, and today he delivered.

MF, Kevin Molino (81’), 5.5 – Molino was only in for about 15 minutes, and did do a pretty good job of trying to push the ball forward. He did commit one foul, though it didn’t affect the results.

MF, Servando Carrasco (87’), N/A – Servando didn’t have much to do other than try to lock down the midfield against a team fighting for a playoff spot. He wasn’t out there long enough to really warrant a grade, but he didn’t hurt the team either.

Well, there you have it. Orlando only has pride to play for, though the players might be playing for their jobs. There is still one more game for them to prove their worth before the end of the season. Vote for your player of the game below and let us know what you thought of the performances.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Carlos Rivas60
Julio Baptista6
Matias Perez Garcia9
Joe Bendik6
Other (comment below)4

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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

13 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

17 hours ago

on

January 22, 2025

By

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

2 days 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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