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Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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8 years ago

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Well, that was a fun win and I’m sure we’d all like to see a lot more of that next season. Orlando City possessed the ball in the attacking half, created many good scoring chances and finished plenty of them in a 4-2 win over D.C. United on Decision Day. And it could have been even more lopsided than that, as Kevin Molino hit a post and missed a header just wide, and Carlos Rivas whiffed on a half volley try with an empty net to shoot at.

Still, it was an outstanding result and the Lions finish the season feeling good after beating two playoff teams in the final two matches of the season by a combined 6-2 score. Now begins the process of Jason Kreis molding this team into what he wants it to become.

But first, let’s give out our final match grades for 2016.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 5.5 – With only three shots on target and two goals allowed, this would usually not be a very good grade. However, Joe had zero chance on the first goal, which came off essentially a two-on-nobody after perhaps the worst back pass in Orlando City history (more on that later). Kennedy Igboananike’s goal was a freaking rocket and also didn’t allow Bendik much of a chance to stop it. Ultimately, United wasn’t a very dangerous team overall in this game and Joe didn’t have much of a chance to show his stuff, for either good or bad.

D, Mikey Ambrose, 6 – A solid day for Mikey, in my opinion, with one chance created and a lot of creativity shown in his combination play up the left side with Kaká and others. His 71.7% passing rate could have been better, and he had no accurate crosses on four attempts and only one accurate long ball out of five. He also forced Seb Hines to cover a lot of ground early in the game as he got caught upfield a couple of times. Still, there were way more positives than negatives and he has a lot of upside. Finished with a tackle, a clearance, and two interceptions.

D, Seb Hines, 4 – Folks will point a lot of fingers at Seb after this game, and rightfully so when you consider the world’s softest back pass that was nominally intended for Joe Bendik but essentially gave United its first real lifeline in the game. Hines started the game wobbly, but had to cover a lot of space (see above review for Ambrose). Defensively, which is the primary job he has, Hines did OK. He had two clearances, two interceptions, and one tackle. He gave away a free kick early with a clumsy foul, though. He and Jose Aja did a nice job of moving the ball and keeping Orlando from being penned into their own end.

D, Jose Aja, 7 – On a team-high (tied with Hines) passing attempts, Jose completed 83.6% and won nearly everything in the air. He led the team in touches (76), interceptions (3), and clearances (3) and tied Cristian Higuita for the most tackles (4). His towering headers turned balls into the Orlando box into throw-ins for the opposition. He had only one nervy giveaway in the second half, but he immediately won the ball back. Good day for Aja although it could have been better had Igboananike not gotten the better of him for the second D.C. goal. Kennedy has done that to a lot of defenders though.

D, Rafael Ramos, 6.5 – Over the past two games, Rafa hasn’t shown us much we haven’t seen before. He’s been effective moving forward but has had issues here or there on the defensive end. Ramos completed 97.5% of his passes and was a fluid part of the offense, assisting on Molino’s opening goal. His habit of sneaking in behind the United defense created problems for the opposition all game. He got beat badly by Julian Buescher on Igboananike’s goal but he was limping noticeably at the time and was subbed out just afterward for Kevin Alston, so injury probably played a role in that. His biggest issue is his crossing accuracy, as Rafa was 0-for-5 in that department. He finished with a tackle, two interceptions and a blocked shot.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 7 – Another very solid game for the Italian, who completed 90.7% of his passes, kept United moving laterally instead of straight down the middle of the pitch, and broke up play on D.C.’s few attacks. Five of his eight long balls were accurate, and he finished with three tackles and two interceptions. The main difference between Nocerino now and at the beginning of the season is that he understands the system and not only where he should be but also where his teammates belong. You can see him confidently directing the players around him.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 8 – What a game for Cristian. The young Colombian notched his first goal and assist of the season, completed 93.% of his passes, made a team-high four tackles, and was his usual pesky self all over the field on defense. Jason Kreis said he wanted Cristian to move up behind the attacking midfielders during play and that paid off big for Higuita in this game. Also…no yellow cards.

MF, Kaká, 8 – The maestro of the midfield had a vintage performance against United. His long ball to Ramos set up Molino’s goal and gave the captain a hockey assist. He had a regular assist later on Higuita’s goal and made Sean Franklin look like a traffic cone to score a goal of his own in the 21st minute – a gorgeous shot off the inside of the back post. He created four chances and completed 82.6% of his passes. His lone blemish may have been his unselfishness, as a couple of his passes were easily cut out when he could have instead shot on target.

MF, Matias Perez Garcia, 6.5 – MPG was robbed early on a shot that should have been a goal if Travis Worra hadn’t channeled his inner Bill Hamid. That was one of two shots for the Argentinian. He passed accurately (90.9%) and had his usual hustle but seemed to disappear at times. He had only one tackle but no unsteady touches. He didn’t draw as many fouls around the box as usual. Just a solid outing.

MF, Kevin Molino, 8.5 (MOTM) – The Trinidadian put on a show in an effort that showed definitively that he wants to be a part of this club in 2017. In addition to his 13th-minute goal, he hit the post in the 56th minute and had a few other chances just miss the target. His four shots and five chances led all players in the game and he had a passing accuracy of 81.8%. He was clicking with everyone around him all game long and was a bit unlucky not to at least score a brace. He also played solid defense, with a tackle and two interceptions. His hustle was noticeable.

F, Carlos Rivas, 6 – The Colombian striker did a lot of things well in this game but finishing wasn’t one of them. He missed a bouncing pass from a Molino pass in the 52nd. He then was sent in on a beautiful dummy by Molino in the 68th minute when just one simple touch would have had him in past Worra on an empty goal. But Rivas did a good job of wreaking havoc with his speed and spreading the ball around to help develop the attack rather than take on multiple defenders by himself. His passing accuracy of 68% doesn’t look like much until you compare it with what we’ve seen out of Cyle Larin when deployed as a lone striker the last few weeks. He continues to try his customary long shots with predictable results.

Substitutes

F, Cyle Larin (69’), 5 – The Canadian came on for MPG but didn’t have much impact on the game other than to worry the back line a bit. He registered only one shot (off target), took only 10 touches, and completed just two of his four passes. Did nearly score on a cross that was cut out at the last second in the 80th minute when Ambrose sent Kaká down the left and the captain squared a ball into the six-yard box.

F, Julio Baptista (75’), 7 – The Beast made an impression in his 15 minutes. He took a pass from Higuita and blasted a goal that took a slight deflection off Marcelo Sarvas in the 89th to cap the scoring. Tried an audacious bicycle kick off a corner in the 84th that would have made for a spectacular goal but he didn’t get all of it. A minute later he nearly snuck in a shot to the near post that caught side netting instead. He completed all three of his passes and his seven touches were nearly as many as Larin had in six fewer minutes played.

D, Kevin Alston (81’), N/A – Kevin entered for a limping Ramos and didn’t have much time to make an impact. He did register one tackle but completed neither of his two passes. With the Lions on the attack for most of his time on the pitch, there wasn’t much involvement for Alston.

That’s the way I saw Orlando City’s individual performances in a 4-2 season-ending win over D.C. United. Please vote for your player of the game below and let me know how wrong you think I was in the comments section below.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Kaká 64
Kevin Molino 21
Cristian Higuita 44
Antonio Nocerino 4
Jose Aja 4
Other 3
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2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Wilder Cartagena

The midfielder helped Orlando City own the center of the field throughout the majority of the 2024 season.

Published

12 hours ago

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December 22, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City initially acquired midfielder Wilder Cartagena on loan through the 2022 MLS season. After a successful end of the year, the club exercised the option to extend the loan through the 2023 season. He became a key player in the starting lineup for the Lions that season, resulting in the club signing him to a permanent deal through the 2025 season on Dec. 14, 2024. The Peruvian midfielder built a powerhouse partnership with fellow midfielder César Araújo, forming what may have been the best central midfield duo in all of MLS during the 2024 season.

Let’s take a look back at Cartagena’s season with Orlando City.

Statistical Breakdown

Cartagena participated in all four of the competitions Orlando City played in during 2024, playing primarily in his normal central defensive midfielder role but also filling in as center back for around seven games worth of minutes (631). Despite playing in a brand new position for approximately 20% of his total minutes, Cartagena ended up leading the team in plus-minus for the season, finishing +22 across all competitions, meaning the Lions were much better with him on the pitch than they were when he wasn’t.

In MLS regular-season play, the Peruvian international appeared in 27 matches, starting 25 and playing 2,192 minutes. He only recorded one goal contribution on the season, an assist, though he took 24 shots, putting eight on target. He completed 89% of his passes with 16 key passes, one successful cross, and 25 completed long balls. On the defensive side, he recorded 76 tackles, 20 interceptions, 42 clearances, and nine blocks. He committed a team-leading 48 fouls, suffered 28 fouls, and received seven yellow cards and one red card, which he picked up after the conclusion of the game against Minnesota United. Coincidentally, his red card suspension and his one-game ban for yellow card accumulation each resulted in him missing a regular-season game against Atlanta United — both were Orlando losses.

During the MLS playoffs, Cartagena started all five matches, playing 431 minutes with no goals or assists. He took two shots, placing one on target, and he completed 87.2% of his passes with a single key pass. Defensively, he recorded nine tackles, four interceptions, 11 clearances, and one block. He drew eight fouls and committed nine, and he was booked twice, with both being yellow cards.

Cartagena played in all four Concacaf Champions Cup matches, starting every game and playing 315 minutes. He did not take any shots, so he did not score any goals, and he didn’t contribute any assists either. He completed 86.6% of his passes, including four key passes. Defensively, he tallied eight tackles, five interceptions, four clearances, and one block, and he committed three fouls, while suffering five. He was booked twice, earning two yellow cards.

During Leagues Cup play, Cartagena started all three games, playing the full 270 minutes with zero goal contributions. He took three shots, placing one on target, and completed 92.1% of his passes, but with zero key passes. He added three tackles, three interceptions, four clearances, and one block on defense, and he committed three fouls and drew one. Unlike in the other three competitions, in Leagues Cup play he did not receive any cards.

Best Game

While Cartagena only had one goal contribution for the season, the positions he played do not lend themselves to being able to use the commonly cited stats like goals and assists to evaluate which game was the finest. That said, I think the one game in which Cartagena had an assist was his finest performance, but the assist was only the cherry on top of an outstanding game all over the field by the Peruvian midfielder, as his performance helped lead the Lions to a dominant 5-0 victory over D.C. United on March 9.

Cartagena completed 77 of his 81 passes (95.1%), and while any game with that many completed passes and that high of a completion percentage would be excellent, it was the types of passes that he completed that really set this game ahead of all of his other performances. He completed 22 of those 77 passes into the attacking third of the field, meaning they were attacking balls forward towards goal that went from the middle or defensive third into the attacking third. If 22 sounds like a lot, well, that’s because it is. There were only seven instances during MLS play in 2024 of a player completing 22 or more passes into the attacking third in a single game.

If that was not enough, Cartagena also went 11 of 12 (91.7%) on long passes (passes of at least 30 yards) on the night, one of only 24 instances during MLS play in 2024 of a midfielder completing at least 11 long passes and being successful on more than 90% of his long pass attempts.

On top of both of those stats, Cartagena also got on the score sheet for the only time all season, playing a beautiful cross from the right flank onto the head of a charging Robin Jannson, who smashed in his header and gave the Lions a 2-0 lead.

Cartagena went the full 90 in this match, contributing not only offensively but also defensively, with three tackles, four recoveries, and one clearance, and his dominance in the center of the field helped the Lions keep a clean sheet.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land awarded Cartagena a composite rating of 7.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season, the same as the 7.5 we gave him last season. I mentioned earlier that the team was +22 while Cartagena was on the field, and that +22 equaled a +0.62 goals per 90-minute average over his total minutes played, meaning that when Cartagena played, the Lions were nearly two-thirds of a goal better than their opponents. On the flip side, when Cartagena was off the field, the Lions were -5 for the season, which equaled a -0.48 goals per 90-minute average. The net of those two per 90-minute averages is +1.10, meaning that Orlando City was more than one goal better than its opponents when Cartagena was on the field as compared to when he was off, showing just how valuable he was to the team during the 2024 season.

2025 Outlook

I expect 2025 to look very similar to 2024 for Cartagena, as both he and his midfield partner Araujo are set to return and are completely comfortable in Head Coach Óscar Pareja’s system. The Lions also parted ways with Felipe, Jeorgio Kocevski, and Heine Gikling Bruseth, meaning that Nico Lodeiro is the only player on the roster with significant experience in the role where Cartagena usually plays, and Lodeiro is more of a supersub than a starter at this point in his career and a much more offensive minded No. 8 option than a defensive, double-pivot type. Kyle Smith and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson both have the skillset to potentially get some minutes there, and Orlando City used its first-round draft pick in the MLS SuperDraft to select midfielder Joran Gerbet from Clemson, but it should be Cartagena’s job to lose during the 2025 season, and I expect to see him on the field for the vast majority of Orlando City’s minutes.

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Top 10 Moments of 2024: Orlando City Surges to Top Four Spot in Eastern Conference

Languishing near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the Lions made a massive push from June 19 onward to finish fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Published

14 hours ago

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December 22, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

As we count down to the new year of 2025 — which will be Orlando City’s 11th in MLS, the Orlando Pride’s ninth in the NWSL, and OCB’s third in MLS NEXT Pro — and say goodbye to 2024, it’s time to look back at the club’s 10 best moments of the year as selected by The Mane Land staff via vote.

The Lions were floundering. A team that finished strong in 2023 and ended up second in the Supporters’ Shield race had bolstered the attack in the off-season by signing a Designated Player forward out of Italy’s Serie A and figured to pick up where it left off. It didn’t.

Orlando City struggled out of the gate to connect in the final third, to find a cohesive starting XI that worked well together, and to find the form with which it ended the 2023 campaign. Although the Lions swept Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC in the first round of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup at the onset of the season, they once again played a scoreless draw on opening day of league play, got blown out at Inter Miami, gave up a 95th-minute goal to lose at home to Minnesota, and then got knocked out of Champions Cup by Tigres before falling at Atlanta.

The team’s 0-3-1 start to the regular season was followed by two wins and two draws, pulling Orlando to 2-3-3, but that surge proved to be fool’s gold. That run preceded a late-game collapse at home against Toronto that turned a 1-0 87th-minute lead into a 2-1 loss. That loss, to a Toronto team that finished 11-19-4, turned into a home losing streak after FC Cincinnati departed Inter&Co Stadium with a 1-0 win on May 4.

A 2-0-1 surge followed, but it could only bring the Lions to 4-5-4 on the season. But again, Orlando City fans had to take the bad with the good, as the club went 0-3-1 in its next four. Two late goals by LAFC and a missed Facundo Torres penalty — the first such miss in his entire soccer careeer — produced a 3-1 home loss that left the club at just 4-8-5 at the season’s midway point. Some fans were calling for Oscar Pareja’s job; no one was happy with new Designated Player Luis Muriel’s play; and the players seemed frustrated, disjointed, and at odds with each other on the pitch.

Things looked bleak for extending the club’s four-year postseason streak to five. It seemed as if there was no way to break out of the funk the Lions were in.

But then it happened.

The team’s fortunes didn’t turn around all at once, and the turning point sure didn’t seem like one at the time. Orlando City went to Charlotte on June 19, found itself up a man, and still had to scrape by with just a 2-2 draw. Down a man, Brandt Bronico put Charlotte FC up 2-1 with 13 minutes remaining, and things looked worse than ever for the Lions, who were on the verge of falling to 4-9-5 and threatening to contend for the wooden spoon. But Torres struck in the 81st minute to bring City level on a corner kick. Was this the goal that ultimately saved Orlando City’s 2024 season?

Once tied, Orlando pushed furiously for a winner but to no avail. The single point the Lions brought home from North Carolina didn’t feel good at the time, but it was a start — the first pebble in what ultimately turned into an avalanche. A win and a loss in the next two matches didn’t seem particularly noteworthy either, but the team was starting to put things together.

After beating Chicago 4-2 on June 22 at home, the Lions nearly mounted a comeback after a disastrous first half in a 4-2 loss at New York City FC on June 28 — a game in which Orlando lost backup goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar for the rest of the season. The Lions then won four straight matches and went 4-0-1 in their final five games prior to the Leagues Cup break, entering the MLS pause at .500 with a 9-9-7 record. It had taken the team half the season to recover from the poor start, but the Lions were back in the fight.

A win and two draws in Leagues Cup, despite some international absences, kept the Lions’ momentum going. Although a flat performance in a loss at Sporting Kansas City in the MLS restart weekend didn’t help matters, it was followed by three more consecutive wins — all via shutout, with Orlando outscoring its opponents 8-0 — and six victories in seven matches. The lone loss in that seven-game stretch was a 4-3 defeat at Columbus in which a valiant comeback effort fell just short.

After that 6-1-0 run, Orlando entered Decision Day with a 15-11-7 record and a top-four spot that wasn’t spoiled by a loss in the regular-season finale to Atlanta.

The Lions’ 11-4-2 finish over the final 17 matches of the 2024 season not only pushed the team into the postseason, it also put Orlando City in position to take advantage when Miami, Columbus, and Cincinnati all faltered in the first round of the playoffs.

Because the Lions were the highest remaining seed in the postseason, once Orlando City won its best-of-three, first-round series against Charlotte, it had home field priority for the remainder of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Lions hosted Atlanta in the Eastern Conference semifinal and knocked their rivals out of the postseason in a tight defensive battle in which the Five Stripes hardly troubled goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. Orlando advanced to the Eastern Conference final for the first time, hosting the New York Red Bulls.

Although Orlando faltered in that conference final, which is not the result we (or the Lions) wanted, City put itself in the best possible position to reach the MLS Cup final by finding the right blend of chemistry, form, and grit in the season’s second half.

The Lions came closer to MLS Cup in 2024 than ever before, thanks to the team’s second-half surge. As such, that surge is a worthy inclusion in the list of the club’s top moments of the year, and a great way to kick off our annual series of the club’s most memorable accomplishments and events.

Come back through New Year’s Eve as we count down the remainder of Orlando City’s top 10 moments of 2024.

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Opinion

Three Orlando City Games to Watch in 2025

Here are three intriguing matches in the 2025 Orlando City season.

Published

2 days ago

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December 21, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Major League Soccer provided a last-minute stocking stuffer for North American soccer fans when it dropped the 2025 season schedule six days before Christmas. It feels like the Orlando City season just wrapped (as is often the case when a team makes a deep run in the playoffs), and yet now we can spend the next few “winter” weeks meticulously breaking down the matchups as training camp is just around the corner. My fellow staff writers at The Mane Land can attest that I have a horrible case of scoreboard-watching from Matchweek 1 of the regular season on, and that obsession starts now with my top three games to watch in 2025.

Friday, July 25 — at Columbus Crew

As the final match of three games in 10 days and the last match of July, the first meeting against perennial the Eastern Conference powerhouse Columbus Crew should serve as a great measuring stick for fans and pundits to assess where the Orlando City season stands heading into the final third of the season. Traditionally speaking, over the last few years, late July into early August is the time frame when Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s teams have caught fire.

If that historical trend holds, then I expect Orlando City to hit Columbus in strong form, once again looking to secure a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference. While it is hard to predict what rosters will look like by then, as there have been reports and rumors of both stars and Head Coach Wilfried Nancy’s possible departure circulating. However, it is difficult to imagine Columbus slipping much, as the club has established a winning culture and has a knack for finding and signing outstanding players like Lucas Zelarayan and Cucho Hernandez. A matchup between the Crew and Lions at that point of the season could serve as a marquee event for MLS in 2025.

Saturday, Feb. 22 — vs. Philadelphia Union

There are two things I know to be true when it comes to Orlando City soccer. First, Orlando City has kicked off every MLS regular season in front of its home fans — a unique trend that I was excited to see continue in 2025. The second thing that I know is that Orlando City is unbeaten in season openers (3-0-7). In 2025, Orlando City welcomes the Philadelphia Union to Inter&Co Stadium and the unbeaten record will be on the line once again. The Union will be the seventh different opening day opponent for the Lions in 11 seasons.

What makes this matchup particularly interesting is that this will be the first time in Orlando City history that they will face the Union without now-former head coach Jim Curtin. One of the longest-tenured head coaches in MLS at the time, Curtin parted ways with the Union at the end of the 2024 season. Often I find myself in the “managers don’t make a large difference” camp when it comes to the outcome of matches, but to look back at what Curtin did with Philadelphia, its academy, and modest roster spending can only be viewed as wildly successful. Orlando will try to start its season off on the right foot, while a new Union manager will be looking to start his tenure in Philly with a road victory. Something will have to give, and I am going to put my money on Orlando winning the day.

Saturday, April 12 — vs. New York Red Bulls

While the first opportunity to exact revenge over the club that eliminated the Lions from the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs will happen roughly a month earlier on the road, the true opportunity to stick it to the Red Bulls in front of a home crowd has to be my most anticipated match of 2025. A lot has been said about rivalries in MLS. Some seem manufactured, and some come down to genuine hatred, but I firmly believe that for the time being our squad’s biggest rival is the one that ended Orlando City’s season one game short of the championship match.

It seems a little strange to me that the Lions will wrap up their season series with the Red Bulls just eight games into the year (so much for spacing out some matchups), but Orlando City will look to pounce on the Red Bulls early on and would likely love nothing more than to take all six points from the team that ended its MLS Cup hopes before the calendar even hits Memorial Day.

Those are the top three matches I have circled on my calendar. Let us know in the comments below which matches you’re most excited about and which matches you think will carry the most significance in 2025. As always, vamos Orlando!

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