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PRO Referees and Orlando City: Which Referees Were Kindest to the Lions in 2016?

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10 years ago

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Since joining MLS in 2015, Orlando City and the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) have had a strained relationship. 2016 was much better in certain respects, but there were still some calls from different referees that left fans scratching their heads.

Last year, I decided to figure out who did what by compiling all the ref performances that were head officials during the season. I dove into the games that they reffed, how many cards they gave out, and how they could have affected the Lions' games. This time around, I did the same thing, but I also combined the referees that have spanned both years in MLS and provided their combined stats over that time. The object here isn't to dump on the referees, so much as to draw some statistical data from their performances to see what, if anything, we can take away from the matches they've officiated so far.

Let's begin the fun, shall we?

Referees That Officiated Orlando City Games in 2016 and 2015

Alan Kelly (two games in 2016): Reffed the 4-1 drubbing of the Portland Timbers and the scoreless draw at Toronto FC. Gave out four yellow cards against Orlando. Kelly was named MLS Referee of the Year for the second consecutive year.

Through two seasons, Kelly has reffed five of City's games, from which Orlando has a 2-2-1 record. He has also given 10 yellow cards and one red card.

Chris Penso (two games): Reffed the crazy 2-2 home opener against Real Salt Lake and the 2-1 loss in the August match-up against Toronto FC. Gave out four yellow cards and a red card against Darwin Cerén in the opener.

Through two seasons, Penso has reffed five games, from which Orlando has a 1-3-1 record. He has also given a crazy 17 yellow cards and one straight red card.

Jorge Gonzalez (one game): Only reffed the wild 2-2 draw in the Bronx against New York City FC where Kevin Molino scored the equalizing goal in the 94th minute. Dished out five yellow cards in that game alone and awarded NYCFC a penalty, which David Villa missed in hilarious fashion.

Through two seasons, Gonzalez has reffed four games, from which Orlando has a 1-2-1 record. He has given nine yellow cards to Orlando players, while giving 13 to the opposition.

Ted Unkel (two games): Reffed the lame 1-1 draw against Chicago Fire in the second game of the season and the 1-1 draw against New York Red Bulls at home in May. Dished out seven yellow cards to Orlando players, including one straight red to Cristian Higuita against New York. He also gave out seven yellow cards to the opposing teams, including a straight red to Chicago’s Michael Harrington.

Through two seasons, Unkel has reffed four games, from which Orlando has a 0-0-4 record. He has given 14 yellow cards to Orlando players, while giving 15 to their opponents, as well as one red card.

Ricardo Salazar (one game): Only reffed the 2-0 win in Philadelphia in the penultimate game of the season. Only showed one yellow card to José Aja, while giving three yellow cards to the Union.

Through two seasons, Salazar has reffed three games, from which Orlando has a 2-1-0 record. He has given only three yellow cards to Orlando players as well as a straight red for Rafael Ramos in Columbus, while giving six yellow cards to their opponents.

Jair Marrufo (one game): Just reffed the 2-1 loss to the Union in April, in which Tranquillo Barnetta scored the game-winning free kick while his teammates were offside. No yellow cards issued to Orlando players in that game, while only giving one to the Union.

Through two seasons, Marrufo has reffed three games, from which Orlando has a 2-1-0 record. He has given only three yellow cards to Orlando players, one of them being against Kaká for putting on Molino’s jersey. Also sent off Dom Dwyer in the SKC match in 2015, which was later overturned. Marrufo finished second in MLS Referee of the Year voting this season, and was third last year.

Allen Chapman (two games): Reffed the 1-0 win against NYCFC in New York in March and the 3-1 loss to the Seattle Sounders in August. Gave out five yellow cards to Orlando players and gave out five to the opponents.

Through two seasons, Chapman has reffed five games, from which Orlando has a 2-1-2 record. He has given only nine yellow cards to Orlando players, as well as a straight red for Brek Shea in San Jose last year. He gave out six yellow cards to opponents, hardly ever going two per game.

Silviu Petrescu (three games): Reffed the 4-0 loss in Texas against FC Dallas, which was Adrian Heath’s last game. He also reffed the 3-1 win over New England in Jason Kreis’ first game and the 4-1 win in Montreal over the Impact. Only gave out six yellow cards to Orlando players, while giving out six yellow cards to the opponents, with a straight red to Evan Bush of Montreal for a denial of a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

Through two seasons, Petrescu has reffed six games, from which Orlando has a 3-2-1 record. He has given 11 yellow cards to Orlando players while giving out 14 yellow card to opponents, including two straight red cards to Bush and Michael Parkhurst of Columbus last year.

Juan Guzman (one game): Reffed the final game of the year, the 4-2 win over D.C. United. Did not hand out one disciplinary card in the match.

Through two seasons, Guzman has reffed three games, from which Orlando has a 2-1-0 record. He has given seven yellow cards to Orlando players, including a second yellow send-off to Luke Boden at the end of last year’s FC Dallas game.

Sorin Stoica (four games): Reffed the 2-2 draw against the Union in May, the 2-0 loss at Red Bull Arena in July, the scoreless draw in Colorado, and the 4-1 loss at D.C United in September. Gave out a whopping 12 yellow cards to Orlando players, with straight reds to David Mateos against the Union and Antonio Nocerino against D.C. Also gave out seven yellow cards to the opponents.

Through two seasons, Stoica has reffed five games, from which Orlando has a 0-2-3 record. He has given 14 yellow cards to Orlando players, and three red cards (Mateos, Nocerino and Kaká, his only career straight red card). Only gave eight yellow cards to opponents.

Baldomero Toledo (one game): Reffed the 2-2 draw against New England and called the very controversial total crap handball on Servando Carrasco in the 96th minute, which led to the game-tying penalty kick. Only gave one yellow card to each team in that game.

Through two seasons, Toledo has reffed only two games, from which Orlando has a 0-0-2 record. He has given three yellow cards to Orlando players, and three yellow cards to opponents. Toledo finished third in MLS Referee of the Year voting and second last year.

Mark Geiger (two games): Reffed the 2-1 win over Montreal in May and the 2-2 draw in Chicago in August. Gave out seven yellow cards to Orlando players and only two to opponents.

Through two seasons, Geiger has reffed three games, from which Orlando has a 1-1-1 record. He has given 10 yellow cards to Orlando players, and three yellow cards to opponents.

Fotis Bazakos (one game): Reffed the scoreless draw against Houston in the first game after Adrian Heath was fired. Bazakos showed no cards to either team.

Through two seasons, Bazakos has reffed only two games, from which Orlando has a 0-1-1 record. He has given only one yellow card to Orlando players, but red carded Larin (with the help of fourth official Ted Unkel) in the game against the Red Bulls last year, but that was eventually rescinded — not that it helped City retroactively against New York.

Officiated Orlando City Games for the First Time in 2016

Hilario Grajeda (two games): Reffed the 3-2 loss at Red Bull Arena in April and the 2-2 draw in Vancouver. Gave out four yellow cards to Orlando players and only one each to the Red Bulls and Whitecaps.

Robert Sibiga (three games): Reffed the 2-2 comeback draw at New England in April, the 2-2 emotional draw against San Jose after the Pulse shooting, and the 2-1 win over NYCFC at the end of August. Gave out seven yellow cards to Orlando players and six to the opposition.

Ismail Elfath (three games): Reffed the 2-1 loss at Sporting Kansas City, the dramatic 3-2 win over Toronto FC with Kaká’s 100th-minute penalty, and the 4-2 loss out in LA against the Galaxy. Gave out three yellows to Orlando players and six yellows to opponents, with a straight red to Toronto’s Josh Williams.

Drew Fischer (two games): Reffed both Columbus home and away games, finishing with a 4-1 defeat and 2-2 draw, respectively. Handed out six yellow cards to Orlando players and only one for Columbus' Gaston Sauro.

Armando Villarreal (one game): Reffed the 1-0 loss at home against Montreal that officially eliminated the Lions from playoff contention. Only gave out one card to each team.

Did Not Officiate an Orlando City Game in 2016

Kevin Stott (two games last year): Reffed the 2-0 win at the Portland Timbers and the 0-4 loss at the Seattle Sounders. A tale of two games for Stott. The Portland match was favored for Orlando City, but the Seattle game was very much against the Lions. A total of six yellow cards were given to Orlando, including a second yellow send-off to Tyler Turner in the Sounders game.

José Carlos Rivero (three games last year): Reffed two out of three games against Toronto FC (0-2 loss at home and 0-5 loss in Toronto) as well as the 1-0 victory at home against D.C. United. Gave out nine yellow cards, with two red cards (a straight red to Ramos and a second yellow send-off to Adrian Winter, both in Toronto).

Edvin Jurisevic (two games last year): Reffed two games against the Montreal Impact. The 0-2 loss in Montreal and the 2-1 win in Orlando. Gave five yellow cards in those two games, two of them resulting in yellow card accumulation suspensions for Kaká and Brek Shea. Also missed the controversial goal scored by Dominic Oduro in the game in Orlando but that’s more on the assistant ref than the head ref, although his positioning could have been better.

* * *

The three finalists for MLS Referee of the Year officiated four OCSC games combined, with Kelly doing the most (two).

So, now comes the fun part, which I will leave up to you, the reader. Just like last year, which of the aforementioned referees were the best or worst for Orlando City? Let me know in the comments and, before you mention it, you cannot say that all of them were terrible. That wouldn't be any fun.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Club Leon, Leagues Cup: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Blow Halftime Lead in Loss

Marco Pasalic gave the Lions a halftime lead, but the defense got leaky in the second half.

Published

5 hours ago

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August 8, 2026

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Image of Harvey Sarajian getting elbowed in the neck by Juan Guevara of Club Leon
Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Marco Pasalic put Orlando City ahead in the first half, but two second-half mistakes and what appeared to be a clear foul in the penalty area late on Club Leon led to the Lions falling 2-1 at home tonight on the second matchday of Leagues Cup. Juan Guevara and Daniel Arcila pulled Leon back from a goal down in the second half, and an Orlando City (1-1) side that didn’t rotate much from Wednesday’s game looked a bit leggy in the second half against Leon (2-0).

“I think, of course, very very sad for the result for us, for our people, for everyone,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “We were trying to compete in the best way as possible and trying to win, and we couldn’t. Congrats to them; they did a really good job. We were there, trying to to compete. At the end, we were short.”

Perelman’s lineup featured Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, Iago, and Zakaria Taifi. Luis Otavio and Wilder Cartagena started in central midfielders with Ivan Angulo and Tyrese Spicer in the attack and Marco Pasalic and Antoine Griezmann up top.

The start of the game was bereft of action as the teams tried to figure one another out. The Lions nearly created something magical five minutes after kickoff when Pasalic sent in a great ball over the top for Griezmann, who brought it down, but it bounced a bit wide, and when he went to ground to try to shoot, the defender caught up and blocked the effort.

Neither team could do much with a corner kick opportunity over the next 15 minutes and much of the action was played between the boxes. Pasalic earned a free kick in a dangerous spot when he blew past Juan Guevara, who brought him down and picked up a yellow card. Griezmann took the free kick from just outside the area but his delivery hit the wall and came back to him. He got under his second effort and put it out of play.

The first real danger from Club Leon came on a ball over the top in the 28th minute. Crepeau came off his line but couldn’t get there before Arcila, who tried to chip the goalkeeper but he sent it wide left. Sebastian Santos got to it before it went over the end line and tried to shoot from a tight angle with Iago defending but he got under his shot and put it over the bar.

Just moments after the ensuing hydration break, Leon nearly scored on another ball over the top that was just out of Iago’s reach. Arcila got to it first and fired a shot that Crepeau saved. Fernando Beltran picked up the rebound and tried to chip the Canadian, but Crepeau was able to go up and catch the shot to keep the game scoreless.

Orlando tried a ball over the top for itself in the 36th minute. Spicer was first to it but as he swung his foot to shoot the bouncing ball, the defense arrived and bodied him, causing him to whiff on his effort. But the Lions scored anyway two minutes later.

Pasalic and Griezmann worked a nice give-and-go in the attacking half and the Frenchman sent Spicer down the left. Spicer fed Pasalic at the top of the area and the Croatian’s shot took a slight deflection and beat Oscar Garcia to make it 1-0.

“Happy to help in the first half with the goal,” Pasalic said.

After the goal, Leon showed more determination in keeping the ball and building up play. The guests couldn’t do much with a couple of corners over the next several minutes.

Leon created another chance in first-half stoppage time, when Iago was beaten and Jansson couldn’t quite get over in time to intervene. Arcila got there first and fired toward the near post but Crepeau knocked it out for a corner.

Griezmann headed away the ensuing set piece to end the first period.

The late spell of possession after Pasalic’s goal helped Leon lead in that category at the break (54.1%-45.9%). The Liga MX side also led in shots (8-6), shots on target (5-2), and corners (4-2). Orlando City passed slightly more accurately in the opening half (92.7%-91.8%)

Griffin Dorsey entered the game at halftime for Taifi, but it was Club Leon who brought the energy to the start of the second half. In the opening minutes, Crepeau was forced into two great saves. Rhein turned it over in his defensive third, and Arcila’s cheeky backheel of a cross in from the right forced the Canadian international to make a a diving stop. Leon sent the ball back in from the left to a wide-open Jordi Cortizo in front but sent it right at Crepeau for another save.

Orlando’s first chance of the second half came on a Griezmann corner kick. Dorsey headed it across the box and Iago made a flying attempt at a bicycle kick, but he missed the ball and committed a foul in the process.

Leon got back on the front foot after that, with Jansson doing well to block an Arcila shot at the top of the area in the 51st minute. Arcila then got to a cross and stabbed it wide a minute later, but the initial play was offside.

The visitors tied the game in the 54th minute off a long-range set piece near the left sideline. The cross appeared to go in off of Dorsey, who was trying to mark Juan Guevara. Crepeau got to it just after it crossed the line. Dorsey said something to Crepeau after the play, but Guevara was ultimately credited with the goal.

Orlando’s struggles throughout the game came in the attacking third, and it was magnified in the second half. One such play was a nice buildup in the 69th minute that ended up with Rhein on the left, but the youngster made a mess of his cross, sending it out of play. Two minutes later, substitute Justin Ellis headed a pass to Dorsey that he perhaps should have shot. Ellis got it to Dorsey, who didn’t make good contact and sent a weak shot for Garcia to collect.

It was a costly missed opportunity, as Leon scored the winning goal a minute later. Rhein got caught too far upfield after heading the ball forward, and Leon broke in transition down the right side in behind him. Ivan Moreno found Arcila at the top of the area and the striker found space in front of Iago and sent an inch-perfect shot inside the left post to make it 2-1 in the 72nd minute.

Perelman sent Daryl Dike into the game as Orlando chased the match, and the Lions should have gone to the spot in the 84th minute. Ellis sent a fantastic ball to send Harvey Sarajian into the area on the right. Guevara caught up from behind, threw an arm across the rookie forward’s face, and bundled him over from behind, but referee Jose Camacho Espinoza incredibly saw nothing wrong with what the Leon defender did. There did not even seem to be a stoppage for video review, although media were informed that the play was checked.

“Ellis played the ball through. I’m through. I felt contact to the back, and in my opinion, I thought it was a foul,” Sarajian said. “But the referee didn’t agree. So it is what it is. I felt the contact (to the head and neck area).”

“I saw it,” Perelman said of the play. “I think the same thing as (the media).”

Leon was content to put numbers behind the ball and use the dark arts as much as possible to slow things down. The Lions won a lot of set pieces but could not pay them off. Crepeau came up to join the last few, but in the end, the Lions couldn’t find a way through the mass of Leon defenders down the stretch.

With Leon ceding possession and staying compact late, Orlando City finished with more possession (51.7%-48.3%), while also having the advantage in corners (7-5) and passing accuracy (90%-88.2%). Leon attempted far more shots (18-10) and put more on target (10-3). It was the inability to threaten goal that ultimately prevented Orlando from building on its lead or clawing back into the match.

Pasalic spoke to the referee after the game. He had been taken out in the middle of the pitch in first-half stoppage time that not only didn’t earn Leon a yellow card, but it wasn’t even deemed a foul. He came out to try to play through it in the second half, but the earlier contact forced him off before the hour mark and appeared to be one of the more egregious fouls in the match, despite the no-call.

“Suddenly, I get the hit in my knee, so my knee was getting a lump,” Pasalic said. “And I spoke with them in the halftime. I tried it to go out in the second half, but I felt that my knee is not going to help the team. It’s nothing serious, but I just want to be sure that the team has 10 players on the pitch who can play fully. I mean, I don’t want to get fined. No, just I want to speak in a respectful way about (the referee). For me, it’s unacceptable that he don’t give even the foul when I get fouled, and because of this, I was not able to play again in the second half, fully. This was not even a yellow card.”

The Lions will close out the first phase of Leagues Cup Wednesday at home against Atletico de San Luis.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Club León, Leagues Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions look to keep pace with the other MLS sides that won in the first round when León visits Orlando tonight.

Published

16 hours ago

on

August 8, 2026

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Image of Antoine Griezmann taking a set piece against Monterrey in Leagues Cup action.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Saturday night Leagues Cup matchup between Orlando City (1-0) and Liga MX side Club León (1-0) at the building formerly known as Orlando City Stadium (6:30 p.m., Apple TV). Tonight’s meeting is the first between these two sides.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

As this is the first-ever clash between these two clubs, there is no history between them. Orlando City is 4-2-7 in competitive matches against Liga MX teams.

Match Overview

Orlando City is coming off Wednesday’s 2-1 win over CF Monterrey in its 2026 Leagues Cup opener. Antoine Griezmann and Tyrese Spicer (penalty) scored on either side of halftime, but Hugo Cuypers pulled one back deep in stoppage time, which could be a problem for the Lions in the tiebreakers if they can find success tonight and Wednesday.

León enters tonight off a 1-0 win against a heavily rotated Nashville SC side that played without Hany Mukhtar and didn’t have Sam Surridge in the match until after the hour mark. Daniel Arcila scored in the 79th minute as León snatched a late win in the competition. León is the competition’s No. 28-ranked team (Orlando is No. 19) and is 14th in the Liga MX table after three rounds, with a 1-2-0 record. Los Panzas Verdes have won two straight in all competitions, however, having beaten Nashville a few days ago on the heels of Saturday’s 1-0 home win over 10-man Pachuca. León lost its first two league matches of the season — 3-2 at home to Atlas and 1-0 at Club Tijuana.

Orlando must stay focused defensively for the entirety of the game, as with any Liga MX side, and the priorities should be taking care of the ball while being quick to transition back defensively if the attack turns it over. If the Lions can keep scoring goals at home as they have, that would help.

“We did the recovery process in this short window between one game and the other, and getting ready the team to be able to perform and win, because this is what we want every time we jump on the field, especially at home,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We enjoyed the victory (Wednesday) but it’s over and now we need to think on the next game and this is the mode we’re in now.”

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, Iago, Zakaria Taifi.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Luis Otavio, Wilder Cartagena, Tyrese Spicer.

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Marco Pasalic.

Bench: Javier Otero, Tristan Himes, Adrian Marin, Griffin Dorsey, David Brekalo, Joran Gerbet, Issah Haruna, Gustavo Caraballo, Tiago, Harvey Sarajian, Justin Ellis, Daryl Dike.

León (4-1-4-1)

Goalkeeper: Oscar Garcia.

Defenders: Sebastian Vegas, Juan Guevara, Jhohan Romana, Ivan Moreno .

Defensive Midfielder: Ivan Rodriguez.

Midfielders: Sebastian Santos, Rodrigo Echeverria, Fernando Beltran, Jordi Cortizo.

Forward: Daniel Arcila.

Bench: Irving Martinez, Julio Gonzalez, Bryan Colula, Juan Dominguez, Sebastian Fierro, Jose Alvarado, Paul Bellon, Salvador Reyes, Luis Valadez, Christopher Mora, Gael Camarena, Jesus Lara.

Referees:

REF: Jose Camacho Espinoza..
AR1: Jeriel Valverde Diaz.
AR2: David Moran Santos.
4TH: Hector Said Martinez.
VAR: Yasith Monge.

How to Watch

Match Time: 6:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Live Stream: Apple TV.

Radio: None.

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Opinion

Three Unlikely Players Who Could Shape the Second Half of Orlando City’s Season

Three Lions who are in position to affect Orlando’s fortunes as they start the back half of the 2026 season.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 7, 2026

By

Image of Luis Otavio looking for a teammate to pass to against FC Naples.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

With 18 matches under its belt in Major League Soccer, Orlando City is just past the midway point of its season. Despite a horrific first few months, there’s been reason for optimism lately with improved play and some better results to go along with it. There’s still a lot of improvement that can be made, and with MLS play, Leagues Cup, and a U.S. Open Cup semifinal all on the table, there will be plenty of time to do so.

When it comes to key players for the rest of the season, there are a few usual suspects that spring to mind. Antoine Griezmann, Justin Ellis, Martin Ojeda (once he’s back from injury), Robin Jansson, and Maxime Crepeau are probably chief among those names. Rather than focus on them, I’d like to discuss a few less prominent names that could have large impacts on the remainder of the Lions’ season.

Bernardo Rhein

We start with a player who has emerged at a rapid pace in Orlando’s first four games back from the World Cup break. The 18-year-old Rhein has started two of them, and for my money he’ done enough to firmly displace Adrian Marin as the starting left back. He helped keep a clean sheet in his first start against Nashville, contributing a tackle, a clearance, an interception, and six recoveries while also providing a key pass. He then came on at halftime against the New York Red Bulls and had two interceptions, a tackle, and two key passes, while providing both an offensive and defensive upgrade over Marin after a rough outing for the Spaniard. Against Monterrey, his three completed dribbles were tied for the most in the match, and he also recorded three tackles, two interceptions, a clearance, and seven recoveries.

It hasn’t been flawless, as he can get caught out of position or have balls played over him at times, but by and large he’s looked like he’s belonged. That’s good too, because while Marin’s technical ability isn’t an issue, his physical traits are. He simply doesn’t look like he can move well enough or quickly enough to play fullback in MLS, and shy of him taking over for David Brekalo while the Slovenian reprises the left back role he’s so often held for this team, Marin should be backing up Rhein. The youngster has flashed good defending in 1-v-1 situations, and has shown himself to be capable of contributing at the other end of the field as well.

That offensive ability gives Orlando the option to overload either side of the field and provides some balance and variance in the attack that will make the Lions tougher to play against. Care will be needed to not have Rhein and Griffin Dorsey pushing forward at the same time, leaving the defense exposed, but the next player on the list can help mitigate the danger that would come from those situations.

Luis Otavio

Orlando City announced on Thursday night that Braian Ojeda has had surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his right foot. He’ll likely be on the shelf at least six to eight weeks, and the club says it expects him to be back in the fall. With Ojeda out, 19-year-old Luis Otavio likely has the inside track to his starting role in central midfield. He’s the one who took Ojeda’s place in the lineup against Monterrey, and he’s played more than Wilder Cartagena, with 13 appearances and 547 league minutes to five and 47 for the Peruvian.

After some shaky performances earlier in the year, Otavio was excellent in his two recent starts against Nashville and Monterrey — going the full 90 against the Mexican side. Against the ‘Yotes, he filled in admirably for the suspended Eduard Atuesta with three tackles, two clearances, two recoveries, and a key pass. Wednesday night saw him take over for the injured Ojeda and record three tackles, two interceptions, one clearance, and three recoveries.

So far, he hasn’t offered what Ojeda does going forward, but frankly he doesn’t really need to. With the way Ivan Angulo, Tyrese Spicer, Ellis, and Griezmann have been playing, there are plenty of creative forces on the field, and that’s without the injured Martin Ojeda. All Otavio needs to do is provide a physical and energetic presence in the middle of the field, and he’s capable of doing that. The youngster can cover a lot of ground, isn’t shy about putting in a tackle, and is generally good at doing the sort of unheralded dirty work that made Cesar Araujo so vital during his time as a Lion. It’s too soon to say for sure that Otavio will follow in the Uruguayan’s mold, but he should certainly get plenty of opportunities to do so given (Braian) Ojeda’s injury.

Daryl Dike

That brings me to Orlando’s most recent signing. Dike made his first appearance in his second stint as a Lion on Wednesday, and he showed some encouraging signs during his 20 minutes on the field. His hold-play was as good, his movement was clever, and he completed two of the three dribbles he attempted while generally being the fast and physical handful that he was before going across the pond. He’ll rue the cross that he fluffed his lines on, as a goal on his return would have been a dream, but he got himself into good areas and was extremely difficult for the Monterrey defenders to deal with.

There’s probably some rust that needs to be shaken off — a few of his runs could have been timed a little better, and while he only attempted four passes, completing just two of them leaves a little to be desired. He should get plenty of chances to build sharpness though, as the Lions have at least six more matches to play during the month of August, and he’s got a unique profile when compared to the rest of the attacking options on the team. While it’ll be tough to displace Ellis, given how he’s been playing, Dike offers an option as a target forward and could be lethal when receiving service from Orlando’s creative players.

Sean Rollins recently wrote about Orlando’s need for a dependable, goal-scoring center forward, and if Dike can rediscover the form he showed during his first stint in purple, then it could push the Lions in the right direction up the table. While the defense has been better after the World Cup break, its still shown itself to be vulnerable, and OCSC will likely find itself in need of regular goals if it wants to keep picking up results. Once Martin Ojeda returns, he and Griezmann should be able to help with that, but if Dike can share the load, then it’ll add another dimension to the team.

On the flip side, if those three guys don’t play well, then it could make life much more difficult for Orlando. If Rhein struggles, then either Marin will need to reprise his role, swap with Brekalo, or the Lions might move to a three man defense that would risk disrupting the fluid offensive style they’ve been using. Otavio not playing well would put a lot of pressure on Wilder Cartagena, Joran Gerbet, and Colin Guske — all of whom are either mostly or completely untested this year for various reasons. If Dike can’t get going again it might not be the end of the world since OCSC’s offense largely hasn’t been the problem this season, but it would deprive the Lions of a unique, difficult-to-handle option and lessen Orlando’s ability to effectively rotate.

Personally though, I think all three players will come good to some degree. Otavio and Rhein have done good things in their extended time on the field lately, and Dike looked promising on Wednesday and should get plenty of great service while also having familiar surroundings and a proven track record to hold him in good stead. Here’s hoping I’m right. Vamos Orlando!

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