Connect with us

Orlando City

2016 Orlando City Season in Review: Cyle Larin

Published

on

Cyle Larin entered 2016 coming off an impressive 2015 MLS Rookie of the Year season. In spite of the team’s defensive struggles, Larin turned in another productive season for the Lions but did it without exceeding last year’s breakout season as fans might have hoped.

Not a surprise to Orlando City fans, Larin’s play drew praise from observers around the league, as he was named the best player under 24 for 2016. There were also rumors of European clubs interesting in the young Canadian, which Orlando fans will have to get used to if Larin continues to score goals.

Statistical Breakdown

Larin led the team in scoring for a second year with 14 goals — three shy of his tally last season. When you look back at the games Larin scored in, 12 of his 14 goals came in games that either ended in a draw or a one-goal difference. Orlando went 4-6-3 when Larin was on the score sheet. The Lions’ record with Larin scoring could’ve been better, but defensive inadequacies undermined more than a few of those games.  

The Canadian international continued to be an efficient striker, averaging a goal every 5.2 shots this season. The Mane Land covered this aspect of Larin’s game before, but it’s worth noting again just how efficient Larin works as a traditional No. 9. With other attacking options like Kevin Molino and Kaká, it could be that Larin doesn’t need a bunch of chances per game to score because of the service he receives.

Larin developed other areas of his game this season as well, notching his first three MLS assists — tying for third on the team in that category. He was also a workhorse, appearing in 32 of Orlando City’s 34 matches, starting 29 and playing 2,455 minutes (all career highs and first among all Lion field players). In addition, he set new highs for shots (73) and shots on goal (33) — both team highs.

Oh, and he committed seven fewer fouls and was offside four fewer times despite a rise in playing time of more than 500 minutes. If there’s a knock on his game, his passing accuracy of 73.4% was fourth worst on the team and that’s only if you count Aurelien Collin’s short stint with the club this season. Otherwise, only Carlos Rivas and Joe Bendik were less accurate with their passes.

Best Game

Larin’s only multi-goal game of the season came during a 2-1 home victory against Montreal on May 21. Larin showcased his ability to be a goal-scoring threat with both his head and feet. Montreal opened up a one-goal lead early in the first half. Orlando leveled the game late in the first as Kaká served an excellent free kick from the left side that only needed a slight redirection from Larin to find the bottom right corner. Larin looked dangerous throughout the second half, and was unfortunate not to score when he narrowly missed from a tight angle after rounding Montreal’s goalkeeper. The winner came in the 86th minute with Larin sliding home a neat pass after some nifty combination play from Baptista and Kaká.

2016 Final Rating

The Mane Land staff gave Larin a rating of 7 for the season. The rating might seem high, but the team was kept in reach of a playoff spot nearly the entire year because of Larin’s goals in close games.

Larin led the line for an Orlando team that didn’t have problems scoring for most of the season. The Lions finished with the third-most goals in the league with 55 — more goals than 10 of the 12 playoff teams.

If there was a negative to Larin’s play this year, it would be that his play seemed to drop at the end of the season. Larin scored his last goal of the season on Sept. 18, and  Orlando went 2-1-2 over the last five games with Larin unable to make the highlights. While it’s unfair to say Orlando missed out on a playoff spot because of Larin, it’s hard not to think about what might have been if he managed a couple more goals down the stretch.

2017 Outlook

Larin doesn’t need to score 25 goals next season. Sure, it would be nice for Larin to challenge for the league’s top scorer, and he is definitely capable of doing so. But that’s not what Orlando has been missing the last two years.

The key to success for Larin and Orlando next year is for the defense to take some pressure off the attacking players. Larin, Kaká, and company have the quality to create enough opportunities to win games, but they need more support and clean sheets from the back four if next year is going to be any different. 

Will Larin still be around? It seems likely that he’ll spend another year in purple unless a club makes an offer that Orlando City and MLS can’t refuse. Otherwise, look for the Canadian to again provide offensive fireworks for Orlando.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/6/24

Orlando City and Orlando Pride set for upcoming playoff games, Rafaelle out for the season, UEFA Champions League results, and more.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s win or go home time for both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride this weekend. As if this week wasn’t stressful enough, we have that to occupy our collective minds. I know that I often prefer to concentrate on soccer, so let’s let to the links.

Do or Die Time for the Lions

Thanks to a lackluster performance by Orlando City in the second match against Charlotte FC away from home, the Lions need a victory to advance in the playoffs. Fortunately, the next match will be back at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions will need Facundo Torres and Martin Ojeda to return to form if they are to win. Orlando City isn’t the only home squad looking to win this weekend.

The NWSL Playoffs Are Here

With the NWSL playoffs imminent, it is any club’s championship to win. Of course, we want the Orlando Pride to win a second trophy. Each club has a chance to win, though some are better positioned to do so than others. The argument against the Pride stems from the two road matches they recently lost, and the goals given up after winning the NWSL Shield. If the Pride can return to the defensive form from earlier in the season, their odds will be better.

Rafaelle’s Season is Over

Any hope we had of Rafaelle bolstering the Orlando Pride back line came to an end Tuesday, as did her season. The Brazilian has been placed on the Season Ending Injury list with a partial tear of her quadriceps tendon in her right leg. The club is working with Orlando Health on a recovery program for Rafaelle, in hopes she’ll be available for the 2025 season. We wish her a complete and speedy recovery.

Champions League Doesn’t Disappoint

It was quite a day in the UEFA Champions League Tuesday. Liverpool dispatched Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 on the back of a Luis Diaz hat trick, with all four goals coming after the 60th minute. Another high-scoring match saw Sporting CP down Manchester City 4-1 thanks to a hat trick from Victor Gyokeres.

Christian Pulisic helped AC Milan defeat Real Madrid 3-1 with the American providing an assist off a corner. It really was quite a beauty with a finish by Malick Thiaw.

The USMNT’s Malik Tillman scored a goal and added two assists in PSV’s 4-0 victory over Girona. Of course, Girona played a man down after Arnau Martinez received a second yellow card 10 minutes into the second half.

Free Kicks

  • This Atalanta supporter will have a story to tell that few, if any, could ever dream of when talking about his club.
  • If you were wondering what a day in the life of Felipe looks like, wonder no more.
  • If you’re looking for something to do tonight perhaps you’d like to meet Simone Charley and Grace Chanda? The info is in the post below from Tuesday.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for both matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/5/24

Orlando City announces preseason match, how the Orlando Pride turned things around, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone. We have a massive week ahead of us, as the Orlando Pride take on the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL playoffs on Friday. That will be followed up by a pivotal Game 3 for Orlando City against Charlotte FC on Saturday. Both matches will be at home, so suffice it to say we have a lot going on around these parts. As usual, we have lots to talk through today, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando City Announces Friendly

Orlando City has announced that the club will play a preseason match against Inter Miami in Tampa on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. The game will take place at Raymond James Stadium at 7:30 p.m., with tickets going on sale to the general public on Nov. 14. There will also be a pregame fan festival set up outside the stadium, which is free if you have a ticket. The decision to play Miami in a preseason game isn’t a surprising one, as it involves minimal travel for both clubs, and a chance to capitalize on the box office draw of Lionel Messi. It is a little surprising that the decision was made to host the game at Raymond James Stadium rather than Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, but it’s possible that the latter wasn’t available, or that there was a desire to capitalize on the additional gate money from the extra 15,000 seats at Raymond James.

How the Pride Escaped the Cellar

In a season that featured several teams who played outstanding campaigns, the Orlando Pride still managed to finish first in the National Women’s Soccer League. It’s a feat made even more impressive when considering how the club has historically struggled, but the change didn’t happen overnight. The rebuild really got underway in 2021, which was when a series of high profile exits and trades began to take place, which would eventually allow the Pride to do a lot of maneuvering in the transfer market. It was a long process though, and it took the arrival of Haley Carter in the front office and Seb Hines as the head coach for things to really start coming together. It’s been an all-around effort, but one that paid off with a first-place finish this season.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans playing this week, so make sure you’ve got everything marked down on your calendar. UEFA Champions League action returns tomorrow, as Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, and Richie Ledezma will take on Girona with PSV Eindhoven. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan face Real Madrid, and Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Juventus hit the road to take on Weah’s former club, Lille. European action then continues on Thursday as Tanner Tessmann and Lyon face Hoffenheim on the road in the Europa League, and Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis host Celje in the Conference League.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

As always seems to be the case, there are a number of transfer rumors floating around. First up, Spanish outlet Marca says that if Vinicius Jr. becomes available then Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain would be interested in signing him. This comes amid reports that the Brazilian is considering a move to Saudi Arabia. Speaking of Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez could seek an exit from the Blues reportedly due to not being favored by boss Enzo Maresca, with Barcelona and Inter Milan as possible destinations. Finally, Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush is reportedly attracting interest from some of Europe’s big clubs, with Bayern Munich and Liverpool both interested in signing him.

Free Kicks


That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/4/24

Orlando City falls to Charlotte FC in penalty shootout, Orlando Pride defeat the Seattle Reign, Megan Montefusco retires and more.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I covered high school cross country state semifinals over the weekend, and I’m getting ready to cover a high school soccer playoff match later this week. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Lose Penalty Shootout to Charlotte FC

Orlando City fell 3-1 on penalties to Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium on Friday night after playing to a scoreless draw in Game 2 of the MLS Cup playoffs. Orlando’s offense struggled to create anything throughout the match in the attack. The best chance came late in the second half when Facundo Torres thought he had scored the game-winner for Orlando, but the assistant referee deemed him to be offside. In the penalty shootout, Luis Muriel was the only Lion to find the back of the net. Nico Lodeiro and Duncan McGuire had their penalty kicks saved by Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, while Robin Jansson’s kick sailed over the net. The Lions will host Charlotte FC in Game 3 at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday with a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals on the line.

Orlando Pride Defeat the Seattle Reign in Regular Season Finale

The Orlando Pride snapped their two-match losing streak and defeated the Seattle Reign 3-2 to close out the 2024 NWSL regular season. Ally Watt, Kerry Abello, and Marta all scored for the Pride. Even though the Reign fought back to keep it close, Orlando held on for the win. The Pride finished the regular season first in the NWSL standings with 60 points. The Pride will take on the Chicago Red Stars in the quarterfinals of the 2024 NWSL playoffs on Friday in their first home playoff match ever. The match will kick off at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video.

Megan Montefusco Announces Retirement

Orlando Pride defender Megan Montefusco will retire from professional soccer following the 2024 season. She’s played in the NWSL since 2015 and joined the Pride prior to the 2022 season. In her time in Orlando, Montefusco made 45 appearances for Orlando and scored in a 2023 Challenge Cup match against NJ/NY Gotham FC. She did not play in any matches in the 2024 season after undergoing foot surgery during the off-season and was placed on the season-ending injury list. Montefusco finishes her career with 179 appearances, scoring three goals and adding four assists across all competitions.

MLS Playoff Roundup

The first round of the MLS Cup playoffs continued over the weekend, with a few teams booking their spot in the next round. The Columbus Crew’s title defense ended after they lost 5-4 on penalties to the New York Red Bulls after a 2-2 draw. The LA Galaxy dominated the Colorado Rapids 4-1 on the road to advance to the Western Conference semifinals. Minnesota United also moved on, defeating Real Salt Lake in a shootout after a 1-1 draw and the Loons will face the Galaxy. The Seattle Sounders edged past the Houston Dynamo 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to advance to the Western Conference semifinals as well.

New York City FC bounced back with a 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati, while Atlanta United did the same with a 2-1 victory over Inter Miami as both teams stayed alive to force a third game in their series. LAFC fell 3-0 on the road to the Vancouver Whitecaps in a match that included two own goals.

Free Kicks


That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.

Continue Reading

Trending