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Orlando City

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

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8 years ago

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Another home game, another win for Orlando. Cyle Larin scored a brace en route to a 2-1 victory in front of another sold out crowd. The Lions battled on both sides of the field and let up their first goal of the season, but the team battled back from giving up a goal in the 52nd minute and managed to hold on to the win, even after some nervy moments at the end.

Let's get to the grades:

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 7 – Didn’t have much to do tonight, but came up big when he did. Besides the goal allowed, had a massive stop in stoppage time to help protect the victory as he punched away a Alejandro Bedoya header. Distribution tonight was much better than it was against New York City FC, as well.

D, Will Johnson, 7.5 – Another step-up game for the temporary right back. Had a big tackle in the 15th minute to clear the ball away from going out for a corner. On the ensuing play, however, he was out challenged for a header that almost found the net. Blocked a volley from Sapong in the 35th minute out for a corner. Had a goal-saving tackle in the 38th minute when he stopped Chris Pontius from getting a shot off. Led the team in tackles and was third on the team in clearances.

D, Jonathan Spector, 8.5 – A master class defensive performance from the American. Second on the team in clearances, led the team in interceptions and time and time again, came up with big plays. Won the ball in a crucial spot and came all the way up in attack in the 11th minute, delivering a pass to Rivas, which was just a bit too far for him to reach. Sent in a beautiful ball to Rivas in the 39th minute, who centered it for Larin for the first goal of the game. Received a yellow card for dissent in the 82nd minute.

D, Jose Aja, 7.5 – Along with Spector, Aja had a fantastic defensive performance. Most of the game, his job was to battle with Union forward C.J. Sapong and kept him contained until the goal in the 52nd minute, where he was caught away from the forward. Led the team in clearances and was second on the team in tackles.

D, Donny Toia, 7 – Toia was fairly decent on the defensive end, but was the weak link on a number of chances for Philadelphia. Was a bit too aggressive on a number of plays and was beaten for pace trying to recover. Did recover after getting beaten and blocked a cross in the 66th minute out of play.

MF, Servando Carrasco, 6.5 – A workman-like performance from Carrasco. Nothing too flashy, but did his job well. Third on the team in passing accuracy and fifth on the team in tackles. Started to fade as the game went along and came off in the 70th minute for Higuita.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 7.5 – A solid performance from the Italian. Was aggressive in winning the ball in the midfield and had some excellent vision forward on some long balls. Was second on the team in interceptions, fifth on the team in passing accuracy and third on the team in total passes. Had a chance in the 22nd minute to score, but Andre Blake came out to deny his shot. Sent a long ball in for Rivas almost resulting in another Larin goal in the 76th minute.

MF, Giles Barnes, 7 – In Kaká’s stead, the Jamaican national had a very solid performance. Was strong on the ball in the attack and also helped out a lot in defense, winning the ball back on the wings very often, but at times, he tried to do a bit too much with the ball. He missed some great runs from Rivas and Larin that he could have laid the ball off to them, but instead took it himself. Had a spectacular run in the 26th minute that led to a free kick that he eventually took himself, but the shot was easily saved by Blake. Had another great run in the 28th minute leading to another free kick.

MF, Matias Perez Garcia, 7.5 – MPG was all over the place tonight, both on the offensive and defensive end of the pitch. His skill on the ball really helped Orlando maintain possession through the first half. Sent a great ball in for Nocerino in the 22nd minute, but Blake came out to stop the play. Had a spectacular threaded through ball to Larin for his second goal. Subbed out in the 81st minute.

F, Carlos Rivas, 8 – In his 50th appearance for the club, the DP did not disappoint. His speed was a complete game changer for the Lions. After the game, Head Coach Jason Kreis praised the work rate of Rivas, saying that he deserved a goal. Had a great pass in the ninth minute to free Larin on goal, but his first touch let him down and the ball was cleared away. Spectacular control from a Spector long ball found him in space and was able to put in a low cross for Larin for the goal. Great awareness in the 75th minute to keep the counter attack alive by switching field to MPG, almost resulting in another Larin goal. Received a yellow card for blocking a free kick in the 23rd minute. Came out in the 89th minute.

F, Cyle Larin, 8.5 (MotM) – It’s hard to not give the guy with two goals the man of the match. Larin and Rivas both worked well together and Larin benefited from the partnership. Great chance in the ninth minute to go one on one with Blake, but his first touch let him down. Scored on the back post cross from Rivas after making an intelligent run into the box. Timed his run on his second goal well also, staying even with the defense as MPG threaded the ball through to him.

Substitutes

MF, Cristian Higuita (70’), 6.5 – Came into the game for Carrasco and gave some new life to the team. Had some good stops on defense and preserved the lead.

F, Hadji Barry (81’), 6.5– Played some solid defense after coming on for MPG and helped Orlando preserve the lead.

M, Pierre Da Silva (89’), N/A– Made his first appearance for the MLS side and made some history in the process, becoming the first academy and OCB player to make an MLS appearance. Other than that, he didn’t get much of a chance to do too much.

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
Cyle Larin114
Jonathan Spector60
Carlos Rivas69
Antonio Nocerino16
Matias Perez Garcia9
Other (tell us who in the comments section)2

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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.

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17 hours 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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Orlando City

Striker Suddenly a Position of Need for Orlando City

Departures and a key injury mean Orlando City needs a striker heading into the 2025 MLS season.

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2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

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Image Courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City reached the Eastern Conference Final for the first time in 2024, a milestone for the club. The core of the team was locked up through the 2025 season, so there was no reason to believe it needed to add much this off-season. Unfortunately, injuries and departures have created a serious problem for the team.

The group of forwards last year consisted of Duncan McGuire, Ramiro Enrique, and Jack Lynn. McGuire scored 15 goals in 2023 and was expected to depart for Blackburn Rovers before a clerical error allowed the Lions to keep their target man. The team’s primary striker scored 11 goals in 37 games — the same number as the previous season — but split time starting with Enrique. The Argentinian improved greatly in 2024, increasing his total goal tally from four to 12. Even Lynn showed tremendous improvement last year, playing a greater role in the team and scoring his first two MLS goals.

The future also seemed bright for the Orlando City forwards because of their ages. Lynn is the oldest of the trio at just 25 years old. Meanwhile, McGuire and Enrique are only 23, so there was no reason to believe this group couldn’t produce this coming season.

The problem at striker began in the postseason when McGuire was pulled down by Charlotte FC midfielder Djibril Diani in the final first round game of the playoffs. McGuire suffered a shoulder injury during the challenge that required surgery on Dec. 13. It’s expected that the striker could take four to five months to return to action, possibly leaving him out until May or June.

Another blow to Orlando’s attack occurred Saturday when Lynn surprisingly announced his retirement from professional soccer. In just over a month, Orlando City went from having three strikers to having just one as preseason training starts.

With McGuire injured and Lynn gone, one option would be to have Designated Player Luis Muriel play up top. However, the Colombian prefers to play a more withdrawn position and proved to be effective in that role last year. Since Head Coach Oscar Pareja prefers to play a 4-2-3-1 formation, the Lions need someone up top to control the ball and involve the midfielders in the attack. That’s not Muriel’s game.

The result of these issues is that nobody is currently behind Enrique when the season begins. If the Argentinian gets tired, hurt, or simply needs rest, Pareja is limited in his options. 

Whether there was a lack of strikers or a lack of goals from the position previously, that problem was resolved by the club’s all-time leading goal scorer. Facundo Torres scored 20 goals in 2024, becoming the first player in Orlando City’s MLS history and the second player in club history to do so. He went on to set a new club record for total goals of 47.

However, Orlando City sold its best player to Brazilian side Palmeiras on Dec. 20. It was a gut punch to fans as Torres had signed a new contract on Jan. 10, 2024 that ran through the 2026 season. There had been talk for the last couple of years that the attacker would look for a move to Europe and rumors of a move to South America arose this off-season. Still, it created a huge gap the club has to fill.

There are players on the roster that can make up for the injury and departures. Martin Ojeda had a strong season in 2024, finishing with seven goals and 13 assists. His seven goals ranked fourth on the team and his 13 assists topped the squad alongside Nico Lodeiro. Muriel came on strong later in the season, finishing with five goals and eight assists. But those numbers are a long way from the 20 goals that Torres tallied last year.

Even if you consider all goal contributions, Ojeda and Muriel fall well short of Torres. Ojeda had a total of 20 goal contributions in 2024 while Muriel had 13. In addition to Torres’s 20 goals, he added nine assists for a team-leading 29 goal contributions.

All of this information leads to one undeniable fact — Orlando City needs to sign a striker prior to the season. And there’s not much time for Luiz Muzzi to act. The European transfer window closes on Feb. 3 and many MLS teams have already been filling similar needs. With the season starting in just over a month, the options will be limited if the Lions don’t do something soon.

After the best postseason finish in Orlando City’s MLS history, things were looking good heading into 2025. While the back line and most of the midfield is returning, McGuire’s injury and the departure of Torres and Lynn have left the Lions in a tough spot offensively. If they don’t do something in the next couple of weeks, it could be a long 2025.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/20/25

Orlando City signs Nicolas Rodriguez, Jack Lynn announces retirement, USMNT defeats Venezuela in friendly, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you’re all having a good holiday weekend as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Over the past week, I’ve been working and covering high school ice hockey. It will be a busy week in Orlando, with the United States Men’s National Team’s match against Costa Rica on Wednesday and Orlando City’s first preseason match against Atletico Mineiro on Saturday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Signs Nicolas Rodriguez

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has signed forward Nicolas Rodriguez from Fortaleza CEIF in Colombia’s top flight. The deal is through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028, and Rodriguez will occupy a MLS U22 Initiative slot. Rodriguez made 19 appearances for Fortaleza, recording 1,607 minutes, five goals, and three assists during the 2024 Primera A Clausura season. The Lions add a young attacking player the club can develop and Rodriguez can play on the right wing, the right side of a three-man midfield, or in the No. 10 spot.

Jack Lynn Announces Retirement

Orlando City forward Jack Lynn announced his retirement from professional soccer on Saturday. Lynn was drafted by Orlando in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He became a regular starter for Orlando City B, scoring a team-record 38 goals in over three seasons with the MLS NEXT Pro side. Lynn also won the Golden Boot with 19 goals during the 2023 season and became the first OCB player to be named MLS NEXT Pro MVP. He played sparingly with the first team, but he scored twice last season as his role increased. The Lions will likely look to add another striker for more depth up top.

Orlando Pride Acquire Allocation Money in Trade

On Friday, the Orlando Pride announced that the club has acquired $50,000 in Allocation Money from the Washington Spirit. In exchange, the Pride sent the Spirit a 2025 international roster spot. The Pride will face the Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup final on March 7 at Inter&Co Stadium.

USMNT Defeats Venezuela in Friendly

The USMNT defeated Venezuela 3-1 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday in a friendly. Jack McGlynn and Patrick Agyemang scored in the first half to give the USMNT a 2-0 lead just before halftime. Matko Milijevic scored the third goal for the Americans in the second half, with Venezuela pulling one back thanks to a goal from Jorge Yriarte. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has led the USMNT to winning four out of its first five matches since he took charge last September. The USMNT’s next match will be against Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium.

Alyssa Naeher Named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

On Saturday, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was voted 2024 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. Naeher won 40% of the vote, while defender Naomi Girma finished in second with 32%. In her final year with the USWNT, Naeher ended 2024 with 18 starts, playing 1,170 minutes and only conceding 11 goals. She played a crucial role with clutch saves to help the USWNT win the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, and gold at the Olympics in Paris. Naeher is the second goalkeeper to win the award since Hope Solo won it in 2009.

Free Kicks

  • Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has reached an agreement with the club on a record-breaking contract that extends his deal through 2034.

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

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