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Orlando City

Orlando City at New York City FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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8 years ago

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The eighth meeting of the 2015 expansions teams is in the books, as Orlando City earned its first road win of the season with a 2-1 victory over its sky blue rivals. Orlando looked to be cruising to a 2-0 win until David Villa edged one back for the home team in the 74th minute. It was all hands on deck for the Lions after Villa’s goal, but Orlando’s defensive effort held up until the final whistle of the match.  

Orlando sits atop the Eastern Conference standings with the win. Let’s take a look at the individual performances from the match.  

Starters 

GK, Joe Bendik  7.5 — The first half was quiet for Bendik, but Joe saved Orlando’s keister and all three points with a point-blank save on Villa through traffic in stoppage time. In fact, Bendik’s quiet start to the game looked like a distant memory as he was in constant motion for the final 20 minutes of the match. He kept a lid on things by twice pushing attempts over the crossbar along with a beautiful punch on one of NYCFC’s 12 corners in the match. But the biggest save was undoubtedly the last one that denied Villa. Bendik is worth at least nine points by my count this season so far. He keeps producing time and time again.  

D, Donny Toia, 6 — Toia assisted Larin for his second goal of the game with a curling cross into the box. He picked up possession of the ball after a corner and escaped one marker before finding Larin. Defensively, Toia did a good job keeping Jack Harrison at bay for most of the game. Harrison was able to get some crosses into dangerous areas, but Toia prevented him from getting in behind the back four on the dribble. He had one mental lapse in the game, which resulted in NYCFC’s only goal. He lost track of Villa on the NYCFC free kick and the Spaniard made him pay by chipping a first-time finish from the near post.   

D, Jonathan Spector, 7.5 — Spector continued his solid form for Orlando City since his move from Birmingham City this off-season. Spector won aerial battles and made clearances with both his head and his feet. He supported the outside backs by intercepting passes and making numerous tackles on NYCFC’s wingers. Through the middle, Spector and Redding were a solid unit, and didn’t look out of position for almost the entire match.  

D, Tommy Redding, 6.5 — Redding made a strong case to continue as Spector’s CB partner even as Jose Aja is close to returning from injury. Redding stayed in contact with Spector and kept attackers in front of him the entire match. He was strong in the air when called on and made good decisions when he had the ball at his feet. Redding picked up a yellow card in the second half, but he made the right choice to halt a dangerous looking counter-attack for NYCFC, even though the hosts scored off the ensuing free kick. Kreis will have a difficult decision on his hands when Aja becomes fit again.    

D, Scott Sutter, 6.5 — Sutter continued to join in with the attack like he did against the Red Bulls last weekend, and it paid off today. Sutter provided Larin with a well-weighted pass to open the scoring for the Lions. He had a sound defensive day as well. He seemed to cover the entire right side of the field, many times advancing higher than Johnson, who was playing right midfield. He also helped the team keep possession in wide areas, even though the Lions didn’t have a lot of the ball overall.   

MF, Cristian Higuita, 6 — Higuita retained his starting position on the left side of Kreis’ midfield diamond for this match. He had a quiet match today due to the lack of possession for Orlando on the road. But Higuita was aggressive in the midfield when the team didn’t have the ball. He earned a yellow card for such play, trying to win back possession in the attacking third, but it was good to see him working hard to get the ball back. Offensively, he was part of the build-up to the first Larin goal. He left the game after injuring his shoulder after a tackle from Ethan White—who picked up a yellow on the play.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 6.5 — Nocerino quietly helped Orlando connect passes in midfield. He balanced that link-up play, but wasn’t afraid to clear the danger when a pass wasn’t on. He provided good cover for the back four that was very compact through the middle of the field, with most of the home team’s threats coming from the wings. He also matched Maxi Moralez who likes to find space in between the back four and defensive center midfielders.     

MF, Will Johnson 6.5 — Johnson is a model of consistency. Wearing the captain’s armband, Johnson never stopped running in this match. Everything we are beginning to expect from Johnson was on display in New York City today, except the stunning goal from last week. Johnson played a slightly narrower role, partly due to the narrow field in Yankee Stadium. He helped Nocerino and Higuita frustrate any passing moves through the middle of the park. NYCFC enjoyed a healthy advantage in possession all day, but Orlando’s midfield held up to the task each time.      

MF, Giles Barnes 5.5 — Jason Kreis started Barnes at the top of the diamond for the second straight week. He tried to drive the team forward into attack, but there were long stretches of the match when he didn’t see the ball in attacking areas. He spent most of his time chasing the possession of NYCFC midfielders. Barnes managed to win free kicks for Orlando, which helped the team regain its shape and take a breather defensively.   

F, Carlos Rivas, 7.5 — Rivas caused trouble early and often for NYCFC’s back four, forcing Moralez into a professional foul and a yellow card in only the second minute of the match. He fizzed a free kick that missed the near post in the 10th minute that was a lot closer than the match commentators gave him credit for. Rivas also helped set up the first goal for OCSC when he found Sutter with a through ball that set up the assist. The Colombian continued to harass defenders throughout the match. In the last 10 minutes of the game, he helped Orlando keep possession by holding up play in the NYCFC half. He also won valuable free kicks in the final minutes with his hold-up play to relieve some pressure on Orlando’s defensive posture.

F, Cyle Larin, 8 (MOTM) — We saw a vintage Larin performance this Sunday afternoon from the Canadian. Larin started the match looking bright and active. He was more involved in pressing opposing defenders than in any match so far this season. And Sutter rewarded him for his efforts in the 31st minute. Rivas connected with Sutter, who found Larin at the near post for the one-touch finish. Orlando’s other outside back provided Larin with his second goal. Toia’s cross found Larin who out-muscled Rodney Wallace to head in his second of the match. He also won a metric ton of free kicks by drawing fouls.

Substitutes

MF, Luis Gil (64’), 5.5 — He came in for Higuita after he picked up a shoulder injury. Gil entered the game as NYCFC started to dominate possession, and spent most of his minutes defending the onslaught of NYCFC attacks. His energy helped the team close out the three points on the road.

MF, Servando Carrasco (83’) 5.5 — Kreis swapped Barnes for Carrasco to add some more defensive stability to the final minutes of the match. Carrasco jumped in alongside Nocerino, Johnson, and Gil to close out the match. Nothing fancy about his play during the last minutes of the match — it was safety first with everything. In the end, it got the job done.

MF, Matias Perez Garcia (90’+3’), NA — MPG got a short run-out to waste a few seconds with a substitution for Rivas, and he got only a few touches at the end of the game.

Those are my ratings from a huge road win. How did you see the individual performances? Vote for your MotM in the poll below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Joe Bendik91
Jonathan Spector35
Cyle Larin136
Carlos Rivas7
Tommy Redding5
Scott Sutter4
Other1

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/22/25

Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.

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3 hours ago

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January 22, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The ManeLand

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.

Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International

While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881755961125449765?s=46&t=pMoq7Wulqfb35D7C8ydroA

Pride Preseason Begins

The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.

USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight

Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.

Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move

USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.

MLS Transfer Updates

Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.

https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/1881741042904350864

Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881786193693823104

Free Kicks

https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1881749040863588770?s=12&t=_WZBNG4ILAyRLdwBeB4mpQ
  • Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
https://twitter.com/nwsl/status/1881749035218042954?s=46&t=pN-YJp3s7ZQlCXqnTAgSfw

That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/21/25

Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.

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1 day 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.

Published

2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

By

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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