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Orlando City vs. Miami FC: Five Takeaways

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8 years ago

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After sleeping on it, there’s still no two ways around what we saw last night from Orlando City — the Lions’ 3-1 dismissal from the U.S. Open Cup at the hands of Miami FC at home was shameful.

If you were fortunate enough to miss the match, we’ve got you covered with a full recap as well as player grades. Right now, it’s time for the takeaways, which, as you can imagine, weren’t overwhelmingly positive.

Orlando’s Biggest U.S. Open Cup Disappointment Since…Last Year

Wednesday marked the second year in a row that Orlando City was eliminated from U.S. Open Cup play by an NASL side, after falling 2-1 to Ft. Lauderdale in 2016.

This loss was perhaps even more disappointing, however, as it took a heroic extra-time goal from then-Striker PC to lift Ft. Lauderdale over Orlando last year. Miami FC, on the other hand, didn’t need the help of any red cards and it sure as hell didn’t need extra time, looking superior from the opening minute and embarrassing Orlando on its way to a 3-0 lead. It took former Ballon d’Or winner Kaká and Carlos Rivas coming on in the second half to create much of anything for the Lions against NASL competition, and even then the only goal of the match for City came off a header on a set piece from a difficult angle, hardly an indictment of the Miami defense.

Miami is currently five points clear at the top of the NASL table, so it’s a quality NASL side to be sure. But getting so thoroughly out-played at home by a lower-division side is unacceptable, and the fact that it’s the second home loss to an NASL club in a row to end Orlando’s U.S. Open Cup hopes makes it all the more frustrating.

Orlando’s Defense Pulled a 180 from Chicago Performance

The same back line that started Orlando’s recent 0-0 draw with Chicago took the pitch to start Wednesday night’s Open Cup match. Perhaps the Lions should’ve had a man sent off as they did with Rafael Ramos in what would eventually be a nine-man defensive stand against the Fire, because that back line turned in a very different effort vs. Miami FC.

There is a very different atmosphere for a home league match with 24,469 fans and a fourth-round U.S. Open Cup match in front of a sparse crowd of 5,838, but the effort was very, very poor from the Lions overall, starting with the back line. As great as City’s home-field advantage has been in league play, the Lions shouldn’t have to have such a crowd to inspire better effort.

Miami was on the front foot from the start, and by the time Stefano Pinho slid to tap home the visitors’ first goal of the night half an hour in — the low cross he finished having easily gotten past PC, Jonathan Spector, and a sliding Ramos — Miami already had a 7-0 advantage in shots. Pinho skied over Spector to head home a second goal just six minutes later, and Kreis was prompted to change things up at the half by inserting Tommy Redding into the defense and sliding Ramos forward in more of a 3-5-2 look. Miami immediately put two shots on target within the first two minutes of the second half, so it’s safe to say things didn’t get too much better despite the shift.

Miami was still clearly the better side and would go on to make it 3-0 with a laugher of a tap-in from Pinho to complete his hat trick, having made a run unmarked behind the Orlando back line with Leo Pereira notably jogging behind him, seemingly unaware and helpless. Spector didn’t deputize in his usual manner, while neither Servando Carrasco nor Antonio Nocerino put in the kind of inspiring shift that Will Johnson did in the central midfield vs. Chicago, and things were just bad in general, which Miami happily took advantage of.

Speaking of Pinho

You might have expected the star man for Miami to be former NYCFC attacker Kwadwo Poku, who registered five goals and seven assists and flashed star potential at times in his year-and-a-half stint in MLS. On Wednesday, though, it was former NASL Golden Ball winner Stefano Pinho who stole the spotlight.

The Brazilian single-handedly put Orlando City down 3-0, setting up all three of his scores with direct runs at goal followed by sure finishes. He never ceased working and made the City defense look flat-out bad at times, and he was rewarded with a fairly easy three-goal night that eclipsed his current league-goal tally of two so far in 2017. Minnesota United shipped Pinho off before its ascent to MLS this season, but he notched 15 NASL goals in 2015 for Ft. Lauderdale, and the former Fluminense man showed out against an MLS side on Wednesday when he got the chance.

The last Brazilian to doom Orlando City in the U.S. Open Cup (the aforementioned PC) wound up in purple the following season, so who knows, maybe Pinho chose the perfect club to audition against with a hatty.

The Lions Were Toothless in Attack

The Lions rolled out a somewhat-experienced starting lineup against Miami, but there was a notable lack of firepower up front that became glaring as the evening went on. Hadji Barry and Giles Barnes started up top for the Lions in the 4-4-2 and, along with their supporting teammates, looked mostly harmless in attack. While Orlando’s defense was under-performing and allowing Miami to get shot after shot at Josh Saunders’ net, there was zero support on the other end.

Barry deflected a PC cross wide of the goal in what was probably Orlando’s best chance of the first half (which is saying something, and not in a good way), but he made way for Carlos Rivas in minute 69 in an effort to get some forward momentum in what was already a lost game. Barnes did notch a goal with less than 15 minutes to go, and it was a beauty — coming off a flick on from a Rivas corner at a tight angle — but Barnes was not much of an open-play threat up front despite that effort.

Kaká came on in minute 63 in a swap for Spector, but the duo of Kaká and Rivas couldn’t have realistically been expected to erase the three-goal deficit at that point with less than half an hour to work. Cyle Larin continues to carry the brunt of the scoring load for Orlando in MLS, and his absence on Wednesday was noticeable, as the Lions don’t have anything close to a formidable replacement for the Canadian up front, which doesn’t bode well for the upcoming games that Larin will undoubtedly miss following his DUI arrest Thursday morning.

Orlando Must Rebound Quickly

We could keep talking about Wednesday’s loss, but it would only further improve the chances of nausea at this point. Orlando City welcomes Montreal Impact on Saturday, so the Lions can’t afford to let this result linger at all otherwise they risk letting it affect their league campaign in addition to their cup run.

The Lions sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings at the moment, level on points with third-place NYCFC and are only behind due to goal difference. As uninspired as Wednesday night’s showing was vs. Miami, Orlando’s last home showing in MLS was about as inspired as they come, making a 0-0 draw feel like a triumph due to two red cards. The crowd will be back to its usual level — both in numbers and in terms of noise — and Orlando City has a chance to keep itself sitting nicely in the table while burying the memory of their lone 2017 U.S. Open Cup match as soon as possible.

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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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20 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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