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Orlando City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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Orlando City needed a win and instead lost. The 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Vancouver Whitecaps all but sealed the team’s playoff fate this season. Tommy Redding scored an own-goal nine minutes in, then Brek Shea doubled the lead for the visitors in the second half. Cyle Larin’s goal off of the bench wasn’t enough to bring the Lions back into the game, as they officially fell to ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

On to the player grades.

Starting XI

GK, Joe Bendik, 6 — Joe only made two saves on the night against four shots. He caught a tough break in the first half with the own-goal and can’t be blamed much for Brek Shea’s goal after the defense put him in a tough spot. I’ll give him the average grade just because.

D, Donny Toia, 6 — Toia didn’t have much work to do defensively with Vancouver playing on the defensive end for most of the match. He picked up one tackle, one interception, and two clearances, while completing 88 percent of his passes. He came off in the 57th minute for Dillon Powers.

D, Tommy Redding, 5 — It was a rough night for the young American center back. He started things off with an own-goal in the ninth minute to put Vancouver up 1-0, and also picked up a yellow card late in the match. He did finish with 89 percent passing accuracy, three tackles, a couple of fouls won, and was even credited with a chance created, but the mistakes still haunted him.

D, Leo Pereira, 5 — Pereira had a strong first half and for the most part had a good outing, but one really bad giveaway in the midfield led to Shea’s game-winning goal. Other than that, he had four tackles, five clearances, won two fouls, and completed 86 percent of his passes.

D, Scott Sutter, 6.5 — Sutter had 11 crosses on the night and a chance created with 81 percent passing accuracy. Defensively, he was a workhorse as always. You can also add two tackles, two fouls won, and even two shots to his stat line tonight.

M, Cristian Higuita, 7 — Higuita picked up where he left off last weekend against the Columbus Crew. He was one of the most active players on the field from the first whistle, completed 85 percent of his game-high 71 passes, made three tackles, and won four fouls while conceding three. He was also responsible for three chances created, tied for second most on the team.

M, Yoshimar Yotún, 8 (MOTM) — Yotún has been as advertised since joining Orlando City, and on Saturday night he was worth the Designated Player spot yet again. He was arguably Orlando’s best player on the attack as he created a game-high six chances, including a beautifully served cross to in to Cyle Larin for the goal — Yoshi’s first MLS assist. He did have a team-worst 75 percent passing accuracy on 65 attempts, but also had the ball at his feet a lot throughout the night, compiling 99 touches. Yotún is a really good player and will be a key to Orlando’s success in 2018.

M, Giles Barnes, 6 — Barnes had four total shots and completed 96 percent of his passes, and clanked a shot off of the crossbar in the final minutes of the match. Defensively, he had one interception.

M, Kaká, 6 — It wasn’t a bad night for Kaká, I’d say, but that doesn’t make it a great one either. He created two chances, but once again he didn’t have that big game-changing moment that you expect a $7 million player to have. I can’t blame him at this point. He’s 35, but you expect more from him each week. Kaká did complete 79 percent of his passes

F, Carlos Rivas, 3.5 — Rivas was given the starting nod over Cyle Larin mostly because he had been playing much better of late than the Canadian, but he showed none of that in this one. He had 29 touches and did create one chance on 13 passes, but none of his five shots were on target — or anywhere near it for that matter. Disappointing night from the Colombian, who was subbed off at halftime.

F, Dom Dwyer, 6.5 — Dom was Dom, just without the goals. He found himself in the middle of the action plenty of times throughout the night, creating three chances, firing three shots (none on target, though), and connecting on 87.5% of his passes.

Substitutions

(46’) F, Cyle Larin, 7 — Surprisingly starting this one from the bench, Larin came on to start the second half and tallied his 10th goal of the season in the 62nd minute off of a Yotún cross. He totaled three shots, two on target, on his 18 touches. He connected on 80% of his passes and was dispossessed only once.

(57’) M, Dillon Powers, 5.5 — Powers came on for Toia in the second half for his Orlando City debut. He created one chance, had one shot, and completed 80 percent of his passes. However, it was noticeable that he needs time to build up more chemistry with his teammates, crossing up both Kaká and Yotún on occasion on both the giving and receiving end of a few passes.

(83’) M, Antonio Nocerino, N/A — Noce came on late and by then there wasn’t much he could add to the game, although he did substitute on for Higuita, who left the match without picking up a yellow card.

That’s the way I saw the individual performances from a disappointing result against the Whitecaps. Be sure to vote for your Orlando City Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Cyle Larin7
Cristian Higuita14
Yoshimar Yotún68
Kaká4
Dom Dwyer0
Other9

Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/11/25

Orlando City signs Eduard Atuesta, MLS news roundup, Americans in midweek action, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, gang! It was a long weekend for me but an interesting one, as I attended an event at St. Louis City’s Energizer Stadium on Saturday night. It was a fun time, but personally I prefer Orlando City’s home digs. We have plenty of things to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando City Signs Eduard Atuesta

Orlando City has found its replacement for the injured Wilder Cartagena, as the club announced the signing of Colombian midfielder Eduard Atuesta from Palmeiras on Monday. Atuesta’s deal runs through the end of the 2025 season and also contains a club option for 2026. While the Lions still have some depth issues that need to be addressed at various positions, Atuesta will pair alongside Cesar Araujo in midfield, and if his previous numbers in Major League Soccer are any indication, he may even provide more goal scoring and creation from the position than Cartagena usually did.

MLS News Roundup

With the start of the MLS season under two weeks away, the off-season news is still flying thick and fast. First up, the Colorado Rapids have signed midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro from D.C. United in exchange for up to $1.4 million in cash, with United also maintaining a sell-on percentage in the player. The trade was executed using the league’s cash-based trade system, with Colorado becoming the latest team to make use of the new mechanism. Up next, San Diego FC has signed defender Willy Kumado from Lyngby Boldklub in the Danish Superliga. The right back joins on a two-year deal that also contains option years for 2027 and 2028. Finally, Tom Bogert is reporting that Joseph Paintsil is expected to be out of action for over a month after sustaining an injury to his quadriceps.

Americans in Midweek Action

As always, there are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, and there’s a heavy emphasis on UEFA Champions League play. Things get started later today, as Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Juventus face a PSV Eindhoven side that has all four of Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Sergino Dest, and Malik Tillman injured. Meanwhile, Gio Reyna, Cole Campbell, and Borussia Dortmund will travel to face Sporting CP. Wednesday has Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah traveling with AC Milan to take on Feyenoord, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic will be sorely tested at home against Bayern Munich. Thursday will wrap up European play with Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis squaring off against Gent in the Conference League.

Josh Sargent’s Opportunity

Josh Sargent had a difficult end to 2024, as he spent several months on the sideline while recovering from a groin injury that eventually required surgery. There were some natural moments of wondering what he’d be like when he made his return, but he’s hit the ground running since his first game back on Jan. 25, as he has four goals in three games for Norwich City. Not only is he getting his chance at the club level, but with Pepi and Folarin Balogun both currently injured, Sargent looks almost certain to lead the line for the United States Men’s National Team for March’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal matches. Sometimes timing is everything, and right now Sargent’s timing is pretty damn good.

Free Kicks


That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City Signs Colombian International Midfielder Eduard Atuesta

The Lions add a proven quality central midfielder to cover for Wilder Cartagena’s injury absence.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions took a necessary roster-building step today with the acquisition of central midfielder Eduard Atuesta via transfer from Palmeiras in Brazil’s Serie A. The contract runs through 2025 with a club option for 2026. Details of the transfer were not released. Atuesta can join the Lions pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate. The Colombian international will wear jersey No. 20 for Orlando City.

“We’re very excited about bringing Eduard here to Orlando, as a player that is in the prime of his career, has proven himself previously here in Major League Soccer and knows our league,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s a great midfield talent that has the ability to organize the team throughout the game, but most importantly, he’s a title winner at each of his previous clubs. We have confidence in him and his ability to help us achieve the goals we have here at this club.”

This played out publicly as a difficult one, with Orlando City seemingly close to a deal at times, while at others there seemed to be sticking points about such details as whether it would be a sale or loan, how much (if any) of Atuesta’s salary Palmeiras would pay, and the size of the transfer fee. Orlando was limited in what it could spend due to having to fit the player under the Designated Player threshold (salary plus transfer fee amortized over the length of the contract) as all three slots are full.

“I’m very excited to be here, to join this great team and live in this beautiful city,” Atuesta said in the club’s release “I can’t wait to step out into the stadium filled with our fans, to win games and to fight for the titles that this city deserves.”

Atuesta’s arrival is expected to mitigate the loss of Wilder Cartagena to a lower leg injury that recently required surgery. Cartagena was injured in the preseason opener against Atletico Mineiro, and although the club has yet to make an official announcement about it, Cartagena shared on his Twitter account that he had surgery in late January.

Atuesta’s season in Brazil is off to a slow start, with just three appearances and 42 minutes played so far without a goal contribution. The Colombian spent the 2024 season on loan with LAFC, where he made 28 appearances (25 starts), playing 2,197 minutes, scoring four goals, and adding six assists. In five MLS seasons with LAFC dating back to 2018, Atuesta has appeared in 124 matches, starting 109 of them, and playing 9,790 minutes. He has scored 11 goals and added 29 assists, attempting 172 shots and putting 53 on target. Atuesta has passed at an 85.9% rate with 155 key passes. He has amassed 27 yellow cards and one red card in MLS play.

The 27-year-old native of Vélez, Colombia has appeared in seven MLS playoff games (four starts), playing 428 postseason minutes, providing two goals and an assist while putting three of his six shots on target and logging eight key passes.

During his time in Los Angeles, Atuesta was part of the 2019 Supporters’ Shield-winning squad and helped the club win the 2024 U.S. Open Cup.

Prior to joining LAFC, Atuesta was with Independiente Medellín, where he started his professional career in 2016. He won the 2016 Categoría Primera A title with Medellín, playing 44 matches with The Paisa Red.

Since 2022, Atuesta played 26 matches with Palmeiras, scoring one goal and helping the team win the 2022 and 2023 Brazilian championships, 2023 Supercopa do Brasil, and 2022 Recopa Sudamericana.

On the international stage, Atuesta has represented Colombia at the U-20, U-23, and senior levels, with two caps for his national team since 2022.

What It Means for Orlando City

Atuesta wasn’t the least expensive option on the market at central midfield, but this signing shows that the club is serious about avoiding a drop-off in the middle of the pitch with Cartagena sidelined. Atuesta brings more offensive capabilities with him than Cartagena or Cesar Araujo possess, and he’ll likely be deployed as the No. 8 in Oscar Pareja’s usual 4-2-3-1.

If Atuesta can find the same kind of chemistry with Araujo that Cartagena has, the Lions should see continued standout play in central midfield. The duo will be tasked with protecting the back line and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, forcing play wide and limiting opposing shots to lower-percentage attempts. Meanwhile, his ability to pick out a key pass should improve the Orlando attack, which will be trying to fit a Marco Pašalić-shaped peg into a Facundo Torres-shaped hole and that still hasn’t found a depth forward to replace Duncan McGuire for the months he’ll miss this season.

This was a necessary move by Muzzi if the Lions are going to try to take the next step after reaching the conference final in 2024. The window may be closing on this core of Orlando City players, as several contracts are either set to expire or will require options picked up after the 2025 season among that group.

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Orlando City’s Offensive Struggles Raise Questions as Regular Season Approaches

Orlando City is once again struggling to find the net and the games that matter are quickly approaching.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The 2025 MLS regular season is drawing near, so we have a much better idea of where each team stands. Orlando City has now played four preseason games, one in front of its home fans and one in front of season ticket members only. That should provide excitement about the upcoming season, but it’s actually produced some concern.

The 2024 season saw the Lions have their best postseason run since joining MLS in 2015. They finished fourth in the Eastern Conference standings and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference final before falling 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls on home turf. The experience created a lot of optimism heading into 2025.

Unfortunately, it’s been a rough go so far. The club transferred last season’s top goal scorer — and the club’s all-time leading goal scorer — Facundo Torres to Brazilian side Palmeiras on Dec. 20. Additionally, striker Duncan McGuire is out after having shoulder surgery during the off-season and his return date is unknown.

The first preseason game against Atletico Mineiro on Jan. 25 was less than inspiring. Neither team threatened the opposition goal much in a rather boring scoreless draw and, to make matters worse, Luis Muriel appeared to pick up a knock late in the first half. Preseason had just started for both teams, so you can chalk that one up to shaking off the rust.

The Lions followed up that performance with a trip to Mexico, where they played to a scoreless draw against Canadian side Forge FC. After a third preseason game against Atlanta United in Bradenton — which actually saw a goal by Alex Freeman — the Lions returned home Saturday night to face CF Montreal with season ticket members in attendance, filling most of the seats on the lower level on the stadium’s east side.

Orlando City was unquestionably the more dangerous team during the first 90 minutes of the 120-minute contest. Joran Gerbet hit the crossbar in the first half and Freeman hit the inside of the post in the second. Additionally, the Lions sent players free on goal no less than three times in the game. However, they didn’t score until Nico Lodeiro converted a free kick in the dying seconds.

To be fair, the Lions weren’t at full strength. Neither Ramiro Enrique nor Muriel, two players who will be depended on to provide goals, played in the game. Instead, Shak Mohammed started up top and was replaced by teenager Justin Ellis in the 65th minute.

Also, it’s not as if Orlando City’s leading scorer is typically a striker.

In the team’s first 10 years of MLS action, a striker has led the Lions in scoring six times, and three of those were Cyle Larin in the first three seasons. Since he departed following 2017, strikers have only led the Lions in goals in 2018 (Dom Dwyer), 2021 (Daryl Dike), and 2023 (McGuire). The most goals in those seasons were scored by McGuire, who had 15 in 2023 in all competitions.

The big question heading into this preseason was how would the Lions replace the goals scored by Torres. The Uruguayan international was coming off the most prolific season of his career, scoring 20 goals in all competitions. It was the first time an Orlando City player reached 20 goals in a season since the club joined MLS and only the second time in club history. Previously, Kevin Molino scored 22 goals during the 2014 USL Pro season.

Orlando City fans were hoping they would have a better idea at this point about who would provide the goals. Instead, they’re left with even more questions heading into the season.

This doesn’t mean someone won’t step up. As mentioned, Enrique and Muriel didn’t play against Montreal. The club also signed Marco Pasalic as a Designed Player. The Croatian made his first appearance Saturday night. He is a player who could potentially provide the goals Orlando City so desperately needs.

There was a lot of optimism around Orlando City heading into 2025 after a successful 2024 campaign. However, while the Lions have played well defensively, they’ve struggled in the attack. There are only two more preseason games remaining and one in front of fans, although it’s outside Orlando — a rivalry game against Inter Miami CF Friday night in Tampa. That will lead into the season opener Feb. 22, when City hosts the Philadelphia Union.

The departure of Torres in December created questions about who will provide the goals. McGuire’s absence during his recovery from injury exacerbates the situation for the first few months of the season. After four preseason games, the questions still exist. It’s a concern for a team that will be expected to make another postseason run this year.

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