Connect with us

Orlando City

2017 Orlando City Season in Review: Cyle Larin

Published

7 years ago

on

Cyle Larin came into 2017 ready to embark on his third season with Orlando City Soccer Club. His name has been in the mouth of many large clubs overseas, and there has been no shortage of transfer speculation. With all these rumors circulating over his head, this was a very important season for the young Canadian international. His season got off to a hot start up top for City, scoring the first goal in club history at the brand new Orlando City Stadium. However, the season after that took some definite twists and turns throughout. Let’s go ahead and take a dive into the deep end and discuss the specifics of Larin’s performance throughout the season.

Statistical Breakdown

At first glance this year, you might look at Larin’s statistics and say that he had his worst year with the club. Though that is a subject that is likely to be heavily debated, many of the City faithful will agree with you on that. He tallied his lowest total of goals scored in a season this year (12), and also equaled his lowest number of starts this year (24). On the upside though, he did equal his career high in assists, with three.

As stated previously, he did score 12 goals — to lead all Orlando City players — this season on 32 shots on goal, which is a conversion rate of 37.5%, which is a career low for Larin. In his rookie season his conversion percentage was about 58.6%, which was among league leaders. This drop-off may not have directly affected Orlando City’s abysmal offensive production this season, but it definitely didn’t do the team any favors. Larin did also miss out on the final games of the season due to a hip flexor issue he picked up during international duty with Canada, which may have had an effect on his final production.

Larin’s arrest for a DUI also may have had a profound effect on his 2017 production. Certainly the three games Larin missed while completing the MLS Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health (SABH) program was a big part of that. He had eight goals to his name at that point in the season, along with one assist. After his return, it took Larin over a month to find the back of the net again, and he was unable to regain the form and consistency that gave him success earlier in the Lions’ campaign. That shows how his off-field distractions ended up directly contributing to his on the field struggles later in the year.

Best Game

On April 23, the Lions took on New York City FC at Yankee Stadium, a ground which has shown Larin a good amount of success, and this match was no different. Larin was at the top of his game, scoring two goals on four shots, drawing a boat load of fouls in dangerous areas, and out-muscling defenders left and right, on his way to winning our Man of the Match honors for his performance. This performance gave us a glimpse of what we hoped to expect for the rest of the season, as Larin displayed great hold-up play and solid distribution to the wings, and he finished with deadly precision from inside the box.

Final 2017 Grade

The staff here at The Mane Land gave Larin a composite grade of 5.5 on the year. While he did lead the team in goals and shots on goal, his severe drop-off from his previous form, coupled with his mid-season slide in the wake of his arrest and suspension caused his grade to drop. His hold-up play left something to be desired as well this year, due to poor touches causing counter attacks to be squandered and possession to be conceded.

2018 Outlook

While we cannot see into the future, one thing we do know for certain is that Cyle has voiced his desire to go and play overseas, and he even said recently that he feels as though he is ready to go, and that the time is now in his career. Larger clubs like Leeds United in England, and Besiktas in Turkey have been linked to the Canadian forward, and if these rumors are true, we may have seen the last of Larin in Orlando City purple and gold.

Other rumors that are adding fuel to the fire are reported talks between the club and Norwegian forward Jo Inge Bernet. He is similar in stature to Larin, and exhibits a similar play style, along with a winning attitude from his time spent with top Swedish team Malmo. If this is the end of Larin in Orlando, we will cherish his time with the club, as he is currently the all-time leading scorer in Orlando City history and was the Lions’ first ever SuperDraft selection. His striking prowess may dearly be missed, unless it can be replaced and if Dom Dwyer can continue the form that he finished the 2017 season with, netting four goals and adding three assists in the season’s final six games.

Previous 2017 Player Season in Review Posts (Date Published)

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/11/24

Orlando Pride in Portland, U.S. men and women news, international upsets, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

October 11, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Milton has finally made its way out of Florida, though many of us will be dealing with the aftermath for a while. We hope that you and yours are safe and that the damage is minimal. I know that many are still without power — which is why I’m writing Lion Links today instead of Marcus Mitchell. Fortunately, the Orlando Pride play in Portland tonight, although it will be a late one. Let’s get to the links.

Pride in Portland

The Orlando Pride may be the NWSL Shield winners, but with three matches left in the regular season, the job is not done. Now, the club will take on the Portland Thorns. The Thorns haven’t been great as of late, but Providence Park is a tough place to play. While the club is focused on the upcoming playoffs, the Pride still want to finish undefeated in the regular season. Portland, like many clubs, are fighting for a playoff spot.

USWNT Players in the News

Lindsey Horan didn’t have the best Olympics in my opinion, but she is doing very well in her start to Lyon’s season. She’s scored five goals in four matches to help Lyon top the table. Back home, Crystal Dunn is being honored by Empowerment on the East River hosted by Black Players for Change.

USMNT in Action

The USMNT plays its first match under Mauricio Pochettino Saturday night against Panama, and you can watch it on multiple platforms. There are no conflicts of interest this go-around, but next year, some players will need to choose between playing in the Club World Cup or the Gold Cup.

International Results

Orlando City, and all the other teams and leagues, aren’t playing right now due to an international break. The matches have already begun. Perhaps the biggest news was Greece’s stunning 2-1 win over England. The victory puts Greece atop Group B2 in the UEFA Nations League competition.

Over in Group A2, Italy blew a two-goal lead to draw Belgium 2-2. There were plenty of other results, including Erling Haaland becoming his country’s all-time top scorer after scoring a brace in Norway’s 3-0 win over Slovenia. If you want to catch more matches, here’s where you can watch.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back tonight for our Pride match recap, and follow The Mane Land on Twitter during the match. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/10/24

Orlando City’s potential as a playoff dark horse, the Orlando Pride’s rise to prominence, the USMNT prepares for Panama, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

October 10, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

I hope you’re all staying safe out there as Hurricane Milton tears across the state of Florida. While we endure the storm and wait for the Orlando Pride to play in Portland on Friday night, let’s distract ourselves with some links from around the soccer world.

Orlando City’s Dark Horse Potential

On the latest episode of the Offside with Taylor Twellman podcast, he spoke on how Orlando City will be a dark horse in the tournament. The Lions have been on an incredible run of form over the past few months and can host in the first round of the playoffs if they manage to hold onto the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference. Nearly all of the team’s attackers are hitting their stride and a recent win over FC Cincinnati is evidence that the Lions aren’t to be overlooked in this year’s playoffs.

“[Orlando City is] the best team in MLS since July 1 and they are scoring goals for fun while winning 10 of those 13 games,” Twellman said. “They will fight, they will claw, basically they will do anything to get under your skin.

“Nobody, and I mean nobody, wants to play this version of Orlando City.”

How the Orlando Pride Made History

It still feels a bit surreal that the Orlando Pride lifted the NWSL Shield with three games left to play this season. Here’s a great feature by Henry Bushnell of Yahoo Sports that dives into some of the reasons behind the Pride’s dominance this season. Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter has helped build a culture of confidence, comfort, and resilience by investing in the players as humans and not just what they can do on the field.

Pro Soccer Wire‘s Jason Anderson detailed how the Pride were able to beat the Washington Spirit to deservedly lift the trophy and it’s also a great read. The Pride did well to adjust to the Spirit’s commitment to their formation and cranked up the tempo to create opportunities to win.

MLS 2024 22 Under 22 List Unveiled

Although Michael Halliday and Heine Gikling Bruseth were eligible, no Lions made this year’s MLS 22 Under 22. Inter Miami midfielder Diego Gomez tops the list, with Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna and the Philadelphia Union’s Jack McGlynn rounding out the top three. The youngest player on the list is 15-year-old midfielder Cavan Sullivan, while the Chicago Fire’s Chris Brady is the only goalkeeper to make the cut. Of the 22 players listed, 16 play in the Eastern Conference. As for notable players who weren’t listed, CF Montreal’s Caden Clark has thrived since being traded by Minnesota United and Matai Akinmboni deserves some recognition for his role in D.C. United’s defense at 17 years old.

USMNT Prepares for Panama

The United States Men’s National Team will play its first match under Mauricio Pochettino on Saturday when it takes on Panama in a friendly in Austin. This will be a rematch of when the two nations squared off in Copa America on June 27, with the U.S. falling 2-1. The Yanks failed to make it out of the group stage of that tournament and Gregg Berhalter was fired as head coach in July. A statement win against a Panamanian side that’s currently 37th in the FIFA rankings would be a great start to Pochettino’s tenure as head coach.

Free Kicks

That’ll do it for me today, as my power has just gone out, so it’s the perfect time to wrap things up. Stay safe out there!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/9/24

Orlando City’s on fire, OCB to face the Fire (2), the USMNT’s upcoming friendly, and more.

Published

4 days ago

on

October 9, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I made the trip down to Inter&Co Stadium to see the Orlando Pride win the 2024 NWSL Shield over the weekend. I know it was raining — fortunately, I remembered my rain jacket — but if you weren’t there, you really missed an amazing night. You can read about it in our recap, but seeing the team raise that shield was unforgettable. Hopefully, it won’t be the only hardware the Pride raise this year. Let’s get to the links.

Red Hot Lions

Orlando City has won 10 of its last 13 matches to climb into position to potentially begin the playoffs with home-field advantage. The run of good form has the Lions sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The latest 3-1 victory over FC Cincinnati moved the team from eighth to sixth in the MLS Power Rankings, and up to fifth in the Goal.com Power Rankings. Orlando City’s last match of the season will be at home against Atlanta United on October 19.

Pride’s Success No Accident

Marta had a great match Sunday and more than earned her moment in the sun when she lifted the NWSL Shield. Of course, none of that happens if the people working behind the scenes aren’t doing everything possible to help the Pride in this incredible turnaround. The players will likely tell you that the club’s success is in part thanks to the organization that has been built.

Of course, not every women’s club gets the amount of support that the Orlando Pride receive. Many clubs do not have the infrastructure from staff to facilities to truly grow the women’s game. It’s an issue for many clubs in various leagues across the world. Coaches end up having to pick up the slack, and that isn’t sustainable. While I’m grateful that the Wilf family and Haley Carter are providing the necessary tools for the Pride to succeed, I would like to see other organizations step up as well.

OCB to Face Chicago Fire II in Playoffs

Orlando City B will square off against Chicago Fire II away from home to start the playoffs. OCB finished the MLS NEXT Pro regular season in fifth place — which isn’t too bad when you look back a few weeks. Unfortunately for OCB, the top four clubs get to choose their first-round opponent in the playoffs (well, the top three do…the fourth-place club doesn’t really have a choice). It’s one of the weird things that MLS NEXT Pro does. No one above the fourth-place Chicago Fire II opted to play the Young Lions. The match between the Young Lions and Chicago Fire II will take place Sunday, Oct. 20, at 3 p.m.

USMNT Ready for Poche

The Mauricio Pochettino era for the USMNT kicks off Saturday with a friendly against Panama at Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX. Three days later, the new U.S. boss will face rival Mexico in Guadalajara. Big-name players like Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie are on the roster. One player who won’t be there is the injured Folarin Balogun. That might open a window of opportunity for Josh Sargent to make a splash with the new coach. Sargent’s more rounded style of play is something that forwards have demonstrated under Pochettino at the club level. A friendly is exactly the sort of place for Sargent to show his stuff.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back this week as we get you ready for the Pride’s upcoming match in Portland. Most importantly, stay safe as this hurricane makes its way towards Florida. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Trending