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

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9 years ago

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Orlando City is starting to do this regularly and I’m not sure my heart can take it. The Lions are making a habit of rescuing points when there should be no points. It’s crazy, dramatic, and wonderful. We’d all have liked a win, but when it was 2-0 and David Villa was lining up a penalty, who wouldn’t have taken the point then?

I look at it this way: Orlando was the tired, depleted team, playing on the road. New York City FC was the angry, rested, home team with its star players on the pitch. They’re ahead of Orlando in the standings Who was supposed to win this match? The Lions showed the heart of some kind of animal that I can’t think of right now by coming from two goals behind to snatch a win away from their fellow 2015 expansion club. And it was amazing.

So, let’s get to the grades from those who took part.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 7 – Couldn’t do much about the Brillant goal, as his defense on the back post let him down. Not much he could do on the chip by Villa either, as the play at Yankee Stadium can, and does, turn around in the blink of an eye. Not a lot of big saves for him this time, but he did a solid job all game. Distribution was spotty at times, but that is a product of the length and width of New York City’s field.

D, Luke Boden, 5.5 – Bodz struggled to get comfortable in the first half. His service on corners wasn’t great in the first half and his touch failed him a few times. In the second half, the poor service continued, as his crosses and free kicks continuously found their way in the air straight to Josh Saunders. His defense was fine but he didn’t provide much in the attack up the left side, losing his footing on his one good opportunity for a cross in the run of play.

D, Seb Hines, 6 – Was beat by the late runner Brillant on NYC’s first-half goal but was otherwise solid in defense on his return (again) from a knee injury. He put in a full shift trying to keep Villa, Shelton and McNamara at bay. Was unlucky to fall on the ball and concede a penalty, but the soccer gods were just and ball don’t lie, with Villa slipping and missing the spot kick badly.

D, Tommy Redding, 7 – Had a strong defensive first half against David Villa, blocking the Spaniard’s 41st-minute shot. In two matches at Yankee Stadium, Redding has done a great job of limiting Villa, who did get a goal on the break, but the 19-year-old had a good game, although I felt he kicked the ball wildly up field a couple of times when he had time and space to pass. That’ll come with more experience.

D, Kevin Alston, 6.5 – Provided long throws, which is something we haven’t seen this year, but the first two were too close to Saunders. Was solid if unspectacular in the first 45 minutes defending the right flank, but did allow a dangerous R.J. Allen cross that no one could get onto. Got revenge for that Allen cross by dispossessing the same player neatly in the 80th minute. A couple moments he’d like to have back in the 62nd and 64th minutes, taking a yellow for pulling down Villa, and heading out a wayward ball for a corner.

MF, Servando Carrasco, 6.5 – Took a silly booking eight minutes in blocking a quick free kick attempt. But he got under Villa’s skin and did a pretty good job breaking up play in the midfield, not having Ceren or Higuita with him. He took charge of the defensive midfield and despite a couple of shaky moments he had a solid all-around game.

MF, Harrison Heath, 6 – Joined his defensive midfield counterpart by taking an early booking for pulling down Mix Diskerud in the open field 10 minutes in. Had a pretty solid season debut although he conceded a dangerous free kick from just outside the box late in the match that could have changed the outcome. A promising first match of the season for young H.

MF, Brek Shea, 6 -€” A mixed bag for Brek, who started the match in the midfield and finished at left back. His poor defending on Allen, allowing too much space, led to the cross for Brillant’s goal late in the first half. He and Boden were the leakier side against the NYC attack in the first half, and he conceded multiple free kicks out on the wide left side. Sent Larin in with a great through ball in the 61st minute. He fizzed a few dangerous crosses into the box but none found a teammate. Took yet another unnecessary yellow card when he got into it with Villa in the 93rd minute when time was running out on the match.

MF, Kevin Molino 8 (MOTM), – He disappeared at times, but man did he show up when it counted most. His 94th-minute header rescued a point as he powered it off the underside of the bar. Set up Baptista’s first MLS goal with a nice ball in. Played a beautiful ball in for Larin in the 35th minute. Missed a shot wide late in the first half on a play-in from Larin.

MF, Adrian Winter, 6.5 – Put a brilliant cross on Larin’s head seven minutes in on the Lions’ best scoring chance of the first half. Worked his tail off yet again, which was embodied when he sprinted 30 yards to provide high pressure and forced an errant pass. Didn’t get himself into any dangerous areas, but was his normal, hard-working self for 59 minutes.

F, Cyle Larin, 7.5 – Made the mature decision to head Rivas’ 94th-minute cross back across the six-yard box rather than try to score from a bad angle and got an assist on the game-tying goal for his reward. Did everything right in the seventh minute, heading down Winter’s cross but Saunders was there to make the save. His opportunity in the 35th was blocked by the trailing defender after he moved around his marker. Made a great play on a long ball late in the first half to create a chance for Molino.

Substitutes

Julio Baptista (59′), 7.5 -€” Changed the dynamic by coming into the center and moving Molino to the right. Gave his team a lifeline with his first MLS goal, taking an extra touch in the box but that was OK because the NYCFC defense allowed it. Then he turned and powered a shot into the left corner that may have taken a slight deflection off the defender. Helped as a coach on the field, giving instructions to his defensive midfielders to come up and close space, and also worked well with both Molino and Rivas.

MF, Carlos Rivas (70′), 7 -€” In a reversal from his last outing, Rivas got himself in dangerous spots, didn’t take many bad touches and nearly earned his team a penalty in the 90th minute. Made a perfect back-post cross to Larin to start the tying goal sequence. A much-improved performance by the Colombian.

* * *

That’s the way I saw the game. Your mileage may vary. Please vote in our poll below for your Orlando City Man of the Match and tell me how wrong I am in the comments section below.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Cyle Larin 9
Julio Baptista 74
Tommy Redding 27
Kevin Molino 203
Carlos Rivas 11
Other 0
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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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21 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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