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Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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7 years ago

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Well, that was quite the game now wasn’t it? Orlando City picked up its first win of the young season and did so in rather exciting fashion. And, while it was by no means perfect, a win is a win. Let’s see how the players fared in what will hopefully be the first of many.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 5 — It was another tough day at the office for Bendik. While he couldn’t do very much about the first goal, he won’t be happy getting beaten five hole on the second one. Meanwhile, he didn’t contest the set piece ball played across his box to Aaron Long, and paid the price for his indecisiveness. He did well to come out of the box on a couple occasions in the first half when there were balls played over the top, but this was not a good day for Joe, including some poor goal kicks.

D, Mohamed El-Munir, 7 — It was a mixed bag from El-Mo today. He wasn’t marked nearly tightly enough to Florian Valot on New York’s opening goal, again struggling to defend at the back post. The rest of his day was better though, as he made a potentially goal saving tackle in the 18th minute, and showed excellent awareness from a throw-in to assist on Dom’s second goal of the day. He got forward often, usually to good effect, but he needs to improve on that pesky back post.

D, Amro Tarek, 6 — Tarek started the game well enough, but didn’t step in to stop the pass that Derrick Etienne scored from. Like his partner in defense, he struggled at times dealing with balls played over the top. On one such occasion in the 18th minute, only a timely intervention from El-Mo prevented a good opportunity for the Red Bulls. The rest of his game was solid enough, but neither center back was completely convincing in the first half. Hopefully the injury that saw him subbed off for RJ Allen wasn’t too bad.

D, Lamine Sané, 6 — Sané losing Etienne resulted in the Red Bulls second goal. He made plenty of good tackles, and was assured on the ball in the face of the high press. He was part of the offside trap that caught the Red Bulls a number of times, and though he wasn’t able to prevent Long’s goal, it looked like he was fouled. He did well for the rest of the game but won’t enjoy watching that second Red Bulls goal. Not a bad performance, but not a particularly good one either in his first MLS start.

D, Scott Sutter, 6 — Sutter was quiet for most of the game. He didn’t close down his man quickly enough on the opening goal, allowing Kaku plenty of time to pick out Valot at the far post. He also didn’t get forward nearly as much as fans have become accustomed to, although that was perhaps by design to help provide extra cover for the center backs. One of the few occasions he did however, his shot deflected in off Josué Colmán for the winner, so bonus points are certainly in order for that.

MF, Yoshimar Yotún, 7.5 — As usual Yoshi was heavily involved in the game. He assisted Dom’s first goal from a corner kick, and popped up all over the field. Some of his passes weren’t as accurate as they could have been, but the ones that were successful were usually part of a good piece of build-up play towards the Red Bulls’ goal. Overall, a good game from him.

MF, Cam Lindley, 5.5 — Cam struggled against the Red Bulls’ pressure. He had a positively dreadful giveaway that led to Etienne’s goal, and his passing accuracy on the day was only 58%. He often had less time on the ball than he expected and he finished with just one tackle. He did manage to connect on three of his five long balls, but his withdrawal at halftime for Colmán was certainly the correct decision, although whether it was for his play or for being hacked down by Kaku behind the play is anyone’s guess.

MF, Will Johnson, 7.5 — For much of the game Johnson was in the running for my Man of the Match. Not only did he score, (even if it was a tap in) but he also completed 91% of his passes, made several great tackles, and was involved in many of the team’s good moments in the first half. But a needless and quite frankly stupid foul gave the Red Bulls the set piece that they would eventually equalize from. That mistake aside though, if Johnson continues to play the way he did today it might be difficult to dislodge him from the starting XI.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 8 — Another player who I seriously considered giving MOTM to, Kljestan impressed on his home debut. He made Johnson’s goal happen, playing a great pass through for Justin Meram, who in turn supplied Johnson. He also played a fantastic ball over the top of the defense in the second half that Chris Mueller was desperately unlucky not to score from. His vision and passing was at the heart of a lot of what Orlando did well, including finding Sutter on the other side of the field to set up the winning goal, and he certainly gave fans reason for encouragement going forward.

F, Justin Meram. 8 — Meram benefited immensely from having the physical presence of Dom Dwyer up front with him. Free to drift out wide where he’s most comfortable, Meram assisted on the team’s first goal, and nearly got a goal himself in the last minute of stoppage time only to be denied by a last-ditch challenge after waltzing through half the Red Bulls’ defense. He did put the ball in the net, but it was flagged offside. He was unable to do anything after being released down the wing in the 70th minute, but wasn’t helped very much by Mueller’s run.

F, Dom Dwyer, 8.5 (MOTM) — While he almost certainly fouled Robles while scoring his first goal, he certainly won’t care and neither do I. A goal is a goal. No such questions surrounded his second though, as he showed wonderful awareness in making an intelligent run behind the defense on a throw-in to lash the ball in from a difficult angle. His hold-up play was excellent for the entire game, and he was fouled on more than one occasion as he brought the ball down. An excellent season debut for one of the fan favorites, and hopefully the goals continue to flow.

Substitutes

MF, Josué Colmán (45’), 7 — Coming on for Lindley after halftime, Colmán instantly added another dimension to the Lions’ game. With his intelligent movement, good passing, and dribbling ability he helped create more than one chance for Orlando. He was involved in lots of delicate interplay that typically resulted in a player being released into space with the ball, and his work was rewarded with a completely unintentional goal when Sutter’s shot deflected in off his back. He perhaps tried to do too much at times but his possession play late helped the team kill off the game.

F, Chris Mueller (64’), 6.5 — Mueller came on for Dwyer and did a decent job of deputizing for him. While his failure to make a more intelligent run in the 70th minute resulted in Meram being left with few options, he nearly made up for it a few minutes later. The rookie timed his run to perfection and must have surely thought he scored, only to be denied by a fantastic save from Luis Robles.

D, RJ Allen (73’), 6.5 — Allen subbed on for the injured Tarek, and simply didn’t have a ton to do. However, his passing was accurate and he didn’t any egregious errors, so it was a solid enough 20 or so minutes from him.

Do you agree with my ratings, or am I nuttier than a port a potty at a peanut festival? Vote for your Man of the Match below, and let me know in the comments about your opinions on the players’ performances.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Will Johnson18
Justin Meram3
Dom Dwyer240
Sacha Kljestan27
Other (Comment Below)5

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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

12 hours 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: 1/20/25

Orlando City signs Nicolas Rodriguez, Jack Lynn announces retirement, USMNT defeats Venezuela in friendly, and more.

Published

16 hours 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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Orlando City

Michael Halliday Looks to Establish Himself in 2025

Can the Orlando native challenge for minutes and starts during the upcoming season?

Published

2 days ago

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January 19, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City signed Homegrown defender Michael Halliday on July 15, 2020. At the time, Halliday was the club’s eighth Homegrown signing and was only 17 years old. A year ago almost to the day, on Jan. 16, 2024, Orlando City announced that the club had agreed to a new contract for the right back running through the 2025 season with club options for 2026 and 2027. After a somewhat lost season during 2024, the question now for Halliday is whether or not he will be able to establish himself as a viable part of the Orlando City rotation.

During the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Halliday saw sparse playing time, logging a total of six and five regular-season matches, respectively. Halliday failed to earn an end-of-the-season grade from The Mane Land staff during his first two seasons with the senior team due to not meeting the minimum requirement of minutes played in a season. The 2023 season demonstrated flashes of the potential that the coaching and technical staff saw from Halliday, as it was by far his best year in the purple and gold. He took part in 18 regular-season matches, playing a total of 847 minutes and providing two assists on the season, earning himself a 5.5 year-end grade from The Mane Land. The 2023 campaign also saw the young Lion called up to the United States’ FIFA U-20 World Cup squad, a sign that Halliday possesses the ability to log meaningful minutes.

As mentioned earlier, 2024 was a somewhat lost season for Mikey as he suffered several injuries, and his playing time was limited to just 102 minutes across six games in regular-season play. The larger current roadblock in front of Halliday, however, is Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. The Icelandic international usurped Halliday’s spot in the starting lineup in 2023 after the Homegrown went out with a knock he sustained during the summer months. After that point, Halliday has not been able to crack the starting 11 again while Thorhallsson has been healthy, and even at times during last season, Halliday found himself losing out on minutes to veteran Kyle Smith.

Head Coach Oscar Pareja likes his fullbacks to get up into the attack, and much of the success that Orlando has enjoyed over the last few seasons offensively has come from the likes of Ruan creating chaos with his speed and, now, the creativity and passing provided by Thorhallsson. Halliday’s lack of consistency in his defending and with his crossing attempts has been somewhat of an Achilles heel for the defender, and if he plans to fight for a starting position this season then he must show improved metrics in those areas.

The 2025 season is shaping up to be a potential make-or-break year for the soon-to-be 22-year-old and will likely determine whether or not he will continue his professional soccer career in the City Beautiful. The best-case scenario for Halliday will be to showcase meaningful development in his game this season on the offensive side of the pitch and to maintain a sound defensive presence. If that happens, then Orlando City will likely exercise the team’s option, as the defender is still considered a young product. It does not look for the time being as if he will swipe the starting role away from Thorhallsson, but as the latter is beginning to receive more recognition from his national team, there may be meaningful moments when Halliday will be called upon. He just needs to stay ready.

Do you think that Halliday will be able to play his way back into form with Orlando City? What are your expectations of the young Homegrown Player in 2025? Let us know in the comments below and as always, vamos Orlando!

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