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Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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Orlando City picked up three points over Real Salt Lake for its sixth straight victory, and once again, the win came in comeback fashion. After a scoreless first half, Orlando City scored three goals in a 20-minute span to take a 3-1 lead, which was eventually the final score of the match. The win streak is both the longest streak for the club in its MLS history and the longest winning streak in MLS so far this season.

With that said, lets see how the lads did individually in yet another victory.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 8.5 — Despite giving up the goal to Corey Baird in the 12th minute, Bendik had one of his best games of the season. Bendik faced nine shots on goal throughout, saving eight of them, including a stellar kick save in the 62nd minute to keep the game level at 1-1 at the time. He also had a beautiful diving save in the 51st minute that kept RSL’s lead to just one goal early in the second half. Bendik may have given up a goal, but he was a huge reason why Orlando was able to win this game and extend its win streak to six games.

D, Mohamed El-Munir, 7.5 — El-Munir once again had a solid game at left back as he totaled eight tackles, one interception and numerous clearances on scoring chances from Real Salt Lake. He also came up and helped fuel the attack throughout with crosses, mainly in the second half, when Orlando City scored all three of its goals. El-Munir continued his solid campaign at right back for the Lions.

D, Chris Schuler, 6 — In his first start for Orlando City, and first MLS game since last June, Schuler did look rusty, especially in the first half, but he made no astounding errors and played well alongside Lamine Sané. Schuler had not seen playing time at all this season before this game, so it was expected for him to look shaky at times as he was replacing Jonathan Spector and Amro Tarek, who were both out with injuries. Not the greatest game from Schuler, but not a bad one either.

D, Lamine Sané, 7 Sané was outpaced on the lone goal from Real Salt Lake after Sacha Kljestan’s poor touch in the midfield. But the center back made up for it by netting his first goal in an Orlando City uniform and playing solid defense throughout the second half. Sané was also the only defensive player for the Lions dwith a blocked shot and was all over the pitch. His veteran presence helped the defense regroup after the early goal, which led to better play and a victory.

D, Will Johnson, 6.5 — Will Johnson once again lined up at right back and helped the Lions on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Johnson had a shot on target early on that was saved by Nick Rimando as well as several accurate long balls and crosses that led to near scoring chances. Johnson has had to be a flexible player for Jason Kreis throughout the season, but he is proving himself as a reliable right back week in and week out for Orlando City.

MF, Yoshimar Yotún, 9 (MotM) — Yotún had the most solid game of any player on the pitch against Real Salt Lake. He had 85 touches along with 59 passes, one of those passes being an assist to Lamine Sané off a corner kick for his first goal with the club. Yotún scored a goal of his own off a rebound from Dom Dwyer’s shot to give the Lions a 3-1 lead in the 78th minute to put the game away. Yotún was the Swiss army knife for Orlando City and its midfield, which allowed Orlando to control that part of the pitch throughout the entire game. Yotún had a stellar game as he gets my Man of the Match nod.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 7.5 — Higuita had the most passes (66) and the most touches (86) of any player on the pitch for Orlando City, so he was involved for the entire 90 minutes. Of course, Higuita picked up his usual yellow card, but that was excusable given his notorious physical playing style which always helps Orlando in the midfield. The Colombian had two shots off target but was a force on both sides of the ball. Higuita tallied four successful tackles, two interceptions and two clearances while playing alongside Yotún.

MF, Justin Meram, 5.5 — For some reason, Justin Meram has yet to be able to find the net, something Orlando City expected to be second nature for him when it acquired him from the Columbus Crew. Meram had four total shots, all of them being off target, even though a few were close. He also seemed to have issues with his touches as he was undisciplined on a few, but he was able to throw some passes into the box and create havoc for Real Salt Lake. Jason Kreis needs to continue to find a way to get Meram on the score sheet, because the floodgates will open once that happens.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 7 — As stated earlier, Kljestan gave away the ball in the midfield that led to the goal from Corey Baird, but he shrugged it off and played a solid game otherwise. He assisted on Orlando’s first goal of the match to Dom Dwyer in the 60th minute, which opened the scoring barrage that ensued for the 20 minutes to follow. Kljestan’s passes consistently led to scoring chances and he also took a few shots on goal as well. Kljestan had a normal game, which is basically what Orlando needed out of him to attain victory.

MF, Chris Mueller, 6 — Mueller had arguably the quietest game of his career as he didn’t record a shot throughout his time on the pitch and only had 38 touches, second to Dom Dwyer, who only had 33. He set up an early opportunity with a tremendous individual effort to put his defender on skates, but the cross was well defended. The rookie really didn’t do anything drastically right or wrong to rightfully grade him up or down, so his game was quiet but not in a bad way to affect the squad as a whole.

F, Dom Dwyer, 8.5 — Dwyer once again scored for Orlando City for the sixth time in as many games and he also was responsible for the rebound goal by Yoshimar Yotún that gave Orlando a two-goal cushion in the 78th minute. Dwyer took three shots on goal, two of which led to goals and the other also being a shot on target. He once again proved he can wreak havoc on opposing defenses and he also made passes that led to other scoring chances, as well as demonstrating standout hold-up play. Dwyer was the fire Orlando City needed in the second half after a scoreless first, and he once again put himself all over the score sheet and helped Orlando City continue scoring goals at will.

Reserves

F, Stéfano Pinho (72’), 6 — Pinho was relatively quiet for being on the pitch for about 18 minutes, as he only recorded a tackle and 11 touches. He came on for Chris Mueller, who was also quiet, so the Brazilian did about as much as Mueller did, which was nothing absurdly right or wrong.

MF, Uri Rosell (80’), 6.5 — Rosell came on for Yotún and made some noise as he took two shots, one being on target that almost gave him his first goal of the season. Uri wasn’t on the pitch long, but he made his presence felt throughout those 10 minutes and gave Orlando City a strong finish to a solid second half.

D, RJ Allen (87’), N/A — It would be unfair to grade RJ Allen as he barely saw the pitch. He made a tackle and an interception but he did not have enough time to truly make an impact on the game itself.


Vote for your Man of the Match or comment your thoughts on these game grades.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Yoshi Yotún114
Joe Bendik111
Dom Dwyer10
Lamine Sané2
Cristian Higuita24
Other (comment below)0

Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/6/24

Orlando City and Orlando Pride set for upcoming playoff games, Rafaelle out for the season, UEFA Champions League results, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s win or go home time for both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride this weekend. As if this week wasn’t stressful enough, we have that to occupy our collective minds. I know that I often prefer to concentrate on soccer, so let’s let to the links.

Do or Die Time for the Lions

Thanks to a lackluster performance by Orlando City in the second match against Charlotte FC away from home, the Lions need a victory to advance in the playoffs. Fortunately, the next match will be back at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions will need Facundo Torres and Martin Ojeda to return to form if they are to win. Orlando City isn’t the only home squad looking to win this weekend.

The NWSL Playoffs Are Here

With the NWSL playoffs imminent, it is any club’s championship to win. Of course, we want the Orlando Pride to win a second trophy. Each club has a chance to win, though some are better positioned to do so than others. The argument against the Pride stems from the two road matches they recently lost, and the goals given up after winning the NWSL Shield. If the Pride can return to the defensive form from earlier in the season, their odds will be better.

Rafaelle’s Season is Over

Any hope we had of Rafaelle bolstering the Orlando Pride back line came to an end Tuesday, as did her season. The Brazilian has been placed on the Season Ending Injury list with a partial tear of her quadriceps tendon in her right leg. The club is working with Orlando Health on a recovery program for Rafaelle, in hopes she’ll be available for the 2025 season. We wish her a complete and speedy recovery.

Champions League Doesn’t Disappoint

It was quite a day in the UEFA Champions League Tuesday. Liverpool dispatched Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 on the back of a Luis Diaz hat trick, with all four goals coming after the 60th minute. Another high-scoring match saw Sporting CP down Manchester City 4-1 thanks to a hat trick from Victor Gyokeres.

Christian Pulisic helped AC Milan defeat Real Madrid 3-1 with the American providing an assist off a corner. It really was quite a beauty with a finish by Malick Thiaw.

The USMNT’s Malik Tillman scored a goal and added two assists in PSV’s 4-0 victory over Girona. Of course, Girona played a man down after Arnau Martinez received a second yellow card 10 minutes into the second half.

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  • This Atalanta supporter will have a story to tell that few, if any, could ever dream of when talking about his club.
  • If you were wondering what a day in the life of Felipe looks like, wonder no more.
  • If you’re looking for something to do tonight perhaps you’d like to meet Simone Charley and Grace Chanda? The info is in the post below from Tuesday.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for both matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/5/24

Orlando City announces preseason match, how the Orlando Pride turned things around, Americans in midweek action, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone. We have a massive week ahead of us, as the Orlando Pride take on the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL playoffs on Friday. That will be followed up by a pivotal Game 3 for Orlando City against Charlotte FC on Saturday. Both matches will be at home, so suffice it to say we have a lot going on around these parts. As usual, we have lots to talk through today, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando City Announces Friendly

Orlando City has announced that the club will play a preseason match against Inter Miami in Tampa on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. The game will take place at Raymond James Stadium at 7:30 p.m., with tickets going on sale to the general public on Nov. 14. There will also be a pregame fan festival set up outside the stadium, which is free if you have a ticket. The decision to play Miami in a preseason game isn’t a surprising one, as it involves minimal travel for both clubs, and a chance to capitalize on the box office draw of Lionel Messi. It is a little surprising that the decision was made to host the game at Raymond James Stadium rather than Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, but it’s possible that the latter wasn’t available, or that there was a desire to capitalize on the additional gate money from the extra 15,000 seats at Raymond James.

How the Pride Escaped the Cellar

In a season that featured several teams who played outstanding campaigns, the Orlando Pride still managed to finish first in the National Women’s Soccer League. It’s a feat made even more impressive when considering how the club has historically struggled, but the change didn’t happen overnight. The rebuild really got underway in 2021, which was when a series of high profile exits and trades began to take place, which would eventually allow the Pride to do a lot of maneuvering in the transfer market. It was a long process though, and it took the arrival of Haley Carter in the front office and Seb Hines as the head coach for things to really start coming together. It’s been an all-around effort, but one that paid off with a first-place finish this season.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans playing this week, so make sure you’ve got everything marked down on your calendar. UEFA Champions League action returns tomorrow, as Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, and Richie Ledezma will take on Girona with PSV Eindhoven. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan face Real Madrid, and Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Juventus hit the road to take on Weah’s former club, Lille. European action then continues on Thursday as Tanner Tessmann and Lyon face Hoffenheim on the road in the Europa League, and Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis host Celje in the Conference League.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

As always seems to be the case, there are a number of transfer rumors floating around. First up, Spanish outlet Marca says that if Vinicius Jr. becomes available then Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain would be interested in signing him. This comes amid reports that the Brazilian is considering a move to Saudi Arabia. Speaking of Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez could seek an exit from the Blues reportedly due to not being favored by boss Enzo Maresca, with Barcelona and Inter Milan as possible destinations. Finally, Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush is reportedly attracting interest from some of Europe’s big clubs, with Bayern Munich and Liverpool both interested in signing him.

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That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/4/24

Orlando City falls to Charlotte FC in penalty shootout, Orlando Pride defeat the Seattle Reign, Megan Montefusco retires and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I covered high school cross country state semifinals over the weekend, and I’m getting ready to cover a high school soccer playoff match later this week. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Lose Penalty Shootout to Charlotte FC

Orlando City fell 3-1 on penalties to Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium on Friday night after playing to a scoreless draw in Game 2 of the MLS Cup playoffs. Orlando’s offense struggled to create anything throughout the match in the attack. The best chance came late in the second half when Facundo Torres thought he had scored the game-winner for Orlando, but the assistant referee deemed him to be offside. In the penalty shootout, Luis Muriel was the only Lion to find the back of the net. Nico Lodeiro and Duncan McGuire had their penalty kicks saved by Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, while Robin Jansson’s kick sailed over the net. The Lions will host Charlotte FC in Game 3 at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday with a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals on the line.

Orlando Pride Defeat the Seattle Reign in Regular Season Finale

The Orlando Pride snapped their two-match losing streak and defeated the Seattle Reign 3-2 to close out the 2024 NWSL regular season. Ally Watt, Kerry Abello, and Marta all scored for the Pride. Even though the Reign fought back to keep it close, Orlando held on for the win. The Pride finished the regular season first in the NWSL standings with 60 points. The Pride will take on the Chicago Red Stars in the quarterfinals of the 2024 NWSL playoffs on Friday in their first home playoff match ever. The match will kick off at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video.

Megan Montefusco Announces Retirement

Orlando Pride defender Megan Montefusco will retire from professional soccer following the 2024 season. She’s played in the NWSL since 2015 and joined the Pride prior to the 2022 season. In her time in Orlando, Montefusco made 45 appearances for Orlando and scored in a 2023 Challenge Cup match against NJ/NY Gotham FC. She did not play in any matches in the 2024 season after undergoing foot surgery during the off-season and was placed on the season-ending injury list. Montefusco finishes her career with 179 appearances, scoring three goals and adding four assists across all competitions.

MLS Playoff Roundup

The first round of the MLS Cup playoffs continued over the weekend, with a few teams booking their spot in the next round. The Columbus Crew’s title defense ended after they lost 5-4 on penalties to the New York Red Bulls after a 2-2 draw. The LA Galaxy dominated the Colorado Rapids 4-1 on the road to advance to the Western Conference semifinals. Minnesota United also moved on, defeating Real Salt Lake in a shootout after a 1-1 draw and the Loons will face the Galaxy. The Seattle Sounders edged past the Houston Dynamo 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to advance to the Western Conference semifinals as well.

New York City FC bounced back with a 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati, while Atlanta United did the same with a 2-1 victory over Inter Miami as both teams stayed alive to force a third game in their series. LAFC fell 3-0 on the road to the Vancouver Whitecaps in a match that included two own goals.

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That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.

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