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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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Orlando City once again fell short in a 2-1 loss — this time to the Chicago Fire at Orlando City Stadium. A late goal in the 82nd minute from Alan Gordon lifted Chicago Fire to victory. The Lions played well in the loss, but how did each player rate in the loss individually?

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 7 — Despite conceding two goals to Aleksander Katai in the 13th minute and Alan Gordon in the 80th minute, Bendik had a solid outing. Both goals came from shots that even the world’s best goal keepers would struggle with, so you can’t put Bendik at fault for them. Bendik faced four shots on goal and the two saves he had were solid and kept Orlando City in the game. Solid outing by Bendik despite the loss.

D, RJ Allen, 7 — Allen was a solid option at right back, a position that has been played by Will Johnson as of late. Allen had four total tackles, which led all Orlando City defenders and also picked up a blocked shot as well. Allen’s passing was also superb, passing 68 times with a 91.2% success rate, especially on a near goal on a solid cross to Sacha Kljestan in the 25th minute. Allen came up and helped with the attack as well, making key passes leading to scoring chances. Solid outing from Allen.

D, Tony Rocha, 6 — Rocha filled in for Lamine Sané at center back and did not do anything drastically right or wrong. Rocha intercepted three passes and also made some key passes in the final third to get Orlando City scoring chances. He was also physical on the defensive end, something that obviously doesn’t show up on the score sheet. Rocha gave little chance for any Fire player to score which was something that kept the Lions in reach throughout the full 90 minutes. He perhaps could have stepped up to close down Gordon on the last goal.

D, Chris Schuler, 5.5 — Schuler’s defensive play was good but not great as he was beaten on the attack at times but made up for it with successful tackles. He was the only defensive player to take a shot, albeit it was contested in stoppage time and blocked out for a corner. Schuler has been the third or fourth option at center back all season and he did not do much to move up the ladder when Jonathan Spector, Amro Tarek and Lamine Sané are available. Good game from Chris Schuler, and a gutty one, as he played the entire second half with a broken arm.

D, Mohamed El-Munir, 7 — El-Munir played a solid match throughout. His yellow card on Diego Campos led to the Katai goal in the 13th minute, but he made up for it on both ends of the pitch. He had three shots with two on target, forcing Patrick McLain to make tough saves on both, especially on his shot in the 49th minute which made McLain lay out for a tough diving save. El-Munir picked up two tackles, two clearances, three interceptions and a few fouls, one leading to a yellow card. Despite his early mistake leading to a set-piece banger, El-Munir showcased his talents at left back once again.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 8.5 (MotM) — Higuita was amazing in this match. His goal was the lone score for the Lions in the 28th minute, but he contributed in all facets of the game for Orlando City. Along with his stellar offensive performance, Higuita picked up two tackles and two interceptions in the midfield and continuously pressured the Chicago Fire into bad decisions and failed attacking chances. Higuita was subbed off and did not complete the full 90 minutes, but even after he was subbed off it was clear that he was the most complete player on the pitch for Orlando City. His presence in both final thirds was effective, as he seemed to be involved in every play that either club was a part of, making him my Man of the Match by a long shot.

MF, Uri Rosell, 6 — Rosell complemented Higuita well at the left center defensive midfielder position as he also helped the Lions on both sides of the ball, just not as well or as much as Higuita. The Spaniard took three shots with one hitting the target with a beautiful header that was robbed in the 45th minute and did not find the back of the net, and he, like many other players, helped fuel an attack that generated 20 shots. Rosell also picked up a yellow card in the 64th minute on a tactical foul to thwart a counter. Rosell and Higuita work well together in the midfield, bouncing off of each other and creating chances as well as stopping them on both ends. Solid game from Rosell.

MF, Chris Mueller, 6.5 — Mueller was a force on the offensive side of the pitch, assisting on the lone Orlando goal on a wonderful pass to Higuita. He did not take many shots, but the defense from Chicago Fire seemed to focus in on him which gave other Lions a chance to take quality shots. Mueller only had 34 touches throughout his time on the pitch, the lowest amount from any starter besides Joe Bendik. Despite not getting many touches, Mueller let the defense know he was there, especially when he assisted Higuita’s goal. He should have done better on his left-footed effort on an Orlando counter to keep it on goal, but his creation of a goal and allowing teammates to create other chances made Mueller a silent but good player on the pitch.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 7.5 — Kljestan has arguably the best opportunity to score besides the Higuita goal on a chip shot that just sailed over the crossbar. He also had a solid header that missed just wide on a cross from Allen as well. Per usual, Kljestan was an artist on the pitch, painting his own pictures of what he wanted to happen and allowing his attackers to create chances along with his own. He generated six key passes. Kljestan was a big reason why Orlando City was able to have a 90% pass success rate which helped lead to the large amount of shots. His altercation with Mo Adams cut short an Orlando attack late in the game, but he was again a catalyst in the attacking midfield and had a solid outing.

MF, Justin Meram, 7 — Meram did not take long to get into the game as he took the first shot three minutes in. His finesse curl shot in the 51st minute made McLain make arguably the toughest save of the night as he nearly tucked the shot into the top right corner. He almost found the score sheet again in the 73rd minute and again in the 83rd minute on a missed header in which he flew into McLain to try and score. Meram took five total shots and maybe only the first one was a bad take. He also seemed to be more comfortable throughout the game than he has in recent weeks which seemed to affect the Lions in a positive way. Despite the loss it seemed that Meram was on his game, it was just unlucky that he couldn’t find the score sheet.

F, Josue Colmán, 6.5 — Colmán got his first start at striker and did not disappoint. He nearly picked up an assist on a beautiful pass to Kljestan and nearly scored in the first 10 minutes but flew one high over the bar. Colmán proved that he can be an offensive force in this game as he had a perfect balance of creating his own scoring chances and scoring chances for others as well. He got the “hockey assist” on Higuita’s goal, feeding Mueller, who in turn sent the ball to Cristian. Colmán forced himself into solid scoring situations and shed light on what may be coming from the young Paraguayan.

Substitutes

F, Stéfano Pinho (75’), 5 — Pinho came on for Mueller but did not affect the game much as he was relatively quiet. He only had three touches on the ball in his 15 minutes on the pitch and gave Orlando City nothing even though it wanted a spark.

MF, Victor “PC” Giro (82’), N/A — PC was not on the pitch long enough to truly grade him bad or good, but he did nothing drastic to change the match outcome.

MF, Richie Laryea (83’), N/A — Laryea, much like PC, did not have enough time on the pitch to impact the match.


Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Josué Colmán3
Cristian Higuita70
Uri Rosell0
Sacha Kljestan4
Other3

Please comment your thoughts below as well.

Orlando City

Ranking Orlando City’s Home Kits

Where does the new Perfect Storm kit rank all time?

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Photo Courtesy of Orlando City / Mark Thor

Orlando City dropped the newest home kit yesterday. As such, I thought it appropriate to rank all of the MLS-era home kits for the Lions to see how the new “Perfect Storm” kit stacks up against those from the past. I will be the first to admit I’m no fashion guru, but I do know what I like.

We all get to have our own opinions on this type of thing, but since I’m writing the article, I get final say. Let’s rank Orlando City’s home kits.

Sixth Place

Photo of Chris Mueller wearing the Bring the Noise kit.

The 2019-2020 “Bring the Noise” kit starts things off in sixth place. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this kit, but it is pretty plain for it’s moniker. The shoulder stripes don’t stand out because they are black, the pattern is…fine, and it’s the first to sport the new Orlando Health logo. Putting it in sixth doesn’t mean I don’t like it or that there’s something wrong about it. It just means I like the other kits better.

Fifth Place

Kaka wearing the City Kit.

The 2015-2016 inaugural home kit — known as the “City Kit” — comes in at the fifth spot on the list. Consideration was given for it being the original kit of the MLS era, though that isn’t all it has going for it. The old school Orlando Health logo with the swirly circle,and the gold overlap collar contrasted with the white Adidas stripes…love it. You never forget your first, and this kit is no exception.

Fourth Place

A close-up photo of the Perfect Storm kit.

The new 2025-2026 “Perfect Storm” debuts in fourth place on our list. To be fair, I have not yet seen it in person, but I’m comfortable with the assessment. There are some things to like on the kit. I like the idea of each kit being unique because the pattern is random. That means your kit is really your kit. There’s a throwback element with the gold on the collar while using white trim for the logos and the shoulder stripes. The pattern is a little busy for me, but I get what they are going for with it. Not a bad addition for anyone’s collection.

Third Place

Benji Michel and friends wearing the Thick 'N Thin kit.

The 2021-2022 “Thick N Thin” kit has a lot going for it at the third spot on the list. I like the dark purple at the top, and the two-button collar is very cool. I like the consistency of the white trim around the sleeves with the white logos and shoulder stripes. There’s also the fact that this is the kit Orlando City wore when the Lions lifted the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy. Throw in a cowboy hat and it’s a classic.

Second Place

Kyle Smith photo in "The Wall" kit.

The 2023-2024 “The Wall” kit is absolutely outstanding. The bricks in the wall pattern representing the supporters’ section at Inter&Co Stadium (Exploria at the time) is a great tribute. The all-gold trim pieces on the shoulder stripes, the collar, the Adidas logo, and the sleeves look amazing. This kit is refined with a royal look. Like Kyle Smith, I give this kit two thumbs up. That’s why it’s number two on our list.

First Place

Kaka posing with an award while wearing the collared jersey from 2017 and 2018.

The 2017-2018 home kit was so cool that they didn’t even need to give it a nickname. Whenever I want to let someone know which one I’m talking about I say it’s the one with the collar. This was the first kit to use gold on the shoulder stripes. The heathered material is different than any other kit, and the fact that it has a collar means you can wear it to work without getting in trouble.

It was also the first kit in the — at that time — Orlando City Stadium which is why it has the longitude and latitude coordinates for the stadium on the sleeve. This is one of the best kits ever produced for any club in my opinion. That is why it tops off our list in the number one spot.


There you have it. In case you’re wondering I will most likely be getting the new Perfect Storm kit for myself. As for the rankings, that’s just one man’s opinion on the topic, and I’d love to hear how you rank them in the comments below. For now, you can select the spot where you’d place the Perfect Storm kit in the poll below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 2/13/25

Orlando City unveils 2025 primary kit, Orlando Pride sign two players to short-term contracts, FC Dallas signs Luciano Acosta, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a fairly busy week for me, but it’s at least made the week fly by as we get another day closer to the return of Orlando soccer. In the meantime, I’m knocking out some more books for my reading goal this year and have a bachelor party of all things to attend this Valentine’s Day weekend. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Meet Orlando City’s Perfect Storm Kit

We now know the new primary jersey Orlando City will wear for the 2025 season, as the club revealed the “Perfect Storm” kit. The most notable feature is that each jersey will have a unique design of the purple storm pattern meant to reflect Central Florida weather. It also features Orlando’s area code on the back of the neck arranged to look like a lightning bolt, which is a nice touch. Ultimately, I think I like the previous The Wall kit a bit more, but I do like the colors and how easily you can tell the difference between each jersey. It’s available now online and you can also head to Inter&Co Stadium to pick it up in person.

Orlando Pride Sign Two Non-Roster Invitees

The Orlando Pride signed midfielder Aryssa Mahrt and goalkeeper DeAira Jackson to short-term contracts ahead of the 2025 season. Both were non-roster invitees at Orlando’s preseason camp this year and fill a couple of active roster spots for the time being. Mahrt joins the Pride after recording 21 goals and 15 assists across 62 matches at the University of Wisconsin, leading the Badgers with 10 goals last year. As for Jackson, she had nine shutouts last year with Grand Canyon University and was named 2024 WAC Goalkeeper of the Year. She had a total of 16 clean sheets during her two seasons at Grand Canyon, breaking the school record.

Luciano Acosta Heads to FC Dallas

Midfielder Luciano Acosta was officially traded by FC Cincinnati to FC Dallas in exchange for just $5 million and up to another $1 million if performance-based metrics are reached. Cincinnati will also retain a percentage if Acosta is traded within MLS for cash in the future. The 30-year-old is one of the best playmakers in the league and had 14 goals and 19 assists last season. He now joins a Dallas team that missed the playoffs last year and bid farewell to Jesus Ferreira, Alan Velasco, and Paul Arriola in the time since.

As for Cincinnati, it will reportedly replace Acosta with Portland Timbers star Evander for $12 million, along with add-ons. Evander’s 19 assists last season was tied with Acosta for the league’s most, and he had a whopping 15 goals as well. The dominos continue to fall from there, as the Timbers are reportedly close to signing David da Costa from RC Lens for a $6 million transfer fee. Gosh, if only Orlando City had a major sale this winter so that it could get in on this kind of spending as well.

More MLS 2025 Kits Revealed

Orlando City isn’t the only club showcasing its new kit this week, as several clubs across the league shared new looks. My favorite of the bunch belongs to Portland, which celebrated its 50th anniversary with a green and gold design using a tree ring pattern to literally show the club’s age. I also like the Columbus Crew’s oozing “Goosebumps” kit designed by Columbus native R.L. Stine that has a slime pattern when under UV light.

The New England Revolution’s new secondary kit looks nice but feels like something plucked from Nigeria’s cutting room floor. LAFC’s 2025 kit is as blindingly white and gold as expected, and FC Dallas’ lacks red for something called “The Inferno” kit, apart from a hellish version of its badge that I do like. While the shades of pink in Inter Miami’s new primary reminds me of someone mixing red into a load of white laundry, my least favorite kit so far belongs to the Philadelphia Union. The yellow meant to represent electricity just isn’t bold enough in my opinion. I’ve seen some people say it looks like streaks of urine in snow and it’s difficult to see anything else after that.

Free Kicks

  • Retired defensive midfielders Dax McCarty and Osvaldo Alonso are two of the five new faces joining the MLS Season Pass broadcasting team for 2025. Former Lion Miguel Gallardo will remain part of the Spanish language coverage as an analyst.
  • The LA Galaxy officially acquired Christian Ramirez from the Crew in exchange for up to $500,000 in General Allocation Money. The 33-year-old has scored eight goals in the past two seasons.
  • Christian Pulisic stated he’s focused on his play on the field amid reports that AC Milan is nearing a contract extension with him through 2028 that would include a hefty pay raise.
  • In the UEFA Champions League, Club Brugge beat Atalanta 2-1, thanks to a penalty kick in stoppage time; Benfica won 1-0 against Monaco; Bayern Munich beat Celtic 2-1; and Feyenoord managed to win 1-0 over AC Milan in the rain in Rotterdam.
  • Here’s what to watch for in today’s slate of Europa League action. The first leg between Porto and Roma should be a close affair in Portugal, while Galatasaray will be without suspended forward Victor Osimhen when it takes on AZ Alkmaar.
  • Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom revealed that alcohol will not be sold at the 2034 World Cup, including at hotels.
  • The final Merseyside derby match at Goodison Park was a memorable one for the home fans, as Everton’s James Tarkowski scored a late equalizer to draw 2-2 against Liverpool. After the final whistle, four people were sent off, including Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
  • The U-17 USMNT took care of St. Kitts & Nevis 7-0 and has now outscored its opposition 29-0 through two matches. The Baby Nats will face Cuba Saturday. The U.S. would win the group with a draw or better.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Thursday and rest of your week!

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Orlando City

Orlando City Unveils New Perfect Storm Kit Ahead of 2025 MLS Season

The Lions’ new kits are meant to represent the uniqueness and intensity of the Central Florida weather.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City unveiled the club’s new home “Perfect Storm” kit today. The new home purple kit is meant to evoke the intensity of the Central Florida weather, and features a lightning bolt (called a “thunderbolt” by the club) made out of the Orlando area code, 407, on the back of the neck and a jocktag with a doppler radar storm icon. Per the club, no two kits will have the exact same pattern.

The Perfect Storm kit will be available on MLSStore.com and on OCMobileShop.com, with pick-up at The Den at Inter&Co Stadium starting Thursday during regular business hours.

“This kit is a tribute to our fans who have supported us day in and day out, through everything, rain or shine,” said Orlando City Chief Marketing Officer Pedro Araujo in a club press release. “It is also inspired by our players’ ability to thrive in adverse weather conditions, and a reminder that Inter&Co Stadium is one of the toughest environments in Major League Soccer for visiting teams to compete in.”

The Perfect Storm Kit will be first available to fans at the club’s official jersey launch tonight at 6 p.m. at Canvas (1401 Florida Mall Ave.). Fans can purchase the new shirt and have it customized. The first 200 fans in attendance to purchase the new kit will receive an exclusive CITYiD patch

The Lions will first wear the new kit at their home opener against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, Feb. 22.

Here are some shots of the new kit:

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