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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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7 years ago

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Hoo boy. As far as games go, the one I just watched Orlando City SC play was…rough, to say the least. The Lions dropped their eighth straight game and did so by an ugly scoreline. It was not a good performance overall by the team, and the players rated individually as follows:

Starters

GK Joe Bendik, 5 — It was a rough night for every player on the field and sadly Bendik was no exception. Out of six Atlanta shots on target Joe managed two saves and while his defenders didn’t do him any favors on the first goal, and Barco was helped by a lucky bounce on the third, he’ll surely want the second and fourth goals back. On the first he almost certainly should have been quicker off his line, and on the fourth he was beaten through his legs at his near post.

D, Jonathan Spector, 4.5 — Perhaps he wasn’t helped by two small deflections on the first Atlanta goal, but the captain allowed Josef Martinez in behind him for the easiest goal of the Atlanta striker’s life. He was then caught out of position and subsequently failed to slow down or foul Miguel Almiron on the fourth Atlanta goal. Not his best game.

D, Lamine Sané, 5 — He had some good moments when bringing the ball out of defense, but the defender, although perhaps thrown off by a deflection off Amro Tarek, failed to clear the cross that eventually found Martinez. He was also slow coming out to challenge Miguel Almiron, which allowed the striker to get off the shot that eventually led to the third goal.

D, Amro Tarek, 6 — Tarek had a reasonably good game considering the eventual scoreline. He does lose points for failing to clear the cross on the first goal, and probably should have closed down Almiron faster for his second goal. Like Sané though, he did good work in the attack, often popping up alongside Mohamed El-Munir on the left flank, as well as narrowly heading wide and being denied on the goal line by Mikey Ambrose.

WB, Mohamed El-Munir, 6 — He was caught very much out of position on the pass that led to Almiron’s first goal, and then didn’t take the best line to track back and try to stop the goal. Aside from that though, he generally defended well and found himself up the field on numerous occasions, and had some joy in 1-v-1 situations, with five successful dribbles. Other than that though, he wan’t able to make his presence felt further.

MF, Will Johnson, 4.5 — Johnson was his usual hard-working self but failed to capitalize on Orlando’s best chance of the game, spooning a shot wide of the open net after Oriol Rosell forced a save from Brad Guzan. He made some good tackles, but an early yellow card saw him subbed off for Richie Laryea with Bobby Murphy trying to change the game.

MF, Oriol Rosell, 6 — Rosell looked fairly composed in midfield, passing the ball well, making a few good tackles, and winning all three of his aerial duels. However, he and Johnson found themselves unable to contain the dynamic trio of Ezequiel Barco, Hector Villalba, and Almiron. His shot from range forced Guzan to give up the rebound that Johnson was unable to put away, but too often Atlanta’s players had too much time on the ball in midfield.

WB, Scott Sutter, 5 — He might have done more to try to stop Martinez during the break for Atlanta’s second goal but it was a difficult scenario to get right. Sutter’s rating is rather a result of failing to make much an impact in the final third. As accurate as Sutter’s crossing normally is, it was a skill that was not on display often enough during the game. Especially considering he was deployed on the wing, his lack of contribution to the offensive effort was disappointing.

MF/F Sacha Kljestan, 5 — Deployed in the hole behind Chris Mueller and Dom Dwyer, Kljestan found it difficult to make his influence felt on the game. It was always going to be a difficult task given the opposition was of Atlanta’s caliber, but Kljestan’s passing lacked crispness and at times his legs seemed heavy. Granted, he and other members of the squad have played a lot of minutes recently, but it has to be better from a player who was one of the league’s best last year.

F, Chris Mueller, 6 (MotM) — Mueller was the best source of Orlando energy on the field. As fans have become accustomed to seeing, he ran all night long. While his passing wasn’t as sharp as it could have been, he made up for it by completing several dribbles, winning the corner and the resulting header that led to Tarek’s goal line chance. His stats don’t necessarily jump off the page but he certainly gave his all and gets the MotM nod for just how damn hard he worked.

F, Dom Dwyer, 4.5 — It’s never good when your best striker doesn’t take a single shot all night, and that was exactly the case with Dom. While it wasn’t all his fault, as the service wasn’t exactly pouring in from all directions, it’s still an ugly stat, and his passing wasn’t accurate enough to make up for it. He did what he could, but it was a night to forget for him.

Substitutes

MF, Richie Laryea, (63’), 4 — Brought on for Will Johnson with Orlando down three goals, Richie passed well enough and managed a shot, but didn’t do the best job of containing Mikey Ambrose before the ex-Orlando player fed Almiron to score his third goal. Ultimately he was unable to provide the necessary spark off the bench.

MF, Stefano Pinho, (68’) 4.5 — Pinho replaced Lamine Sané as Orlando looked to throw the proverbial kitchen sink at their opponents. Spoiler alert, it didn’t work, with Pinho only able to fire wide during stoppage time after Mueller did well to find him. The Brazilian worked hard enough, but wasn’t able to produce an end product.

D, RJ Allen, (68’) 4.5 – Allen replaced Scott Sutter, who is still working his way back to full fitness following a spell on the sidelines with injury. Allen didn’t make any horrific errors, but also didn’t do anything of particular note. A quiet night for him on a difficult night for the team.

Rough grades for a rough performance. Vote in the poll and let us know who you think was the best on a bad night.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Amro Tarek52
Chris Mueller36
Oriol Rosell5
Mohamed El-Munir3
Other (Let us know who in the comments)14

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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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17 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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