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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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7 years ago

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Orlando City finally snapped a summer-long losing streak with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Toronto FC — just the club’s second victory over the Reds in 10 meetings. The Lions got on the board first and were able to double the lead before hanging on late to capture the win.

It was a good team win and one we’ve all been waiting for for quite a while. But how did the players rate individually? Let’s get to the evaluations.

Starters

GK, Earl Edwards Jr., 6.5 — “The Landlord” picked up his first ever MLS win and although his teammates helped him keep most of Toronto’s chances from less dangerous spots, he was still forced into a point-blank 1-v-1 save against the ever-dangerous Sebastian Giovinco in the 59th minute. His distribution could have been better — his throws were great but his kicks were sometimes a bit off — but there was little he could do about Hagglund’s late goal, as the Toronto defender came out of nowhere and tucked it in the far corner. Earl made three saves on Toronto’s four shots and probably gets a higher score here if he sees more shots. Great game to build on for Edwards.

D, Mohamed El-Munir, 6 — We saw a bit of a new side of El-Munir in this game. The left back played solidly on the defensive end and still gave us flashes of the attacking play he’s known for — but only flashes. He finished with two tackles, two interceptions, and three clearances, but more importantly he was better positionally than we’ve seen most of the season. The caveat here is that he failed to see the danger of Nick Hagglund on Toronto’s late stoppage-time goal and allowed the Reds’ defender to get inside of him. His 74% passing rate will need to be improved upon, but he was 2/2 on long balls and created a scoring chance.

D, Amro Tarek, 6 — The Egyptian played a mostly solid match but he did concede an unnecessary late foul that allowed Toronto to spoil the clean sheet. He finished with one tackle, two interceptions, and four clearances. His 84.6% passing rate was good but he wasn’t great on his long ball accuracy (3/9).

D, Chris Schuler, 7 — Schuler may never score an easier goal in his life but it was an important one, as the Lions got on the board first for the first time since April 21 and it allowed the team to settle into the game. His passing rate was 91.7% to lead the back line and his five clearances led Orlando. He also had two tackles and hit seven of his 10 long balls. He got abused by a Justin Morrow spin move in the first half but it was a mostly solid night for Chris and he’ll surely cherish his first goal as a Lion.

D, RJ Allen, 6.5 — RJ didn’t stuff the stat sheet, with one tackle, one interception, one clearance, and one block, but he kept a lot of the Toronto attack at bay and forced the Reds to play the ball backward a lot. He did a good job on Ryan Telfer, who had abused the Lions in Toronto, including fighting him to a stalemate in the 27th minute. He was 2/2 in cross accuracy and created a scoring chance, while completing 85.4% of his passes on the night. He came within a few feet of his first Orlando City goal in the 44th minute.

MF, Yoshimar Yotún, 7 — Yoshi probably would have a higher grade but he kind of faded from the game for about a 20-minute period of the second half. He created two chances, fired a shot on goal in the 20th minute — a screamer of a hopeful attempt from midfield that Alex Bono could only fight off for a corner — and drew five fouls on Toronto. He tied for the team lead in tackles (4) and made two interceptions. He completed 86% of his passes but his crosses (1/6) and long balls (6/12) weren’t up to his usual standards.

MF, Will Johnson, 7 — As usually happens with defensive midfielders, you barely notice them unless they do something wrong. Johnson did very little wrong on this night, completing 97.3% of his passes (2/2 on long balls) with a tackle and a clearance. He didn’t contribute a lot offensively, getting none of his three shots on frame, but his role was to stay home while Yotún roamed forward and he did a good job following Giovinco around the middle of the pitch and limiting the Italian’s influence on the game (as much as anyone realistically can).

MF, Tony Rocha, 7 — A surprise starter in the attacking midfield in JOC’s 4-2-3-1, Rocha had a solid match. He got an early shot blocked in the ninth minute and should have scored in the 42nd when his header sailed high after a terrific pass in from Sacha Kljestan, but he was influential all night on both ends. His terrific pass in the 44th found Dom Dwyer on a break and nearly led to a goal but Chris Mueller had his shot blocked and the follow-up from Allen was just wide. His four tackles matched Yotún’s total and he completed a solid 81% of his passes.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 7 — It was another solid night for Sacha, who completed an impressive 89.6% of his passes, went 3/3 on long balls and 1/2 on crosses, with three key passes — a team high. He chipped in two tackles on defense and nearly scored on a late free kick that just missed the target but caught Bono flat-footed.

MF, Chris Mueller, 7 — If there’s a criticism for Mueller’s game it’s that he was probably a bit too unselfish. We got his typical hustle and work rate and he assisted on Dwyer’s second-half goal. He fired four shots, getting one on target, a 90th-minute effort that forced a good save from Bono. Defensively, he registered one clearance.

F, Dom Dwyer, 7.5 (MotM) — Dom was a menace all night, firing a team-high five shots and getting four of them on frame. He also created with two key passes on the night. His 60% passing rate isn’t much to write home about but with nearly all those passes coming in the final third, the degree of difficulty is higher. He essentially gifted Schuler a goal with his smash on target that Bono could only fight off and he doubled the Lions’ lead just three minutes after the restart on an unstoppable shot. Then he energized the crowd with his trademark back flip. It was a difficult decision to make him MotM, but so many players were fairly even and he was heavily involved in both goals, giving him the slightest edge for me.

Substitutes

MF, Dillon Powers (55’), 5.5 — The head-banded one subbed on for Rocha and was mostly solid if unspectacular. He completed 93% of his passes and created a scoring chance, while blocking one shot. He wasn’t terribly active, touching the ball only 16 times in his 35 minutes of work but he was mostly asked to gum up passing lanes, defend, and keep it simple.

D, Donny Toia (76’), 5.5 — Toia came on for Johnson but took up his customary left back spot as El-Munir pushed forward into the midfield. He completed all seven of his passes and won the team a late corner but was otherwise not involved much overall. He registered one clearance on defense.

F, Stefano Pinho (86’), N/A — Pinho came on for Dwyer and didn’t have a lot of time to influence the proceedings. He completed three of his four passes and didn’t register a shot.

Well, that’s the way I saw it. What did you see? Be sure to vote for your Man of the Match in our poll below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Earl Edwards Jr.27
Yoshimar Yotún34
Dom Dwyer60
Sacha Kljestan2
Will Johnson2
Chris Mueller13
Other (comment below)4

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/22/25

Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.

Published

37 minutes ago

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January 22, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The ManeLand

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.

Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International

While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881755961125449765?s=46&t=pMoq7Wulqfb35D7C8ydroA

Pride Preseason Begins

The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.

USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight

Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.

Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move

USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.

MLS Transfer Updates

Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.

https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/1881741042904350864

Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881786193693823104

Free Kicks

https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1881749040863588770?s=12&t=_WZBNG4ILAyRLdwBeB4mpQ
  • Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
https://twitter.com/nwsl/status/1881749035218042954?s=46&t=pN-YJp3s7ZQlCXqnTAgSfw

That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!

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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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1 day 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.

Published

2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

By

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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