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

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6 years ago

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Our neighbors from the north came to visit again, for the third of three match-ups. It was a prime time battle on ESPN for Rivalry Week. I guess this is now a rivalry since it was scheduled during Rivalry Week, promoted heavily, and had a national televised audience. Now I will be super curious how things unfold if Miami ever actually gets its act together and enters MLS.

It was a good match, one that you would expect from a rivalry, and an unfortunate loss for the Lions, who I thought played really well for the majority of the match. Without further ado, let’s see how the Lions rated individually in the tough 2-1 loss to Atlanta United.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 5 — Only four minutes into the match and Joe had to go low quickly to stop a shot from distance, then it somewhat fell apart in the 21st minute when he fumbled the free kick from Ezequiel Barco, with the ball falling to Leandro González Pirez, who forced it in. His distribution was much better this match, with a few questionable moments, but generally an improvement. He came out, got big, but found himself on the ground too early on the historic Josef Martínez goal.

D, Victor “PC” Giro, 6 — Many were shocked to see PC start this match, and hopefully he put some of the vitriol to bed. He was caught out a few times, but this was another match were he and the other back were asked to play end line to end line. In a lovely counter in the 14th minute, Dom Dwyer found Chris Mueller, who attacked the box, and left PC a nice little back heel pass, which he took and fired a shot on goal, forcing a save from Brad Guzan. He had 86% passing accuracy, three tackles, and the one shot on frame.

D, Shane O’Neill, 5.5 — Good performance from one of the newest Lions, once again. It was good to see him side by side with Spector, although there were moments where you could tell the pair needed more time together. There were so many opportunities to take two steps forward and leave Atlanta offside.

D, Jonathan Spector, 5 — Every time Specs heads the ball it gives me chills. Great to see him back, wearing the captain’s armband, but his time off the pitch was apparent. He looked a little rusty, but that could be expected. He did have two tackles, but was only able to complete 79% of his passes. Spector went with Almiron when he should have stayed with Martinez on the second Atlanta goal, but that is easy to say watching it the next morning.

D, Scott Sutter, 7 (MotM) — Quick breakdown of some facts from the match: 84% passing accuracy, two successful dribbles, two aerials won, and two tackles. He was a force on the right, playing well from end line to end line, and well, what about that shot? That might have been one of the purest strikes I have seen from a Lion this season.

MF, Oriol Rosell, 6.5 — Uri had another good match, and was high on the list for MotM for me. He had four successful tackles, two clearances, and two interceptions. He paired extremely well with the newest Lion, who we will discuss in a minute, and helped to lead a pretty solid defensive effort, one that seemed to frustrate Atlanta for a good portion of the match.

MF, Carlos Ascues, 6.5 — Debut match for Carlos, and one that should have endeared him to all the fans. His is a large presence on the pitch, but his touch, his skill, and his vision were an even bigger present. He crisscrossed the pitch, made forward runs when space was available, and had that nice little cross to Mueller to start the run of play that led to the Sutter goal. He played two thirds of the game, finishing with 93% passing accuracy and two tackles, and I certainly hope he will be a permanent new addition to the team. His presence and ability open up a number of opportunities.

MF, Josué Colmán, 5 — A tough night for the club’s Young Designated Player. He was 89% accurate on passes, but had no real success taking on opponents with the ball. He did manage two shots during the match, but neither were on target.

MF, Will Johnson, 6 — Two weeks on from that tackle, which led to that play in D.C., Will got a chance to start in, once again, a different position in the starting XI. One thing about Will is that he leaves it all on the pitch, and he did so again against Atlanta. He finished with 90% passing accuracy, an interception, three chances created, and an assist for his nice little flick to Sutter.

MF, Chris Mueller, 6 — Hearing the stadium PA blast Wu Tang Clan’s C.R.E.A.M. during warm-ups had me convinced that we would see a big performance from Cash Mueller, and he certainly put forth a notable effort. He had the most successful take-ons of any player on the pitch, at four, but his passing accuracy was a bit low at 81%. It was good to see him being a little more “selfish” on the ball and driving the box in the offensive end. He still needs to generate more shots, finishing without one on the night.

F, Dom Dwyer, 6 — Again, Dom was marked and sandwiched by the two Atlanta center backs from the first whistle. His trap, spin, and pass to Mueller who drove the box and eventually left it for PC to shoot was a lovely run of play. Also, big save for Dom in the 60th minute after the free kick led to three Atlanta shots, two saved by Bendik, and the final one saved by Dom, who maintained his near post position. His one shot was on target.

Substitutes:

MF, Pierre Da Silva (61’), 5.5 — PDS came on with about 30 minutes left in the match, and showed some flashes of that ability we have seen from him, but it will be a little hard to grade him due to Orlando not really having much possession during his time on the pitch. His passing (55.6% on just nine attempts) must be better, but he did have a tackle and an interception.

MF, Stefano Pinho (67’), 5 — Subbed on for Ascues, which had a number of us wondering what effect it would have on the run of play. He certainly did not have the effect that the player he replaced had on the match.

MF, José Villarreal (87’), N/A — Villareal didn’t see the field long enough to make much of an impact.

That is how I saw it folks, so lets hear your opinions. Let us know in the poll below who you thought was the Man of the Match, and leave me some comments on how you graded the squad.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Will Johnson2
Carlos Ascues43
Oriol Rosell3
Scott Sutter42
Chris Mueller6
Other7

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Orlando City

Orlando City Signs Defender Thomas Williams Through 2026

Orlando City signs Homegrown center back Thomas Williams to a new contract through 2026 with a club option for 2027.

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4 minutes ago

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January 22, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City announced this morning that the club has signed defender Thomas Williams through the 2026 season with a club option for 2027. The Homegrown Player has been with the first team since 2021 and will continue for at least two more years.

“Thomas is someone whose future we’re still very excited about and we’re happy to get him locked in with us for a couple more years,” Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s shown a lot of growth these last few seasons, continuing to get game action with Orlando City B and proving the importance of our development pathway, and we’re looking forward to having him with us for the foreseeable future.”

The Titusville native joined the Orlando City Academy in 2015 and made his professional debut for the club on Aug. 7, 2020 against New England Revolution II. He played in 13 games that year with 10 starts and recorded 844 minutes. His play on the Young Lions’ back line earned him a first-team contract on June 15, 2021, at just 16 years old, making him the youngest player in club history to sign a Homegrown contract.

The 20-year-old center back made his MLS debut on April 16, 2022 in a 2-0 win over the Columbus Crew in Ohio. He made five appearances with three starts in all competitions that season, recording 271 minutes. To date, those are the only appearances he’s made with the first team.

Since joining OCB in 2021, Williams has made 69 appearances with 61 starts and recorded 5,132 minutes. He’s been booked 19 times and sent off twice, both times after receiving second yellow cards.

What It Means for Orlando City

Williams is the fourth natural center back for Orlando City on the current squad behind Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Rodrigo Schlegel. He played well early in his OCB and MLS career, but has struggled recently. Last year, he played exclusively with the second team, partnering with Nabi Kibunguchy.

While Williams hasn’t made much of an impact on the first team so far, he’s only 20 years old and still has plenty of time to develop. Extending his contact shows that the club still has faith that he can turn into a key player for the MLS side.

It’s unlikely that Williams will see any time with the first team in 2025 (barring injuries and/or suspensions), considering that he’s also been behind versatile defender Kyle Smith at the center back position. He’ll likely spend the upcoming season with OCB, continuing to develop and earn his spot with the first team. As a Homegrown Player, there isn’t much risk in signing Williams to a new contract, especially if the club’s technical staff thinks he can develop into a quality defender.

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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

4 hours ago

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January 22, 2025

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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.

Published

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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