The Mane Land Monthly Awards: August 2018

The month of August was another rough one for Orlando City. The month began with a draw in a must-win contest at home against the New England Revolution, but things continued to go south for James O’Connor’s squad. The Lions lost late to D.C. United from Wayne Rooney brilliance and again were thwarted by Atlanta United at Orlando City Stadium as Josef Martinez broke the MLS goal-scoring record.

The Lions began the month in a deep hole and basically dug it deeper. With September on the horizon and labor day weekend upon us, it’s time for The Mane Land staff picks for the goal, save. and player of the month of August.

Goal of the Month: Scott Sutter vs. Atlanta United

This was a unanimous pick from the staff. Sutter’s strike against Atlanta United gave the Orlando City faithful hope right before halftime of the match, but the goal was later topped by Martinez’s goal that clinched the goal-scoring record. Nevertheless, Sutter took an amazing shot from outside of the box and smoked the ball past Brad Guzan who had no chance at stopping it. Credit to Chris Mueller and Will Johnson for their nice passing to set up the shot. The wish was that the goal may help lead the Lions to their first victory against the Five Stripes, but sadly that did not happen. Many people dubbed the shot the “Sutter Stunner” and it was good enough to win goal of the month for August.

Save of the Month: Amro Tarek vs. New England Revolution

The save of the month was pretty split, but Amro Tarek’s save on the line in the 3-3 draw against the Revs was something special. Tarek was not having the most solid game by any means, and he was making up for getting beat, but his individual hustle saved a goal that could have been a deciding factor in the outcome of an eventual draw.

Also receiving votes were Dom Dwyer’s clearance against Atlanta United in a multi-save sequence, and Joe Bendik’s one-handed stop on Hector Villalba.

Player of the Month: Uri Rosell

This was a unanimous pick from the staff and rightfully so. Rosell had his best month as a Lion to date, including a Man of the Match performance at D.C. United, in which he forced an own goal and assisted on a Dom Dwyer strike.

Rosell also earned MLS Team of the Week honors, featuring on the bench following his performance against D.C. United. His distribution of the ball was stellar throughout the month in the midfield and he just seemed to be on a different level than his teammates. The hope is that the month of August was a springboard for Rosell as he battled injuries to begin the season and looked out of place before this month.

Be sure to check in at the end of each month to see The Mane Land’s Monthly Awards and let us know your thoughts in the comments. Have a great day everyone.