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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Seattle Sounders: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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6 years ago

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Orlando City didn’t win. While that’s not news, at least the Lions fought back and made a game of a match that began looking like it was going to be another lopsided blowout loss. The team started slowly and at times seemed to not even care but after falling behind 2-0, the lads in purple showed some resolve and some pride in fighting to the end, scoring in the second half pressing until the final whistle.

The positives? Well, the club snapped a 507-minute scoreless drought through Dom Dwyer and there were opportunities to tie things up but the shots didn’t go in. The negatives? There are many, starting with the team setting a new MLS record for goals conceded in a season (72 and counting) and only one win in the last 23 games.

Let’s just get to the grades before the tears blur my vision.

Starters

GK, Adam Grinwis, 5.5 — The young keeper got caught on the first Sounders goal — too far off his line but not close enough to Victor Rodriguez — and looked bad as a result. There was nothing he could do about the second, which took a deflection off his teammate. Grinwis wasn’t as sharp with his passing in this match as in his first two but generally speaking he held his positioning well and had to come out of his box a few times in the second half with his teammates pushed up the pitch to avoid trouble.

D/MF, Will Johnson, 6.5 — It was just another night at the office for Will, who worked hard, passed well (91%), created three chances, attempted one shot, and had two tackles, an interception, and a clearance. He tracked back well although he nearly put a ball in his own net sneaking in from behind to deny a Seattle scoring chance. He played all over the pitch, starting at left back and moving into the midfield after a halftime shape change. He led the team with 88 touches on the night — 10 more than the next highest total.

D, Lamine Sané, 6 — The big man started a bit slowly with a couple of wayward pass attempts but he settled into the game nicely, ending at 96% pass accuracy, a team high four clearances, one tackle, and three interceptions. He commanded the back line well, especially when the team went to a three-man line. His biggest issue came early when Victor Rodriguez split the two center backs and headed in the first goal but it was difficult for me to see which player was responsible for him.

D, Shane O’Neill, 6 — O’Neill had a bit of a bad break when the ball deflected into the goal off of him in the 13th minute. He and Sané should have communicated better on the first goal when Rodriguez split the two on a run and headed over Grinwis. He finished with a tackle, two interceptions, two clearances and a blocked shot. He played a more advanced role in the second half, often getting forward to help with the attack. He passed at a 91% rate and had one cross in the match.

D, Scott Sutter, 6 — It was a mixed night for Sutter who got roasted on the first Seattle goal and allowed players in behind multiple times in the first half. But he was great in the attack and the Orlando goal wouldn’t have happened without his service. He had a blistering shot in the first half that forced a good diving save from Stefan Frei and created three chances on the night. His 92% passing rate was good and he had one tackle, two interceptions and a clearance. If not for the early defensive issues, he would have definitely been a clear cut Man of the Match.

MF, Oriol Rosell, 6 — Uri returned after an ankle injury and put in a full shift with mixed results. He looked like he could have done better closing down Rodriguez on the opening goal after Sutter lost him. He did well in the middle of the pitch, with three tackles and a team high five interceptions. He created two chances, had one shot attempt (off target), and passed at a 91% rate. It was a decent night for the Spaniard.

MF/D, Carlos Ascues, 5.5 — The Peruvian started at defensive midfield but shifted to the left side of the three-man back line in the second half. His 86% passing rate was the worst of anyone who played on the back line through the night and position didn’t matter because it was 85% at halftime when he had played only in the midfield. He had one key pass, two tackles, and two interceptions, and took an unnecessary yellow card late in the match.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 4 — The Colombian was poor on this night in my view — not terrible but certainly below what we’re used to from him this season. His passing rate of 79% wasn’t great but more than that he seemed not to care much. Most of his forays into the attacking third didn’t end well, with poor passing, backing out of a promising attack, or just a lack of ideas. Then again, that’s not his skill set. He produced no tackles and had only one interception, so even his usual good defense wasn’t on display, and he was slow tracking back in transition several times in the first half.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 4.5 — While his 88% passing rate (on a team high 70 passes) and two chances created were good, Sacha was wasteful with his chances, getting none of his four shot attempts on frame, including a golden opportunity late to tie the game on a sweet give-and-go with Josué Colmán.

MF, Chris Mueller, 5.5 — If anyone could turn Mueller’s work rate into tangible success, it would be nice to see. Once again he ran his tail off, won a couple corners, but didn’t have much to show for it. He attempted one shot that was off frame, and passed at a 96% rate, but did not create any scoring chances. There were a few opportunities for him to make runs but he held his position at the top of the area and it took away options in the attack for his teammates. That’s something he’ll learn to do better with as he develops. A good example of that was when he picked up the secondary assist on the Lions’ goal. He dished off to Sutter and then stood and watched as the ball went in to the only Orlando player in the area instead of giving Sutter a second option. Defensively he had one tackle.

F, Dom Dwyer, 6.5 (MotM) — Dom finally broke the 507-minute drought and for that he edges out Johnson and Sutter for game MVP honors. He beat Kelvin Leerdam with a good back post run and put a difficult bouncing ball into the net past Stefan Frei. Like Johnson and Mueller, he ran and worked all night, and with Seattle’s defensive posture, he had to work that hard just to get touches. His passing rate was only 60% but several times he tried passing into the box from wide areas expecting runs from teammates that never came. He led the team with five shot attempts and had two of Orlando’s three shots on goal.

Substitutes

MF, Josué Colmán (58’), 5.5 — As usual, the Paraguayan had a couple individual moments of brilliance but there was a whole lot of nothing in between, including some loafing on plays where he could have made a difference. His back heel to Kljestan in the 73rd minute on a give-and-go was spectacular and should have resulted in an equalizer. Neither of his two shots were on target but he did pass well at 94%, creating two scoring chances. Defensively he had one tackle.

MF, Richie Laryea (74’), 4 — With 18 touches, the Canadian should have done better than no shots, no chances created, and just a 72% passing rate. He got into the area in the 85th minute and had plenty of room to pull back a pass but opted instead to hold onto it and then went down looking for a penalty and instead gave Seattle a goal kick. He did draw a free kick from distance after a good run through traffic shortly after coming on.

Those are the individual performances as I saw them. Who stood out to you? Don’t forget to vote in the poll below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Will Johnson6
Scott Sutter7
Uri Rosell18
Dom Dwyer14
Shane O’Neill7
Other13

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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

1 hour 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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