Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Published

6 years ago

on

Orlando City had nothing much to play for but the Lions fought hard anyway before falling 1-0 on the road to the New York Red Bulls. One individual moment of brilliance by Derrick Etienne was the difference in a game that had to be frustrating for the hosts as they had to work hard against the worst team in the conference to claim the Supporters’ Shield.

Let’s get to the individual grades from the season finale.

Starters

GK, Adam Grinwis, 7.5 (MotM) — He only had to make one save in the first half, but Grinwis made it a doozy, denying Derrick Etienne on a penalty kick. After committing to his right, he kicked his legs out to block the shot toward the middle of the net. He did well to come off his line and punch away several first-half crosses and command his penalty area. He made a couple of big saves in the second half (finishing with three saves in the game), including a good one to deny Bradley Wright-Phillips in the 83rd minute and another on Daniel Royer in the 94th minute, and he nearly kept out Etienne’s goal. Grinwis got a piece of it but it had too much power on it for him to keep out. Another good performance from the young goalkeeper. If there was one knock on his game, it would be that his passing wasn’t quite up to the level we’ve seen previously.

D, Amro Tarek, 6.5 — The Egyptian center back played a solid game against a relentless Red Bulls attack, finishing with four clearances, two interceptions, two tackles, and a blocked shot. His 58% passing rate was a product of a third of his attempts being long balls, as the Lions took no chances against New York’s high press.

D, Chris Schuler, 5 — A surprise starter when Lamine Sané sustained a knee injury during warmups, Schuler had an adventurous first half with a number of poor touches that led to Red Bulls’ possessions and a few scoring chances. Despite that, Schuler hustled, played hard, and just fought his way through it. He had a team high five clearances to go with four interceptions, a tackle, and three blocked shots. He looked to be out of position on the Etienne goal because there was nobody in the middle of the area on the shot, but he wasn’t the only one.

D, Shane O’Neill, 6.5 — O’Neill got beaten by Etienne in space for the goal, but it was a team breakdown, rather than an individual one. He simply got beat by a good move. Although he should have been protecting the middle, he was wary of Etienne’s speed to the outside and it ended up costing him. But he won the next match-up in space with Etienne in the 67th minute to win a goal kick. He had one tackle and two interceptions and led the back line in passing rate at 74%. He also got forward to help the attack and smashed a blistering shot that Luis Robles had to fight off.

WB, Mohamed El-Munir, 6.5 — El-Munir is a better wingback than a traditional left back and he had a mostly solid effort in New York. He created two scoring chances, attempted a shot, and had a team-high six dribbles. With nine tackles, four interceptions, and five clearances, he put in the work on the defensive end. However, his passing rate was low (62%) and he was dispossessed four times. He also conceded a penalty, although I think he was thrown off balance after contact with Etienne that wasn’t called. Aside from a few wobbly moments, such as trying to dribble through multiple Red Bulls in his own third before losing the ball, it was a good effort and if he can clean up some of his more risky plays, he could be an important player to bring back in 2019 if James O’Connor keeps him as a wingback.

MF, Oriol Rosell, 6.5 — The Spaniard put in a typically good defensive shift, notching three tackles, four interceptions, and two clearances. He had the best passing rate (78.7%) of any of the starters, although he struggled with long ball accuracy in the second half about a 15-minute spell. He created one scoring chance and didn’t get forward enough to attempt a shot.

MF, Yoshimar Yotún, 5.5 — I thought the Peruvian had an unusually quiet game, and credit the Red Bulls for that, as there was someone — often multiple players — in his face nearly every time he got on the ball. He created only one scoring opportunity, attempted no shots, and had just two dribbles in the match. He switched the field well, going 12/17 on long balls, drew a couple free kicks, and passed at a 76% rate. His set piece delivery wasn’t great. Defensively he notched three tackles and two interceptions.

WB, Scott Sutter, 6 — Sutter passed pretty well (77%) and created a scoring chance for Chris Mueller with a well-placed header into the area off the rebound of O’Neill’s blast. His 1-v-1 defending was mostly solid and he finished with two tackles and an interception. His rapport with Mueller on the right side is good, as the two have a good understanding where the other will be. He did well to cut inside when he could, but he could never free himself up for a shot.

F, Sacha Kljestan, 5 — The captain returned to Red Bull Arena for the first time on the other side, and had a fairly quiet night. He attempted one shot on a free kick but it wasn’t close. He had two key passes, including a slick through ball for Mueller in the second half that led to a great scoring chance. His 75% passing rate was decent and his one cross was accurate. Defensively, he had one clearance.

F, Dom Dwyer, 4.5 — A pest all night, Dwyer was throwing his body all over the place to try to win free kicks and hold up play in the attacking third, but it was a lot to ask to send him up against Aaron Long, Tim Parker, and New York’s pacey fullbacks. He sent two good El-Munir crosses wide of goal on one-time shots and he thought he’d scored in the 64th minute but he was correctly flagged for offside, making his run too early and not re-establishing himself before heading in a cross past Robles. His three shots were a team high but none were on target. He had one tackle defensively and picked up an unnecessary yellow card sparring with Michael Murillo.

F, Chris Mueller, 4 — I always hate giving the rookie a low score because his work rate alone is worth a few points, but he had a tough match. His header onto the roof of the net should have been an opening goal after Sutter found him in front of the net in the first half. He took a beautiful pass from Kljestan in the second half and passed to an offside Dwyer rather than take the shot himself. He attempted two shots, with neither hitting the target, and passed at just a 61% rate without creating a scoring chance. HIs two interceptions speak to his work rate but he always seemed to lose every footrace against a number of Red Bulls, particularly Kemar Lawrence, and was dispossessed twice.

Substitutes

F, Josué Colmán (71’), 5 — The Paraguayan entered for Mueller with 19 minutes of normal time left and tried to get involved, finishing with 16 touches and an 85% passing rate on just 13 attempts. He didn’t have a shot attempt and created no scoring chances in a bit of an invisible performance off the bench.

That is how I saw the performances in Orlando City’s season finale against New York. What grades would you have given? Don’t forget to vote in the poll below for your Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Oriol Rosell0
Amro Tarek52
Shane O’Neill5
Adam Grinwis32
Mohamed El-Munir 4
Other5

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

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

on

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!

Continue Reading

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

on

January 21, 2025

By

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!

Continue Reading

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

on

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.

Continue Reading

Trending