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Orlando City’s 2018 Season Superlatives

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6 years ago

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There is no doubt that 2018 was a difficult year for Orlando City. The team broke the MLS record for most goals allowed in a season and picked up just eight wins for the year. Still, there were some bright spots.

The Lions were not the worst team in the league — that would be San Jose with a final record of 4-21-9. There were also a number of players and individual moments that showed promise for next season and beyond. The team found a new manager in James O’Connor, and his project will be at revamping the squad for 2019.

Before getting into 2019, let’s take a look at some of the bright spots of 2018.

Most Valuable Player: Yoshimar Yotun

There is no question that Yotún was the clear MVP on the team and, frankly, no one is close to his ability. He led the team in assists with 10, and found the back of the net four times. To see his full effect, you might have to watch the Peruvian play, though. Yoshi’s vision and technical ability are miles above the rest of the team, and without the 28-year-old, Orlando would have had a few more losses on the season.

Golden Boot: Dom Dwyer

The Golden Boot race was like Usain Bolt in the Olympics. Not only was Dwyer going to be the winner from the moment the season started, but nobody else even came close to catching him. The striker finished with 13 on the year, four more than his 2017 total. Sacha Kljestan had the second-highest total, with just six.

Rookie of the Year: Chris Mueller

Mueller wins by default as he was the only rookie to see significant playing time in 2018, with Cam Lindley far behind with only three appearances. The Wisconsin graduate showed promising signs, but needs to improve a lot more to be effective next season. He has the heart and work ethic but lost the ball too often and has difficulty getting off shots. He finished with just 32 shots in 32 games, three goals — which were in back-to-back games in April — and seven assists.

Goalkeeper of the Year: Adam Grinwis

2018 was a tough year for Orlando City goalkeepers. Joe Bendik looked out of sorts from the start and was eventually benched for Earl Edwards Jr. Edwards looked excellent in his first few appearances, making all the necessary saves, and providing distributions that could not have been any better. But after awhile, Edwards’ game started to falter and the 26-year-old only played in five MLS games, plus three more in the U.S. Open Cup.

Grinwis never looked out of sorts and certainly did not look like a third-string goalkeeper. He recorded a shutout in his first ever MLS game, and finished the season with a goals-against average of 1.2 — more than a goal lower than Edwards and Bendik in MLS play.

Defender of the Year: Lamine Sané

This was tough, but ultimately it came down to numbers. Sané missed a good deal of time, but when he was in he was a solid center back and was a great addition to the team. He played in just 16 games but led the team in average interceptions per game (2.9), clearances per game (4.4), and was third in blocks per game (0.6). His 88.1% passing accuracy was second best on the team and showed his ability to play the ball with his feet — a vital skill for defenders in a three-back system. Sané was also composed in the back and committed just 10 fouls all season — 0.6 per game.

Newcomer of the Year: Carlos Ascues

This award is given to the player that came to Orlando City since the conclusion of the 2017 season. The team was in rebuild mode last off-season and so many players were eligible for this award.

Ascues played in just nine games this season after the Peruvian international was signed in August. He was brought over on loan with an option for 2019 and the Lions will most certainly keep him in their plans next season. While he did not score a goal or provide any assists, he played almost exclusively in defensive roles in the midfield or back line. The real treat is watching Ascues play.

He appears to be on the same wavelength as Yoshi. Ascues rarely turned the ball over, finishing with an 87% passing rating and had five key passes. He finished with 17 tackles, 19 interceptions, 26 clearances, and 13 blocks — the Peruvian is in the top seven on Orlando among averages per game in each of those categories.

Goal of the Year: Scott Sutter vs. Philadelphia Union

Who would have thought in the beginning of the year that the right back would power home a goal at the death to steal a point for the Lions? Don’t even think about commenting that you did, because the situation seems most unlikely. In a season that went so poorly, Sutter’s 91st-minute equalizer won’t be forgotten soon.

But the goal wins the Orlando City Goal of the Year for more than just the dramatics. First, look at pass from Yoshi in the video below. The Peruvian crossed the ball about 40 yards and landed it perfectly in stride for Josué Colmán. Instead of being selfish when he got the ball, Colmán used some fancy footwork to create space and Sutter drifted in behind. The Young Designated Player back-heeled a pass to Sutter, and the Swiss defender hit a first-time shot to the back post. It was a terrific goal all around that the Lions made look easy, in a year where they struggled to find the back of the net.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to ensure a victory over FC Cincinnati Saturday at home?

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12 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City looks to bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Cincinnati has twice as many points as Orlando City and more than twice as many wins. FCC has only scored one more goal than Orlando City, but with only nine goals conceded compared to Orlando City’s 17, it’s easy to see why Cincinnati is sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference.

What I’m trying to say is that the task doesn’t get any easier this weekend. What does Orlando City need to do to secure all three points at home against FC Cincinnati?

Accost Acosta

Cincinnati’s attack revolves around Luciano Acosta. The attacking midfielder has four goals and five assists so far this season. To put that into perspective, Duncan McGuire — Orlando City’s leading scorer — also has four goals but only one assist. If we look at the Lions’ attacking midfielders, Facundo Torres has one goal and one assist, Ivan Angulo and Nico Lodeiro both have one goal and two assists, and Martin Ojeda has zero goals and only one assist. Luis Muriel is still at double zeroes.

The defensive midfield and the back line must do everything possible to mark him out of the match. It’s not enough to keep him from scoring, they must also keep him from setting up chances for his teammates. Most importantly, the defense must do that for 90 minutes plus stoppage time. There is no room for the mental lapses we’ve seen throughout the first part of this season.

Break Through

Cincinnati is stingy on defense. As I mentioned above, the club has only allowed nine goals this season. The back line is formidable with the likes of Matt Miazga, Miles Robinson, and Ian Murphy. On the wings are DeAndre Yedlin and Luca Orellano. This is a tough defense, and whether it is McGuire or Muriel who gets the start, they must find the spaces in between.

Just as importantly, Torres, Angulo, Ojeda, and Lodeiro — depending on who is in at any given moment — must be able to thread the passes in for McGuire, Muriel, or each other to create quality chances. On top of that, the Lions must convert on those chances, which is not something that has been a strength so far this season. If the Orlando City defense continues to give up cheap goals, then the offense will need to one-up the competition when it comes to scoring.

Deal with an Unknown

FC Cincinnati recently signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. Kelsy comes in as an MLS U22 Initiative player and is eligible to play against Orlando City. Even though Kelsy is only 19, he has 68 professional appearances, including UEFA Champions Leagues matches. At 6-foot-3, he can be a challenge for defenders, especially in the air.

Kelsy hasn’t had much time with the team, but he could be a second-half substitution for Cincinnati. Given that Orlando City just gave up two late headers against Toronto FC, the back line will need to be careful that Kelsy doesn’t hurt the Lions in the same manner — especially if he comes on late when legs and minds are tired.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/2/24

The Pride win big, OCSC celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month, USMNT news, and more.

Published

16 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

It’s Thursday, Mane Landers. Of course, the name Thursday comes from Thor’s day, and as such, it isn’t a big leap for us to consider it Thorhallsson’s day. Though I suppose that is a bit of a mouthful, so we’ll just keep things the way they are, but do hold Dagur Dan close to your heart today. Also, let us wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Luana. Despite the devastating news that dropped about her health earlier this week, we hope that her spirits are high and we wish her nothing but happiness today. It’s also Dagur Dan Thorhallsson’s birthday today, so we’re celebrating him as well. Let’s get to the links.

The Pride Dominate the Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 4-1 in a midweek match at Inter&Co Stadium. The Pride did indeed dominate the Courage as much as the score line indicates. It was once again the Barbra Banda show, with the Pride’s newest player contributing a brace and an assist on the night. It is the Pride’s fourth straight victory and the undefeated run continues.

OCSC Celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are doing their part this May to observe Mental Health Awareness Month. The club is sponsoring and attending events and forums available to the general public, as well as holding club staff workshops around promoting mental health. I have to say my favorite is the therapy dogs visits that will be available to the staff. There’s nothing as good for my personal mental health as the joy and unconditional love a dog can bring. If I didn’t have dogs of my own, I’d be really jealous.

The Billionaires Clubs

Orlando City and Orlando Pride owners, the Wilf family, are not the only billionaire owners in the NWSL. There are more and more owners and ownership groups that fall into that category. The influx of more money is a growth opportunity for the league and potentially for those owners. It’s a bit of a “rising tide lifts all boats” mentality for these owners as they do better when the league as a whole does better. It’s not just the owners who think so. The NWSL was ranked No. 5 on the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2024. I’m just glad the Pride are in the club.

USMNT News

I hate starting off a section with bad news, but Sergino Dest tore his ACL in training with PSV Eindhoven and will miss the Copa America. Dest will require surgery though there is no time frame yet for when he may return. The loss of Dest is a blow to the U.S. defense heading into the competition this coming June. The USMNT plays Bolivia on June 23.

In better news, Tim Weah provided the assist for Juventus on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal against Lazio. Juventus entered the second leg of the Copa Italia semifinal up 2-0, but Lazio drew level before Milik’s goal. Juventus advanced 3-2 on aggregate and will play in the final.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. There’s plenty more soccer to come this weekend with all three teams playing. Check back for more as we get you ready for those matches. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/1/24

Mason Stajduhar was arrested, Orlando Pride play at home tonight, Colin Guske discusses his signing, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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May 1, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday and welcome to May, Mane Landers. Don’t forget that the undefeated Orlando Pride are in action tonight, so check back for our match preview and the latest episode of SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for additional pre-match coverage. In the meantime, let’s get to the links.

Mason Stajduhar Arrested Early Sunday

Orlando City goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar and his wife Tatiana Stajduhar were both arrested on disorderly conduct charges following an incident at a nightclub overnight Saturday in the early hours of Sunday morning. The couple were reportedly disrespectful to the club’s staff and got into an altercation with the security guards. Mason stated he was only resisting the security guards to re-enter the club because the bouncers allegedly hit his wife. Tatiana allegedly pushed the police officers after they arrived, and she was not charged with battery on a law enforcement officer. The couple were released Monday after posting a bond. Orlando City provided the following statement to WESH 2 News:

“The Club is aware that goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar was arrested early Sunday morning. We are currently gathering more information and will have no further comment at this time.”

Orlando Pride Host the North Carolina Courage Tonight

After a 3-2 win on the road last Friday against the Washington Spirit, the Orlando Pride are back in the City Beautiful and will take on the North Carolina Courage tonight. Unbeaten in their six games so far this season, the Pride have also won their past three games and sit fourth in the standings. They’re tied on points with a Courage team that beat the Seattle Reign Saturday. Orlando has scored at least one goal in every match this season. Forward Barbra Banda had a great performance in that win against the Spirit, so hopefully the scoring trend continues tonight for the Pride.

Orlando City/Pride Earn Golden Brick Awards

Have you enjoyed the new food options at the stadium? I know I have, and I’m looking forward to trying even more. The efforts made by Orlando City’s front office to feature more local food and beverage options did not go unnoticed, as the club won the Hospitality & Dining category in the Downtown Orlando Partnership’s 2023 Golden Brick Awards. The Orlando Pride’s 2023 Highway Woman Kit also won the award in the Arts & Culture category. The home jersey was inspired by the work of Mary Ann Carroll, the sole woman in the famed Highwaymen artists from decades ago.

Colin Guske Speaks On Signing First Pro Contract

Orlando City Development Academy player Colin Guske signed his first professional contract with the club last month and spoke on the importance of this moment in his career. The 17-year-old is now on an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B, and he has started in nearly every game for the Young Lions this year. Both of Guske’s brothers have also played for Orlando City’s academy over the years, and he thanked his family for helping him reach this point.

“It’s awesome to represent the Guskes,” Colin said. “Thanks to my brothers for always pushing me through early mornings and late nights, always putting in the work, doing video sessions, everything. My sister as well, for always being there for me and my parents, too. They’re always helping me and what was the best for me.”

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy all of the sights and sounds from the Pride’s big win over the Spirit in the nation’s capital.
  • The Champions League semifinals are underway and Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played to a 2-2 draw in Germany. The second leg will take place on May 8 in Madrid.

That will do it for today. If you can make it out to the stadium tonight to catch the Pride in action, I strongly suggest you do so. Barbra Banda is about to take the NWSL by storm and you’ll want to see it in person. Vamos Orlando!

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