The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Gingers, Tragedy, and the End

Welcome back, Mane Landers! It’s been a while, and I hope you’ve all begun to recover from this past season. We’ll all have to do our best to be positive as we head into the off-season. I’m certain there will be plenty of changes to come, but that’s a tale for a later time. Let’s see what’s been happening this past week.

The Good

The ginger goalie. The red-haired rampart. I’m thinking we should think up a better nickname for Adam Grinwis. The former third-string keeper made his way into the starting spot for Orlando City near the end of the season, and did pretty darn well. His stop on the penalty kick Sunday was excellent, even if he did get an assist from Sacha Kjlestan. He’s done well in one-on-one situations, his distribution has been mostly good, and he has mad ups.

Grinwis has been a bright spot in a season to forget. Hopefully, he’s able to keep it going and perhaps improve for Orlando City next season.

The Bad

In addition to being an Orlando City supporter, I’m also a Liverpool supporter. Normally, I’m not a big fan of other EPL clubs whether they are of the United or City variety. However, we can all mourn the tragic passing of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others in the helicopter crash following Leicester City’s last match. The Thai billionaire purchased the club in 2010, and took the formerly unremarkable team to the top of the mountain in 2016 when Leicester City won the league title. My thoughts are with the family and friends of Srivaddhanaprabha, and with our fellow soccer brethren during this difficult time. No matter which league or team you support, such loss affects us all.

The Ugly

They can’t hurt us anymore. The Lions’ season is done, and it’s an ending that’s felt long overdue. With 26 different back line combinations, three different coaches, too many injuries to count, a record for most goals allowed, and only eight wins, this has undoubtedly been the worst season for Orlando City. Ever. There are very few guarantees on which players will be here and which won’t. Let’s hope this season was the bottom level, and that we won’t have to deal with so much ugliness next year.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or add your own Good, Bad, or Ugly. Go City!