Orlando City
2018 Orlando City Season in Review: Adam Grinwis

Orlando City signed goalkeeper Adam Grinwis in early January to compete with Earl Edwards Jr. for the backup role behind incumbent Joe Bendik. By late September, he had surpassed Edwards and Bendik on the depth chart, starting five of the Lions’ final six matches in 2018. Only an infection kept him out of the match at FC Dallas or it would have been six straight appearances for the former Saint Louis FC stopper.
“Adam impressed in our preseason friendly last season and has a track record of success in the USL,” General Manager Niki Budalic said in a club press release. “His athleticism, character and competitiveness will fit in well with our group of goalkeepers.”
Budalic was correct about Grinwis’ athleticism and character, but it was his footwork and shot-stopping ability that combined to push him past his two teammates and onto the field in the late stages of the season.
So, how did he do this year?
Statistical Breakdown
Grinwis appeared in five matches in 2018 — all starts for 450 minutes — allowing six goals and making 14 saves on 20 shots on goal in that span. He faced one penalty kick and stopped it when he kicked away Derrick Etienne’s attempt in the season finale against the New York Red Bulls on Oct. 28. He compiled a 1-3-1 record as a starter with a shutout in his MLS debut — a 0-0 draw at home against the Houston Dynamo on Sept. 22.
Ironically, Grinwis had the worst passing percentage of the three Orlando City goalkeepers in 2018, connecting on just 58%, compared to Bendik’s 62% and Edwards’ 77%. But Grinwis played more safely, averaging 8.2 long ball attempts per game, while Edwards (7.8) and Bendik (6.1) took more chances with short passes under pressure on average.
He did not appear in any U.S. Open Cup matches.
Best Game
The easy move here would be to take his lone victory against Columbus or his shutout draw against Houston. Another choice might be to go with the game in which he received Man of the Match from both the staff and readers — the 2-0 loss at the New England Revolution. But instead, I’m going with the 1-0 loss at New York Red Bulls to end the season.
Grinwis kept the Lions in the game throughout the 90 minutes, giving his team a chance to win — the thing goalkeepers are supposed to do. He made three saves on four shots on goal, with the Red Bulls keeping a lot of pressure on Orlando City, particularly in the second half. He faced 13 total shot attempts and came off his line to punch the ball away twice. He only had one shot on target to face in the first half, but it came from the spot, when Derrick Etienne tried to fool him up the middle. Despite committing to his right, Grinwis was able to kick out his feet and not only stop the shot, but also make sure there wasn’t a rebound to tap into the net. The penalty wasn’t the best, but what made it even more difficult was Etienne’s sudden stop-and-hop on the run-up.
He nearly got down in time to deny Etienne’s powerful shot in the second half, getting a touch on it despite the pace on it. Additionally, he made a good stop to deny Bradley Wright-Phillips in the 83rd minute and another on Daniel Royer in the 94th minute. It was a good night overall for Grinwis despite the loss against a determined New York team gunning for a Supporters Shield.
2018 Final Grade
The Mane Land staff gave Grinwis a composite score of 7 for the 2018 season. It’s a small sample size, but that is in line with his individual grades, of which 5.5 was the lowest and he got a 7.5 three times as his highest of his five single-game scores. His play was far from perfect but Grinwis showed that at the very least he can serve as a capable MLS backup goalkeeper. His shot stopping and reflexes were strong, his distribution was mostly good, he was very calm under pressure, and he read counter attacks well. He came off his line aggressively and put attackers under pressure rather than absorb it himself. He sometimes didn’t get a good view of shots from distance and he got caught in between two minds on the first goal in the Seattle game, but for a young guy seeing his first MLS games, he was impressive more often than not.
2019 Outlook
Grinwis’ deal is set to expire at the end of the 2018 calendar year per Transfermarkt and it’s unclear what Orlando City will do with its goalkeeping position, considering it was not a team strength in 2018. However, at just $67,500 in guaranteed money this year, Grinwis was a bargain and even with a raise he’d be an economical option as a backup goalkeeper who could push for starting minutes and handle himself well on the pitch when called upon. The game doesn’t seem too big for him. The Lions could do worse than to bring back Grinwis and continue to develop him behind a clear-cut starter — whether that ends up being Bendik or someone else.
Previous Orlando City Season in Review Posts (Date Posted)
- Cam Lindley (10/31)
- Tony Rocha (11/1)
- Cristian Higuita (11/2)
- Joe Bendik (11/3)
- Jose Villareal (11/3)
- Dillon Powers (11/4)
- Chris Mueller (11/5)
- Mohamed El-Munir (11/6)
- PC (11/6)
- Jonathan Spector (11/7)
- Will Johnson (11/8)
- Chris Schuler (11/9)
- Earl Edwards, Jr. (11/9)
- Josué Colmán (11/10)
- Donny Toia (11/10)
- Lamine Sané (11/11)
- Stéfano Pinho (11/12)
- Oriol Rosell (11/13)
- Amro Tarek (11/14)
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Inter Miami: Photo Gallery
An album of images from Orlando City’s hard-fought draw at home against the Herons.

The Lions brought much more roar on Sunday night to face their southern rivals but had trouble finding the net, allowing the Herons to nick a point even while short staffed. None of Miami’s high-priced talent traveled for the match after facing Toronto midweek, and physicality ensued, firing up the sold-out crowd at Exploria Stadium.
Talking with some of the other photographers on the sideline who had flown in for this match, they rated the Orlando atmosphere top-notch; in their experience, other cities don’t compare to the in-stadium fan enthusiasm.
The Lions were in “the net is lava” mode, with Duncan McGuire and Iván Angulo each missing prime one-on-one chances with Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender in each half, McGuire leaving it straight at Callendar, and Angulo badly missing the net after a missed first touch. So of course Miami struck first, with David Ruíz scoring early in the second half.
This fired the Lions up even more and Martín Ojeda pinballed McGuire in behind the Miami back line, allowing Duncan to do what Duncan does to draw the score level. The Lions generally looked the more dangerous team for most (but not all) of the night. However, it is scoring goals that actually counts, leaving both teams unchanged in their respective Eastern Conference standings. Orlando remains second at 14-7-9, while Miami stays in 14th at 9-15-5.
The Lions continue to control their own destiny in terms of getting a top-four finish as they look to lock up home field advantage for a best-of-three matchup in the MLS Cup playoffs.
With home dates left against Montreal and a sputtering-but-dangerous New England remaining, there’s still plenty of time to be part of that world-class gameday atmosphere by going out to support the team as they push for a strong finish.
We hope that you enjoy these images from a hard-fought, come-from-behind draw against Inter Miami at Exploria Stadium.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Inter Miami: Five Takeaways
Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 1-1 draw at home against Inter Miami.

Orlando City returned to Exploria Stadium after a midweek loss to New York City FC and had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Inter Miami. The Lions did well to equalize after conceding first, but will likely feel that they left opportunity knocking as the Eastern Conference remains tight near the top. Here are my five takeaways from the third Tropic Thunder clash this year.
Lack of Execution Plagues the Lions
Orlando’s offense struggled to put the ball in the back of the net in this match. That’s not to say they didn’t create quality chances, as the Lions served up good crosses and dangerous long balls throughout the match. Only three of Orlando’s 16 crosses found their mark in the end. The execution just wasn’t there when it came to finishing attacks, whether it be poor decision-making when the time came to play the final ball or just missing the target completely. Of Orlando’s 13 shots, six were on target and only a couple of those gave Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender much difficulty. Ivan Angulo missing the goal entirely after Dagur Dan Thorhallsson picked out a perfect pass for him stands out. Expecting every promising attack to end with a goal is unfair, but weak finishing cost the Lions from claiming a big win at home.
Corner Kicks Gave the Lions Headaches
While the Lions didn’t have any corner kicks in the match, Inter Miami had seven and created some of its best chances with them. In the 61st minute, a corner kick taken by Robert Taylor found Leonardo Campana all alone in the center of the box. The Ecuadorian forward’s header mercifully went wide, but it was indicative of how Orlando had its hands full on set pieces. Pedro Gallese had to come up with a remarkable save in the first half as well after Campana barreled through Cartagena to head the ball at goal. Even though the Lions didn’t concede from a set piece, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s something focused on this week just to ensure the team is organized enough to overcome uncalled fouls without needing its star goalkeeper or some luck.
Plenty of Physicality in Rivalry Match
It was easy to tell these two teams didn’t care much for each other, as they both fought hard on and off the ball. There were 27 fouls and seven yellow cards handed out by referee Armando Villarreal. Miami committed 16 of those fouls and received five of the yellow cards as they did whatever it took to slow down Orlando’s progress. Facundo Torres suffered the brunt of it and was fouled four times so that he couldn’t work his magic against Miami’s defense. It was the kind of physical match that can be expected of two rivals and made for an intense match that will likely have players from both sides seeking an ice bath. The Lions did well to stay composed for a majority of a very chippy match.
Duncan McGuire Shakes Off the Rust
Forward Duncan McGuire got back to his scoring ways with a crucial equalizer for his ninth goal of the MLS season. It was an important goal for reasons beyond the scoreline as well, as McGuire had squandered a golden opportunity to score earlier in the match by not being able to get his shot past Callender. He was also kicking himself for not getting on the end of a few other chances as well. His 84 minutes on the field were the most from him in one game this season, and the Lions will need him more often now that Ercan Kara is in Turkey. It was the rookie’s first goal since July and, although not perfect, the kind of performance to build upon moving forward.
Orlando Showcased Its Depth and Versatility
Head Coach Oscar Pareja switched things up at halftime, replacing Cesar Araujo with Martin Ojeda and having Mauricio Pereyra sit a bit deeper in the midfield to potentially create chances on the break a bit quicker using his service. Although Ojeda didn’t get a goal or an assist, his presence was notable on both sides of the ball and he played a key role in Orlando’s goal. Having a player of his caliber able to come off the bench has been a boon for Orlando this season, letting Pareja really kickstart the changes he wants to make to the team. Similar things could be said about Orlando’s other substitutes: Junior Urso, Ramiro Enrique, Gaston Gonzalez, and Michael Halliday. Their energy and skill kept Orlando pushing for more and gave the sense that a winner would have come had the game lasted a bit longer.
That’s what I took away from Orlando’s 1-1 draw with Inter Miami. Let me know what you gathered from the match in the comments below
Lion Links
Lion Links: 9/25/23
Orlando City draws with Inter Miami, Viviana Villacorta out for the season, OCB wins last game of the regular season, and more.

Last night’s Orlando City match wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t the worst either. It’s a pretty fitting feeling on a Monday, as we all get back into the swing of the work week after a nice weekend of soccer. There are plenty of ups and downs from a rollercoaster Sunday, so let’s dive right into today’s links!
Orlando City Draws With Inter Miami
In the latest edition of the Tropic Thunder rivalry, Orlando City and Inter Miami split the points at Exploria Stadium in a 1-1 result. Miami struck first, but the Lions did well to find an equalizer, even though they couldn’t find a winner in the end. It wasn’t Orlando’s best game by any means, but it was a decent response to a 2-0 loss on the road to New York City FC. Orlando now has 51 points, tying its club record for the most points in a season, set in 2021. The Lions will have a chance to break that record on Saturday when they host CF Montreal.
Viviana Villacorta Out for the Season
Orlando Pride midfielder Viviana Villacorta will miss the remainder of the NWSL season after suffering an ACL tear in her left knee during training. The 24-year-old was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft, but was not able to make her debut until 2022 due to sustained an ACL tear in her right knee that kept her out for all of the 2021 season. This year, she has 21 appearances across all competitions for the Pride and notched the first assist of her career in a big road win against the San Diego Wave on April 29. This is a tough blow to the Pride’s midfield with just three games remaining as she has ended her season early due to injury for the third straight year. The Pride are only a point out of a playoff spot and are back in action on Oct. 2 against Angel City FC.
Orlando City B Wins On Decision Day
On the final day of the MLS NEXT Pro regular season, Orlando City B won 2-1 at home over FC Cincinnati 2. The Young Lions had already clinched a spot in the postseason heading into this match, but the win secured their spot as the fifth seed. Jack Lynn briefly held the Golden Boot lead after scoring, but ended up tied at 19 goals with New York City FC II’s Matt Myers and Colorado Rapids 2’s Remi Cabral. The trio ended in a three-way tie for the league’s Golden Boot honors. OCB will hit the road for its first MLS NEXT Pro playoff game, although the opponent is not yet known thanks to the new rule where higher seeds choose which team they want to face.
USWNT Wins in Megan Rapinoe’s Final Match
The United States Women’s National Team beat South Africa in a 2-0 win at Soldier Field. Trinity Rodman and Emily Sonnett scored and the defense did well to secure its second shutout against South Africa after a 3-0 win this past Thursday. This game also marked forward Megan Rapinoe’s final game with the USWNT, with the 38-year-old subbed off for the last time in the 54th minute. These were solid wins from the USWNT following the World Cup and it will aim to keep the momentum rolling next month in a pair of friendlies against Colombia.
Free Kicks
- Three Orlando City academy sides came up with shutout victories this weekend.
- Before the USWNT’s friendly with South Africa, U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker stated that plans remain in place for a new head coach to be at the helm in time for the training camp in December
- American midfielder Yunus Musah did well in his AC Milan debut, playing all 90 minutes in a 1-0 win over Verona.
- A match in the Netherlands between Ajax and Feyenoord had to be abandoned due to fans throwing fireworks onto the field while Feyenoord led 3-0. According to police, tear gas had to be used to stop unrest outside the stadium after the match, and Ajax later fired Sven Mislintat, its director of soccer.
- Newcastle became the first English Premier League team to have eight different players score in a match after crushing Sheffield United, 8-0.
- Atletico Madrid ended Real Madrid’s perfect start to the season by beating its rival 3-1, with Alvaro Morata bagging a brace.
That’s all I have for you today, Mane Landers. I hope you all have an easy Monday and rest of your week!
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