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2018 Orlando City Season in Review: Dom Dwyer

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5 years ago

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In 2013, Sporting Kansas City sent striker Dom Dwyer on loan to its USL Pro affiliate, Orlando City. Dwyer went on to score 15 goals in 13 league games, three goals in three U.S. Open Cup appearances, and helped orchestrate a return for the 2013 USL Pro Championship Game in which he scored four more goals. During the 2017 season, one of the club’s most popular all-time players returned “home,” as he called it, stating that he should’ve had mixed feelings but was delighted by the trade.

With Cyle Larin on the decline in 2017 and forcing his way out of the club the following off-season, Lions fans were thrilled to see a true striker take his place and they were not disappointed. Dwyer scored four goals in his 12 appearances in 2017 and continued to produce in 2018, leading the team with 13 goals.

Let’s take a closer look at Dom Dwyer’s first full season in Orlando.

Statistical Breakdown

Dwyer took part in 26 games in 2018, starting 25, and playing 2,244 minutes. He scored 13 goals in 2018, more than a quarter of the team’s 43 goals and more than double the next-highest scorer. Almost half of his 78 shots were on target, with 36 on goal. When it comes to timing his runs, Dwyer was caught offside 41 times.

Anyone who has seen Dwyer play knows about his tenacity and fearlessness about challenging players, so it’s no surprise that he committed 43 fouls in 2018, receiving nine yellow cards. Spending most of the season alone up top, Dwyer was often the target of passes rather than the passer, which is why he didn’t record any assists this year — a year after he set a career high of five, which included four in just 12 appearances after the move to Orlando. In total, he completed 67.1 percent of his passes.

As you’d expect from a striker, his defensive numbers were low, as he averaged 0.3 tackles, 0.1 interceptions, 0.3 clearances, and 0.1 blocks per game.

Dwyer’s lone appearance in the U.S. Open Cup came on July 18 as the Lions took on the Philadelphia Union. Playing all 90 minutes, Dwyer didn’t record any shots in the 1-0 quarterfinal loss, but was offside once and committed a pair of fouls.

Best Game

Due to an injury suffered during preseason, Dwyer was sidelined for the first three games of the season. When he came back, he gave the performance Orlando City fans were hoping for — his best of the season. The star striker scored a brace against the New York Red Bulls, lifting the Lions to their first win of the season, a 4-3 victory over one of the best teams in the league.

The game was back-and-forth all day, with each Red Bulls goal being answered by the Lions. After Florian Valot gave the visitors a 1-0 lead just seven minutes in, Will Johnson responded in the 15th minute with his own. In the 24th minute, Derrick Etienne retook the lead for the Red Bulls, and that’s when Dwyer got into the action.

In the 26th minute, the Lions won a corner which was taken by Yoshi Yotún. The ball went toward the near post. With his arm stretched out to shield off Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles, Dwyer beat him to the ball and headed it in to equalize. Robles was incensed as he shouted at the referee, Jair Marrufo, to call a foul, but the goal stood.

Dwyer struck again in the 48th minute, but this one was much less controversial. Making a diagonal run from the center of the field, Mohamed El-Munir threw the ball in where Dwyer could run onto it. With the defense unaware of his run, Dwyer turned on the ball and put his first touch past Robles, giving the Lions a 3-2 lead.

Dwyer only had three shots on that day, all three were on goal and two resulted in goals. The pair of goals were typical of Dwyer. The first was due to his tenaciousness, lacking any care of his well-being, so long as the ball ended up in the back of the net. The second was an aggressive run, another Dwyer trademark, which allowed him to get in behind the defense.

2018 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Dwyer an overall grade of 7 for the 2018 MLS season. He was the lone productive striker for the team and had a decent strike rate, scoring in nearly half of his appearances. Given the lack of production by Stéfano Pinho, it’s difficult to see where the goals would’ve come from this year if not for Dwyer.

2019 Outlook

Dom Dwyer is currently on a three-year contract with Orlando City. He has stated on numerous occasions that he’s in the city he wants to live in and playing for the club he desires. Given that his wife Sydney Leroux is now with the Orlando Pride, it’s hard to believe there is a player happier to be in Orlando. From the club’s perspective, Dwyer has produced every year he’s worn purple and continues to do so. Like with Yotún, the season could’ve been much worse had they not been involved and the 2019 team will likely be built around these two players.

Previous Orlando City Season in Review Posts (Date Posted)

This concludes our 2018 Orlando City Season in Review player ratings. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading them and we look forward to bringing you more analysis of the season that was, as well as coverage of the 2019 season to come.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/3/24

MLS roster profiles revealed, Marta’s best moments, Kelley O’Hara announces her retirement, and more.

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3 hours ago

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May 3, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Happy Friday! We’ve reached the homestretch of the week and I couldn’t be happier. A busy weekend awaits me, but I’m hoping for some quiet, nice moments to offset some of the hustle and bustle. It’s also another weekend packed with Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your next couple of days accordingly. But for now, let’s get to the links!

MLS Unveils Club Roster Details

There’s a little more transparency in Major League Soccer after the league released helpful snapshots of each club that detail the composition of each roster. From Designated Players and MLS U22 Initiative Players to international roster slots and contract lengths, the graphics are easy to comprehend and give a nice look behind the curtain on each team. Using this, we can see that Orlando City midfielder Cesar Araujo no longer takes up a U22 Initiative slot and that the team also has an open international roster slot. It should be a fairly nice reference guide for fans moving forward, as well as a way to check out how other MLS teams are building their rosters.

Emily Sams Earns Recognition as Potential USWNT Player

Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams was mentioned as one of the top 20 eligible Americans who have yet to make an appearance with the United States Women’s National Team according to Pro Soccer Wire. The shout out is well deserved, as Sams has helped anchor a Pride defense that’s only given up seven goals this season. Only time will tell if Sams will earn a call-up once Emma Hayes is at the helm of the USWNT, but it does feel inevitable given how she’s been playing. Other notable players on the list include Ajax’s Lily Yohannes, Washington Spirit rookie Croix Bethune, and Angel City FC defender Sarah Gorden.

Marta’s Top Moments

All For XI compiled some of the best moments from Marta’s career into a tidy top five. Considering how prolific she has been for Brazil over the years, it was nice to see a pair of goals from her time with the Pride receive some recognition. Both of those moments were from 2018, with her free kick to equalize against the Seattle Reign placing fifth and her solo effort to stun the Spirit taking third. It’s fitting though that the top moment on the list showcases the impact she’s had off the field, as it’s Marta’s emotional speech after Brazil’s exit in the 2019 World Cup.

Kelley O’Hara Will Retire After 2024 Season

USWNT defender Kelley O’Hara announced that she will retire from professional soccer following the 2024 season. Over the course of her international career, she’s played in four World Cups, three Olympic Games, and was named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2019. O’Hara has played in every NWSL season since the league’s inception, winning the title with the Spirit in 2021 and again with NJ/NY Gotham FC last year. She joined Gotham as the first free agent signing in NWSL history and she is set to close out her illustrious career there.

Free Kicks

  • Curve Fragrances was named the official fragrance partner of Orlando City. As part of the partnership, there will be giveaways and product sampling at select games this season.
  • Wrexham’s women’s squad for The Soccer Tournament this summer will include a trio of former Pride players, with Bridget Callahan, Danica Evans, and Nickolette Driesse all taking part. I can’t wait to see if Callahan will make SkoRed a rallying cry at the tournament.
  • Orlando City won’t have to contend with FC Cincinnati forward Aaron Boupendza tomorrow, as he will miss the next six to eight weeks due to a broken jaw suffered in an off-field incident.
  • The Europa League semifinals are underway and Bayer Leverkusen extended its unbeaten run to 47 games after a 2-0 road win against Roma. In the other matchup, Atalanta and Marseille drew 1-1 in France.
  • American midfielder Johnny Cardoso hasn’t been with Real Betis for long, but he’s doing well enough that Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Borussia Dortmund are among the clubs reportedly interested in signing the 22-year-old.
  • Lucas Hernandez suffered an ACL injury in Paris Saint-Germain’s loss to Borussia Dortmund and will miss out on this summer’s Euros with France.
  • Reims and Will Still have mutually agreed to part ways, with the coach leaving now despite just having three games left in the Ligue 1 season. It will be interesting to see where the 31-year-old coaches next, as he had a notable 19-game unbeaten stretch with Reims last season.
  • Here’s a detailed dive into the obstacles Everton has faced in recent years, as well as how the club has avoided relegation amid another difficult season.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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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?

Published

23 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

1 day 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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