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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Published

6 years ago

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Well, I’d say that was a pretty frustrating game all around. Orlando City didn’t let D.C. United create a ton of chances, as the visitors only took four shots all game. However, they converted half of those, while the Lions were only able to put away one of their 16 attempts and in the end that disparity in finishing is what really made the difference on the night.

Here’s how I graded the Lions in a frustrating 2-1 loss.

Starters

GK, Brian Rowe, 6.5 — It was a little tough to pin down a grade for Rowe for this game. He was completely helpless on Birnbaum’s goal and was semi-blocked off and possibly fouled by Frederic Brillant on Rooney’s free kick goal. Throughout the rest of the match though he was mostly solid with his distribution, came off his line well several times, and did very well to tip a swerving Luciano Acosta shot over the bar in the 49th minute. In all he wasn’t tested all that much, as United only had three shots on goal. The one shot he actually had a chance at saving, he did.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — It wasn’t a bad performance from Jansson but he certainly didn’t have the game he did last week. His passing accuracy was only at 68% and although he did very well to stop a cross from getting to Arriola he probably should have put away the chance that he got late in the game. It wasn’t the easiest of chances but he needed to at least make Hamid work to save it and since he didn’t his grade suffers a little.

D, Lamine Sané, 6.5 — It was a fairly good game for Sané. He won several aerial duels, passed the ball well at 86%, and was mostly solid throughout. He did pick up a needless yellow card for diving into a challenge but for the most part he did well defensively and was useful when the team pushed forward chasing the game in the second half.

D, Shane O’Neill, 6.5 — Like the other center backs O’Neill also had a pretty solid game. He had a great tackle on Rooney when he was the last man back and did very well for the most part when he pushed forward, which was surprisingly often. At 64% his passing could have been better but overall it was a steady outing from him.

WB, João Moutinho, 7.5 — Moutinho was quite easy to grade because he was excellent. He won a couple smart fouls in the defensive half and was a massive threat going forward, constantly overlapping with Nani on the left side of the field and playing cross after dangerous cross in from out wide that the forwards just weren’t quite able to convert. He almost certainly would have been the Man of the Match if not for another performer later down this list.

MF, Oriol Rosell, 7 — For me, Uri had one of his better games in an Orlando shirt tonight. His passing accuracy was excellent at 90% and he made a whopping seven tackles, leading both teams. A play in particular that stood out to me was him sprinting down a D.C. player whose name escapes me in the 52nd minute to win the ball back and keep it in the attacking third. While he was hooked on 59 minutes for Sebas Mendez with Orlando chasing the game, that play was indicative of his performance tonight.

MF, Carlos Ascues 5.5 — It was not the best game for Ascues tonight. He had multiple loose touches and bad passes that led to giveaways and a particularly egregious occasion saw him lose possession in the first half after being caught from behind. He improved in the second half and while he did make five tackles he simply didn’t look like his usual assured self. A night to largely forget for him.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 6 — It wasn’t a bad game for Sacha but it wasn’t his best either. He passed at a good rate, good for 85% accuracy and had several clever touches but the game required a little more speed in passing and movement that he wasn’t always able to provide. He was sacrificed for Chris Mueller in the second half when James O’Connor changed tactics.

WB, Ruan, 6 — Ruan was another grade that I struggled with. He completely lost Birnbaum on D.C.’s opening goal — his marking was quite frankly atrocious. There is the fair question of whether he should be the one defending one of United’s best aerial threats on a set piece, however. He honestly did pretty well the rest of the game though. As usual he was a constant threat when coming forward, completing a couple successful dribbles. But, there were also times when his final product was lacking, like when he greatly overhit a cross in the dying minutes of the game after doing so well to get forward. His good work coming forward pulls his grade up for me, otherwise it would be lower.

F, Nani, 7 — For the most part Nani had a pretty good game. On several occasions he showed off his superior touch and control with a couple mesmerizing dribbles and clever passes. The ball he played to Mueller for Dom Dwyer’s goal was perfectly weighted. He would be rated higher but his inability to put his header on target from Dom’s first-half cross sees his grade slip. The ball was coming fast, but he should have at least made Bill Hamid work.

F, Dom Dwyer, 7.5 — Tonight was pretty much a vintage Dom performance. He did a very good job of holding the ball up, passed it very well and took shots when the game opened up for him to do so, tallying six in total. It was beginning to look like it just wouldn’t be his night but he did very well to get on the end of Chris Mueller’s 63rd-minute cross and direct it back across Hamid, making it impossible for him to save.

Substitutes

MF, Sebas Mendez (59’), 7 — The introduction of Sebas instantly made Orlando look like a different team. His pace in the middle of the field and speed of his passing opened up the game offensively and he was able to cover ground quickly in the middle of the park and press D.C. when they got the ball. While he wasn’t the flashiest during his time on the field he did his job exceptionally well and I would expect to see him in the starting lineup next game.

F, Chris Mueller ( 59’), 8 (MotM) — Surely you all knew this was coming right? Simply put, Cash was a revelation upon his introduction. His pace alone was instrumental and electric down the left hand side but it wasn’t just about speed for him. His touch and decision making was solid as well, with his four completed dribbles evidence of that. He tortured whatever man he was up against time and again and was the difference maker that Orlando needed in the game. He did exceptionally well to beat his man down the right flank and play a ball in for Dwyer to head home and was unlucky to hit the woodwork with his header. All in all a wonderful performance from him.

F, Benji Michel (78’), 6 — Benji made his regular season debut off the bench for Nani who seemed to be suffering from calf tightness. He immediately did well to hold the ball up and win a free kick in the attacking half but his influence waned from there. He didn’t do anything spectacular but didn’t make any bad mistakes either and it was a solid enough debut for him.

All in all this was a tough edition of grades for me to do. I didn’t think anyone played particularly badly and I thought most of the boys had solid outings. A loss is a loss though and giving up two goals at home is never going to fly. However I think there were a lot of positives to take from the game and if this doesn’t serve as a case for Cash to start then I honestly don’t think anything will.

How do you think I did? Feel free to have your say in the comments and vote for your Man of the Match in the poll below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Oriol Rosell4
Dom Dwyer8
Nani2
Joao Moutinho18
Chris Mueller113
Someone else5

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/21/25

Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.

Published

22 hours ago

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January 21, 2025

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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!

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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

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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.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/20/25

Orlando City signs Nicolas Rodriguez, Jack Lynn announces retirement, USMNT defeats Venezuela in friendly, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you’re all having a good holiday weekend as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Over the past week, I’ve been working and covering high school ice hockey. It will be a busy week in Orlando, with the United States Men’s National Team’s match against Costa Rica on Wednesday and Orlando City’s first preseason match against Atletico Mineiro on Saturday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Signs Nicolas Rodriguez

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has signed forward Nicolas Rodriguez from Fortaleza CEIF in Colombia’s top flight. The deal is through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028, and Rodriguez will occupy a MLS U22 Initiative slot. Rodriguez made 19 appearances for Fortaleza, recording 1,607 minutes, five goals, and three assists during the 2024 Primera A Clausura season. The Lions add a young attacking player the club can develop and Rodriguez can play on the right wing, the right side of a three-man midfield, or in the No. 10 spot.

Jack Lynn Announces Retirement

Orlando City forward Jack Lynn announced his retirement from professional soccer on Saturday. Lynn was drafted by Orlando in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He became a regular starter for Orlando City B, scoring a team-record 38 goals in over three seasons with the MLS NEXT Pro side. Lynn also won the Golden Boot with 19 goals during the 2023 season and became the first OCB player to be named MLS NEXT Pro MVP. He played sparingly with the first team, but he scored twice last season as his role increased. The Lions will likely look to add another striker for more depth up top.

Orlando Pride Acquire Allocation Money in Trade

On Friday, the Orlando Pride announced that the club has acquired $50,000 in Allocation Money from the Washington Spirit. In exchange, the Pride sent the Spirit a 2025 international roster spot. The Pride will face the Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup final on March 7 at Inter&Co Stadium.

USMNT Defeats Venezuela in Friendly

The USMNT defeated Venezuela 3-1 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday in a friendly. Jack McGlynn and Patrick Agyemang scored in the first half to give the USMNT a 2-0 lead just before halftime. Matko Milijevic scored the third goal for the Americans in the second half, with Venezuela pulling one back thanks to a goal from Jorge Yriarte. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has led the USMNT to winning four out of its first five matches since he took charge last September. The USMNT’s next match will be against Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium.

Alyssa Naeher Named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

On Saturday, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was voted 2024 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. Naeher won 40% of the vote, while defender Naomi Girma finished in second with 32%. In her final year with the USWNT, Naeher ended 2024 with 18 starts, playing 1,170 minutes and only conceding 11 goals. She played a crucial role with clutch saves to help the USWNT win the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, and gold at the Olympics in Paris. Naeher is the second goalkeeper to win the award since Hope Solo won it in 2009.

Free Kicks

  • Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has reached an agreement with the club on a record-breaking contract that extends his deal through 2034.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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