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Orlando City at Real Salt Lake: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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6 years ago

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Orlando City SC was taken down for the first time on the road in the 2019 Major League Soccer season, as the Lions lost 2-1 to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium, in Sandy, UT. The Lions, who have been alternating from losses to wins over the last five matches, conceded two goals before Nani came off the bench and scored one, but were unable to get another one before the final whistle.

Here are our player grades in a night in which Orlando struggled with some individual defensive mistakes.

Starters

GK, Brian Rowe, 6 – The goalkeeper couldn’t really do much to avoid either of RSL’s goals, even if Sam Johnson’s finish was near him — but way too powerful. He did make a pair of important saves in the second half on low shots from Jefferson Savarino that kept the Lions alive in the game.

D, Kamal Miller, 6 — The Canadian tried to cover Ruan and was easily beaten by Sam Johnson inside the penalty box on RSL’s first goal. The opponents repeatedly found space behind him and, not by coincidence, scored the second on a play that started on the left side of Orlando’s defense. He finished with a tackle, an interception, a clearance, and a blocked shot.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The Swede lined up as the centerpiece of Orlando’s back line and had a busy night, trying to cover both Miller and O’Neill when they were beaten on the run, registering three clearances. He was the best passer among the starters with an 89.2% rating.

D, Shane O’Neill, 5.5 — O’Neill had trouble with Johnson’s pace for most of the night, but still managed to lead the team in clearances, with four. He had a decent chance to tie the game near the end, but misplaced his header big time. He had one interception and blocked one shot but his passing was at just a 66% rate.

WB, Joao Moutinho, 6 — The Portuguese showed some disconnection with Miller when defending Orlando’s left flank, but still managed to have three interceptions and three clearances. Offensively, he made an interesting run into the penalty box in the first half, but couldn’t place his header on target. He was a 72% passer on the night with one tackle, a team-high three interceptions, and three clearances.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 7.5 (MotM) — The Ecuadoran showed good energy in the center of the field and helped the Lions on both sides of the ball with a team-high six tackles and a smart and simple distribution (89%). He created a dangerous opportunity after winning the ball in Orlando’s attacking third and linking it with Sacha Kljestan, who failed to score.  

MF, Will Johnson, 5.5 — The veteran didn’t have a terrible night, but it’s baffling that a player of his experience could be naïve enough to complain with the referee after a free kick and allow Damir Kreilach to quickly restart the match behind his back (Kljestan also did this). It began the play that resulted in Real Salt Lake’s goal. He was also one second late when trailing Kreilach. His passing was just 75% for the match and he made one clearance with no interceptions or tackles, but he did have one vital deflection to deny a cross.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 6 — The captain tried to organize the team’s offense, but couldn’t really connect his final passes. He should have done better in the 31st minute, when he had a clear chance to tie the match, but fired right on Nick Rimando weakly, though it appeared he may have slipped a little while gearing up to take the shot. He played a little deeper in the second half, but it didn’t change much his performance. He was an 83% passer and made one tackle.

WB, Ruan, 5.5 — The Brazilian was very active at the start of the match with numerous runs down the right side, but didn’t manage to be really dangerous with his shots or crosses. On the defensive end, he seemed to have missed his step and made a weird mistake on RSL’s first goal. He was embarrassed by Albert Rusnak on a play near the sideline later in the match. He finished with three tackles and two clearances but only one of his eight crosses was accurate on a 78% passing night.

F, Chris Mueller, 5.5 — Cash was granted a starting spot after two impressive performances coming off the bench and wasn’t nearly as effective. The 22-year-old forward played on the left side of the field, but was taken off after being repeatedly dispossessed and with no shots fired towards RSL’s goal. He was a 69% passer with only one accurate cross on seven tries.

F, Tesho Akindele, 5 — The forward was nearly invisible in the first half, in which he had just 18 touches, which was a product of poor team play in the final third all night. The situation didn’t change to start the second half and Tesho was subbed out when James O’Connor decided to bring Dom Dwyer and Nani into the game. Akindele was just a 68% passer and he created one scoring chance on the night.

Substitutes

F, Dom Dwyer (56’), 6.5 — The striker entered the game with the team down two goals and seemed to be a little nervous, with multiple complaints with the referee and some arguments with RSL players. He never stopped fighting though, and forced RSL’s defense into some mistakes and drew the free kick that resulted in Nani’s goal. He took one shot but didn’t get it on frame and completed his only pass attempt.

F, Nani (56’), 7 — The veteran tried to instantly bring some energy off the bench and had a dangerous volley from outside the box in his first minutes, but kind of faded after it, struggling to create from the left side. He returned to his best in an important moment when he converted a free kick to put the Lions back in the game. He finished with the team’s best passing percentage (minimum two attempts) at 93%, and created one scoring chance.

MF, Josue Colman (77’), 5.5 — The young Paraguayan was tasked with providing a more reliable offensive threat on the right side for Orlando, but didn’t manage to produce either by combining with Ruan or when trying to dribble. He did create two chances but his passing overall was poor (29%).

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This is how I saw the performances as the Lions headed west to play Real Salt Lake. Let me know where you agree and/or disagree in the comments below and be sure to vote for your Orlando City Man of the Match in the poll below.

 ______________________________________________________________________________

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Sebas Mendez23
Nani34
Robin Jansson0
Joao Moutinho2
Other3

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/22/25

Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.

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37 minutes ago

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January 22, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The ManeLand

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.

Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International

While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881755961125449765?s=46&t=pMoq7Wulqfb35D7C8ydroA

Pride Preseason Begins

The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.

USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight

Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.

Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move

USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.

MLS Transfer Updates

Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.

https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/1881741042904350864

Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881786193693823104

Free Kicks

https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1881749040863588770?s=12&t=_WZBNG4ILAyRLdwBeB4mpQ
  • Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
https://twitter.com/nwsl/status/1881749035218042954?s=46&t=pN-YJp3s7ZQlCXqnTAgSfw

That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!

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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.

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1 day 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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