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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 1-1 as Lions Grab Another Road Point

The Lions and Pigeons played out their second draw in as many games in an end-to-end battle.

Published

6 years ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City (3-3-3, 12 points) denied New York City FC (2-1-6, 12 points) a third straight win in seven days as the Lions left Yankee Stadium with a point after a 1–1 draw. The result means New York City remains unbeaten at home in 2019 (1-0-4). It was the second time the teams have shared the points in league play this year after an opening weekend 2–2 draw.

Head Coach James O’Connor made only one change to last week’s side, recalling Tesho Akindele up front in place of Dom Dwyer. According to reports on My65, Dwyer picked up a minor knock in training late this week.

It was New York City threatening early, giving Orlando a scare in the sixth minute, courtesy of a lofted ball that put Anton Tinnerholm in behind a scrambling Orlando back line — a cross-field ball New York continually looked for throughout the game. The Swede fired in a low cross before making a half-hearted claim for handball off his sliding countryman, Robin Jansson, but referee Drew Fischer wasn’t interested.

Orlando’s first venture into the box came off a quick counter down the left in the 10th minute, with Akindele holding the ball up well before feeding Chris Mueller at the top of the box but the ball was quickly stolen off his toe as he looked to set himself.

Despite NYC’s domination of possession, it was the Lions who struck first, as they were more clinical in their second visit into the New York area. This time, play came from Ruan off the right wing. The fullback’s cross was cut out by Maxime Chanot, but the clearance was weak and fell kindly at the feet of Nani, who calmly stroked the ball into the bottom corner in the 18th minute, extending the Portuguese international’s scoring run to four consecutive games.

New York City went close in the 25th minute, as a whipped Maxi Moralez free kick found the head of an onrushing Héber, New York’s newest number nine, but the Brazilian didn’t catch the header well and Orlando goalkeeper Brian Rowe was quick to show off his reflexes to push the ball over.

The game continued to stretch as a combination of a sliding Sean Johnson and a Chanot goal-line clearance prevented Nani from doubling his tally a minute later, before Lamine Sané was forced into an outstanding recovery challenge on Héber at the other end, as the home team continued to force the issue and attempt to find an equalizer.

Orlando thought it had doubled its lead in the 33rd minute when Akindele poked home at the back post, as New York City once again was undone by defensive errors, only for it to be chalked off by video review, as Fischer found Nani to be offside in the buildup.

That decision seemed to swing momentum in favor of the home side and drop Orlando heads, with Ismael Tajouri-Shradi agonizingly sending his shot an inch wide of Rowe’s post a minute after the goal was overturned — a moment that would’ve left City fans and a stranded Rowe alike holding their breath.

New York continued to ask questions and, despite surviving the onslaught, Orlando’s defensive efforts were far from convincing. Sané hacked wildly at a cross, nearly slicing it into his own goal, only for Jansson and Rowe to save his blushes. It was then their turn as miscommunication between the aforementioned Jansson and Rowe nearly gifted NYCFC a goal: the Orlando goalkeeper spilled what should have been a routine collection on yet another Moralez cross but a combination of the jumping Swede and a lurking Héber did enough to put off Rowe, who was relieved to fall on the loose ball at the second time of asking.

In the 44th minute, a Mendez long ball found its way through to Nani, who thought he had a strong penalty appeal as he looked to cut inside but was taken out. Fischer was unmoved by the appeals, as Nani sat on the floor throwing his arms up in disbelief, but play continued with no VAR check.

After an entertaining half for the neutrals, Orlando went in at halftime leading 1-0. The coaches would have been less pleased with a blistering end-to-end game riddled with defensive errors that somehow had only produced one goal.

New York’s tenacity paid off early in the second half. Moralez, by far the busiest player on the pitch, drove up the field and forced Rowe into a spectacular diving save from distance. Rowe could only push it onto the post and Héber was there to sweep in the rebound, tying the game up six minutes after the break.

Alexander Callens and Moralez once again tried from distance as the Pigeons went in search of a second and continued to see much of the possession.

Dwyer made his fifth substitute appearance of the season in the 62nd minute, as O’Connor had seen enough of his side’s second-half struggles. The substitution did very little to put Orlando on the front foot, as the defense remained under near-permanent pressure and he was fortunate to avoid a booking in the first few seconds, fouling Callens late after the ball had been cleared.

Another teasing set piece was once again dealt with unconvincingly in the 65th minute. This time, the ball pinballed around the box before Joao Moutinho eventually hoofed clear.

Dwyer eventually got a first look at goal in the 68th minute when a cross from Ruan found him unmarked three yards out. He had the whole goal to aim at, but the English-American, who has regularly come into criticism this season as he has struggled to put away chances, headed wide.

O’Connor’s second change saw him turn to Sacha Kljestan in the 74th minute, sacrificing Sebas Mendez in another attempt to create something further up the pitch.

A quick free kick caught Orlando napping for the second time this season with Sané left one on one with Moralez. The gifted Argentine nutmegged Sané, but Uri Rosell was there to tidy up and boot the ball away for a corner.

Alexandru Mitrita came into the game in the 77th minute, a like-for-like replacement with Tajouri-Shradi as Dome Torrent looked to inject some fresh legs into the game and find a winner with New York City looking dominant over a tiring Orlando, which had spent much of the second half chasing shadows. New York’s possession was still 65% by this point.

As if Torrent’s intentions weren’t clear enough, the Spaniard then took off defender Ben Sweat and gambled for the win with attacking midfielder Valentín Castellanos, who had scored NYC’s winner on Wednesday night against Chicago.

Orlando was once again left questioning Fischer’s refereeing when Jansson picked up a yellow in unusual circumstances. The center back was penalized for holding off Heber and New York was awarded a highly questionable free kick — not for the first time in the game. Fortunately, Mitrita failed to capitalize, blasting it into the wall.

Tempers momentarily flared when Callens aggressively bounced back up and tried to get into the face of an already-apologizing Kljestan, who had tripped the Peruvian, a sign of the frustration as the tempo slowly dropped away from both teams in a testing stalemate that had seen New York City carve out a significant number of chances.

And there was still time for one last chance, with the diminutive Moralez once again snaking his way towards into box before firing into the side netting as precious seconds ticked away and all 11 Lions remained pinned in their own half.

It wasn’t the performance becoming of an Orlando team that has now played teams on short weeks in consecutive games, but a point on the road at conference opponents is never something to turn down. Despite New York’s complete control over possession and the huge disparity in terms of shots (15-3 in favor of NYCFC and 5-2 on target), it was actually Orlando that was perhaps closest to a winner, only for Dwyer to miss an open goal.

Orlando’s attention now turns to next Saturday’s home game and the visit of a resurgent Toronto FC side. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET.

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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

13 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.

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1 day ago

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January 20, 2025

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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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