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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Five Takeaways

Published

6 years ago

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There it is, another loss in Mercedes-Benz Stadium as our beloved Lions fell 1-0 to the Five Stripes. Would that be their mascot? I don’t even know, maybe it’s a gorilla. A gorilla showed up a lot this match. Anyway, here are my five takeaways from the first in a long stretch of four games in 13 days.

The Lions Lack Grit

When I saw Cristian Higuita in the lineup, my initial thought was, “OK. James O’Connor is looking to play a little rougher this week.” We knew Atlanta would be a tough match, especially since Atlanta seemed to have found its mojo again, and the Lions maybe need the shakeup by adding Higuita to the mix, who we know isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. I mean, he looked to have a serious shoulder or elbow injury and refused to stay out.

Unfortunately, the Lions didn’t play with the scrap I was hoping to see. This team needs to work on professional fouls and learning to recognize if a possible yellow is worth the tackle. What’s incredibly frustrating is that the Lions didn’t play terribly. If they’d been a little more aggressive and could have stayed on their feet, we may have seen a completely different outcome.

Finishing is Still an Issue

I am so excited to see the team clicking more and more each week as it continues to create so many more chances than it did last season. The problem lies in finishing. Often, it’s because the team’s shots are so far off target that it doesn’t make a difference. Yesterday it seemed like the shots lacked power to break through Brad Guzman. I’m sure the coaching staff is working on this ad nauseum with the players, but we’re not seeing the fruits of their labor. Could Nani have helped in finishing? Maybe, but even he has seemed a bit off as of late.

Back Line Still isn’t Steady

Orlando Head Coach James O’Connor has been nothing but fluid with his starting XI. Perhaps this surprising lineup was meant to conserve players as the match was heavily predicted not to go in Orlando’s favor. Alex De John made his first appearance since going out with a hamstring injury in the 64th minute against the New York Red Bulls. I’ll be honest, I was excited to see him back, until I saw him let Hector Villalba do pretty much anything he wanted. Kyle Smith came on for De John and we saw a little bit of improvement, but the defense still needs work.

Got Defensive Midfielders?

We saw Joao Moutinho, Will Johnson, Higuita, Sebas Mendez, and Ruan in the midfield. Granted, we saw Ruan and Moutinho fall back and play on the back line several times, it felt to be a bit much and didn’t really make the difference Orlando needed. The defensive midfield seems to be well covered and the Lions really need some attacking midfielders to help convert some of these chances. I’m usually not on the Johnson train guys, but I can’t stop watching him this season. He’s been aggressive, fast, and he had one of the few shots on target this match.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the Worst

We’re spoiled as Mane Landers because our stadium is so well-kept thanks to the hard work of Matt Bruderek and his crew. That beautiful pitch is always so perfectly maintained to ensure the highest of quality for all players to step on to it.

Pick any 10 seconds from this match and you’ll likely see an Orlando City player lose their footing on the horrible turf. Again and again, players went down just as things were getting exciting. We saw it right away in the opening minute as Ruan was the first to fall victim, and then did again not too much later. It’s no question that the environment hindered play.

As a guest in the stadium, the experience is awful. You’re lucky if you can see two of the four corners. The football stadium that is kind enough to let Atlanta United decorate for the weekend sprawls outward rather than upward, unlike most soccer-specific stadiums. Not only that, it feels so commercial. Everything is bought and paid for by sponsors and it’s suffocating. The club can’t bother to play anything back on its giant board, because anytime there’s a break in play they throw a commercial up.

Leaving the stadium is a whole thing too. You can’t exit the nearest location, or even fromwhere you entered. Stadium staff blocks pathways and forces you down the seemingly endless maze of ramps until everyone is forced to funnel through a handful of doors.

It appears as though dark and rainy days are upon us, friends, both figuratively and literally. I fear if the Lions don’t get a win on the books soon, team morale is going to fall to pieces. The team has great players and is creating great chances, the results just don’t match as it continues to make silly mistakes and concede goals. Here’s hoping for some sort of magic as the Lions move through a tough stretch of matches.

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Orlando City

Orlando City Signs Colombian Winger Nicolas Rodriguez

The Lions add a skilled young winger ahead of the 2025 season.

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20 hours ago

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January 17, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City has announced the previously reported signing of Colombian forward Nicolas Rodriguez from Fortaleza CEIF through 2027 with a club option for 2028. Rodriguez, 20, will occupy an MLS U22 Initiative slot.

“We’re very excited to have Nico join us here in Orlando. With the characteristics he has as a player, he’s someone that we feel really fits our model and culture at the club,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi in a club press release. “Nico has a skilled left foot that makes him a challenge to defend, likes to take defenders on one-on-one, and has a promising future. We’re excited for all he’ll achieve here during his time in purple.”

Rodriguez made 19 appearances (all starts) in the 2024 Primera A Clausura season with Fortaleza, compiling 1,607 minutes, scoring five goals, and adding three assists.

“It’s an honor and a point of pride to be able to wear this kit, to be able to represent this badge, and it’s very important to me and to my family,” Rodríguez said in the club’s press release. “I’m excited about this next step along my journey.”

The San Jose del Guaviare, Colombia native joined Fortaleza’s youth team in 2021, making his debut in the Categoria Primera B against Boyaca Chico. After rarely appearing in his first two years, the 5-foot-8 winger became a regular starter in 2023, appearing in 44 matches and scoring eight times, helping the club earn promotion to Primera A. He played in 42 games in all competitions for Fortaleza in 2024, scoring eight goals.

What It Means for Orlando City

The Lions get a talented, young offensive-minded player who can help the club while developing. If things go well, Orlando City will be able to move him in the future for a great deal more than what the club is investing in him now, which is good business, but not at the expense of the team on the field. Rodriguez isn’t a like-for-like replacement for Facundo Torres — at least not yet — but he doesn’t have to be. The Lions could play Martin Ojeda or Luis Muriel opposite Ivan Angulo, allowing Rodriguez time to develop with minutes off the bench and spot starts during heavy fixture congestion. And, with an open Designated Player slot, there may still be a forward or winger brought in before the 2025 season starts.

In addition to playing right wing, Rodriguez can also play the right side in a three-man midfield and even the No. 10 spot. In Oscar Pareja’s system, he would likely project as the right attacking midfielder in the 4-2-3-1.

Rodriguez will occupy an international and U22 Initiative slot for the Lions. He’s a player with a lot of upside and with the financial investment of the transfer fee, coupled with the reports that Fortaleza will retain as much as 30% of a future sale, the club must feel good about his future. Fans should as well after seeing the video below, which shows Rodriguez has plenty of confidence and finishing ability, even from outside the box.

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Opinion

Likes and Dislikes from the First Week of Orlando City’s Preseason

Here are a few things that stood out from the first week of preseason — some good and some bad.

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1 day ago

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January 17, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The 2024 Major League Soccer season has barely had time to breathe, but Orlando City opened preseason training on Monday. If it feels like time has flown by, that’s because it has. Hell, we’ve already got a whole working week’s-worth of practices in, and things are only going to pick up from here. With that being the case, I wanted to stop and reflect on a couple things that I liked, and a couple things that I disliked from the first week of the Lions’ preseason.

Likes

The Boys Are Back in Town

First and foremost, it’s good to be back in soccer mode. Its always nice to reflect on fond memories from the most recent season — particularly when its a successful one like the Lions just had, but reminiscing only takes you so far. But now we’re getting daily looks at OCSC’s preseason work and are able to check in with the familiar faces we know and love while also getting to know a few new ones. Videos like this one are always nice and help build excitement for the games to come.

Games Just Around the Corner

Speaking of games, we aren’t too far from Orlando’s first game of 2025. The Lions will play a preseason match a little over a week from today on Jan. 25, when they take on Atletico Mineiro at home in the FC Series. It may be only a preseason game but it still provides us with our first glimpse of what Orlando City will look like during the 2025 season. We’ll presumably get to see some of the team’s draft picks in action and should get some clues as to how the positional pecking order is starting to shape up.

Dislikes

The Wait for Reinforcements

It isn’t out of the norm for Orlando City to take its time making off-season signings when compared to its fellow MLS teams, and that’s been the case once again this year. Granted, there are plenty of teams that have more spots to fill than the Lions and some teams are in the midst of outright rebuilds. Still, OCSC has several spots that are in need of strengthening, depth, or both, not to mention a Facundo Torres-sized hole out on the right wing. There’s absolutely work to be done, and while I’m all for taking the time to make sure you sign the right players, there’s also something to be said for giving those players as much time in preseason as possible to adapt to their new teammates and unfamiliar surroundings. Here’s hoping that some moves start getting made soon.

The Departure of Mason Stajduhar

I won’t lie to you guys, when the news came through on Wednesday afternoon that the Lions had traded Mason Stajduhar to Real Salt Lake for General Allocation Money and a draft pick, it was a tough blow and one that I’m still having trouble coming to terms with. Professional soccer is a business, and I understand that, but it’s tough to see a guy like Mason head out the door. The team’s fourth Homegrown Player had been around since 2015 and beat cancer, made his MLS debut, got his first MLS wins and shutouts, helped OCSC hoist the club’s first silverware as an MLS team, and got engaged and then married — all while wearing Orlando purple. As our editor Michael Citro put it, we watched him grow up from a teenager into a young man, and it’ll always be tough to watch someone leave who has been around for 10 years and has been a consummate professional for each one of them. I’ll miss him but wish him all the best.

What did you guys make of the first week of the 2025 preseason? Are there any things that you’re keeping a particularly close eye on as we begin building towards the match against Atletico Mineiro? Be sure to have your say down in the comments, and I’ll see you next week. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/17/25

Orlando Pride loan out Mariana Larroquette, USMNT gets ready for Venezuela, MLS transfer news, and much more.

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1 day ago

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January 17, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! Maybe it’s just because I’m a San Jose Sharks fan when it comes to hockey, but I sure do miss being able to watch Orlando City and the Orlando Pride win games. Thankfully it won’t be much longer until Orlando’s soccer teams are back in action, although I wish the Lions would make some moves to get us excited for 2025. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Mariana Larroquette Heads to Argentina on Loan

The Pride have loaned forward Mariana Larroquette to Newell’s Old Boys Women in Argentina. The loan lasts through July 1, so Larroquette may still provide some attacking depth for the Pride later in the season. This should be a good opportunity for her to get some minutes in her home country after only making four appearances for the Pride last season. Larroquette joined the Pride back in July of 2023 on a contract through 2025, so this is a solid chance for her to get some consistent playing time to showcase her talent before her current contract ends.

USMNT Prepares for Friendly Against Venezuela

The United States Men’s National Team will play its first game of 2025 when it takes on Venezuela Saturday at 3 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale. This is just the seventh meeting between the two nations, with Venezuela winning the most recent match 3-0 back in 2019. Goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez started for Venezuela in that shutout and is expected to get the nod in goal again, with Orlando City’s Javier Otero backing him up. The Yanks will be without multiple players who were called up, as Jesus Ferreira, John Tolkin, Jalen Neal, and Drake Callender will no longer be available. The USMNT will be back in action on Tuesday for a friendly against Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium.

Catching Up On MLS Transfer News

Every MLS team apart from Orlando City seems to be making major moves in preparation for the 2025 season. Austin FC is reportedly signing Albanian forward Myrto Uzuni as a Designated Player, which would trigger a $12.3 million release clause in his contract with Granada. Uzuni has scored 14 goals in 18 appearances for the Spanish club this season. Austin also added midfielder Nicolas Dubersarsky from Instituto in Argentina’s top flight. He will be a U22 Initiative Player and signed a five-year contract with the club.

New York Red Bulls left back John Tolkin was officially transferred to Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga for a reported $3 million transfer fee. The New England Revolution continued to strengthen their attack, signing veteran forward Maxi Urruti to a one-year deal with an option for 2026. Atlanta United and Middlesbrough have reportedly reached a verbal agreement on a deal for forward Emmanuel Latte Lath, although Atlanta still has to finalize personal terms with him.

Chelsea Reportedly Leads Race for Naomi Girma

One of the biggest questions this NWSL off-season is whether or not San Diego Wave defender Naomi Girma will remain with the club. The 24-year-old is under contract through 2026, but European teams are reportedly willing to pay up to secure her talents. Chelsea is the reported frontrunner, with Arsenal and Lyon also in the mix to sign her. Girma is one of the best defenders in the world and was a major reason behind the United States Women’s National Team winning Olympic gold last year. Speaking of Girma, she will not be in attendance for the USWNT training camp in Florida due to a minor injury.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter followed through on her promise to dye her hair after a historic season.
  • In news that impacts Orlando City duo Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena, Jorge Fossati is no longer Peru’s head coach. Peru only won one of its six CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers with Fossati at the helm and is last in the standings.
  • Former Lion Chris Mueller spoke on the importance of mental health and the resources available to help.

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

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