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Orlando City vs. Portland Timbers: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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6 years ago

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Full disclosure, this is my first time grading our lovely Lions in the few years I’ve been here. I was pretty pleased with the result to be honest. Head Coach James O’Connor rested a lot of his players, walked into Providence Park with a game plan, and executed it well for a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers. There were some questionable decisions in the lineup and O’Connor had to adapt on the fly but ultimately Orlando City walked out of yet another road game with a result. But enough about O’Connor, here are your player grades from a strong defensive effort in Portland.

Starters

GK, Greg Ranjitsingh, 5 — Ranjitsingh’s performance was worrying. Watching him get anywhere near the ball made me hold my breath in fear things were going to go wrong. He was late in clearing balls and had a very uneasy moment where he nearly had an own goal in the first half. That being said, he’s on the road playing against some of the best forwards in the league and held them scoreless until the 82nd minute when he allowed a goal he really didn’t have a chance to save.

D, Danilo Acosta, 4 — It wasn’t a great night for Acosta who honestly didn’t have much to deal with on his left side of the pitch. He was defensively stout when the ball did come his way, but was caught ball watching on the goal. On the offensive side of things he was abysmal. Between giving the ball away or just blindly dribbling forward into traffic, it was easy to see why O’Connor prefers other options at the position.

D, Alex De John, N/A — In his little time on the field, De John did well clearing a corner and using his height to really impose himself over the smaller forward of Portland. But in the eighth minute a scary moment came as he went in to clear a low cross and was struck in the head by Brian Fernandez’s boot, immediately falling unconscious. It was tough to watch and he was taken out promptly after.

D, Kamal Miller, 6.5— Portland’s goal really soured a strong performance by Miller, who was able to get his head onto practically every cross that Portland had in their arsenal. At just 22 years old, he led that back line with authority and completing 21 of 23 passes (87.5%) put him in a tie for second in passing percentage with Robinho, just behind Uri Rosell (88.4%).

D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — After De John came off, Smith had to shift more to a central defending role since O’Connor decided to leave his other center backs at home and boy did Smith step up to the plate. He was a force in the air and on the ground, making things difficult for Portland’s forward and backing up Will Johnson well on the right side, which got hammered all night long. He and Johnson tied for a game-high nine clearances each. Yes, his marking could have been better on Portland’s goal, but it shouldn’t overshadow a stellar night adapting to center back in Providence Park.

MF, Dillon Powers, 5.5 — It was a quiet night for Powers, which is never a bad thing for a midfielder in a defensive game plan. He served as rescue in a lot of cases, either making himself an outlet for the defense or a safety net for Robinho and Santiago Patino when needed.

MF, Uri Rosell, 7 (MotM)— It was another quality performance for Rosell, who seems right at home in the defensive system O’Connor likes to run when rotating the squad. He gummed up passing lanes, made life difficult for Portland’s forwards, and was so imposing that the Timbers had to play around him in most cases. The loss of De John brought him back often to support Smith and Miller and the trio became a wall in the center of the defense that the Timbers had to shoot over or around, making them send 16 shots off target. He led the club in passing percentage as noted above, hit eight of his nine long ball attempts, and had a team-high four interceptions to go with six clearances.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 5.5 — The captain led Orlando in both touches (74) and passes (50), but it still didn’t seem like he had much of an impact in the match. Given the lineup and lack of offensive weapons for him to use, it’s understandable how he was kept quiet for most of the game. After all, Orlando barely had a third of the possession. Regardless, he wasn’t able to unlock Portland’s defense when the opportunity did come along.

F, Robinho, 6 —  It was honestly a rough outing for the newest Lion in his first 40 minutes or so. He wasn’t a dangerous presence or a threat, but was a presence nonetheless late in the first half when he caught Portland sleeping, turned over Zarek Valentin, and served up the cross that led to Orlando’s goal. After that, he became noticeably more comfortable on the ball as he settled in. He seems like the type of winger who will take a mile for every inch given, but can struggle to make opportunities himself. It speaks well of him that he completed 87.5% of his passes to his brand new teammates in his first ever game as a Lion.

F, Santiago Patiño, 5 —  The goal scorer, Patiño did his job of being in the right place at the right time as center forward. Credit goes to him for doing his job and being the most threatening of the three forwards, but there wasn’t anything really spectacular from him. Which is more than fine, especially considering he scored. But it becomes less fine when paired with his turnover late that led to Portland scoring. He was a nuisance for the Timbers defense, but struggled to do much of anything with the ball at his feet.

F, Benji Michel 4.5— Michel must have gone to the Acosta school of offense because he dribbled into traffic on multiple occasions. Those failed attacks were coupled with being knock downs and hard falls as the Timbers defense was physical all night long. Maybe he thinks he’s faster than he actually is or maybe the turf hurt a little harder than he expected, but it was a tough night for the Homegrown product, who put in a full 90 on the road after doing the same on Saturday against Columbus.

Substitutes

D, Will Johnson (12’), 6.5 — Forced to come on for De John early in the game, his versatility was certainly leaned on as he filled a loose right back position. He did well for the most part, keeping the trio of Fernandez, Sebastian Blanco, and Diego Valeri from causing too much havoc. He gets bonus points for running hard to keep track of those quick Portland forwards, although his exhaustion started to show as the game wore on. He deserves a nice, long nap home after making nine clearances to go with two tackles, three interceptions, and two blocked shots. He also had one of Orlando’s two shot attempts in the game.

F, Tesho Akindele (80’), N/A —  It’d be a little unfair to grade Akindele on just 10 minutes of work (plus stoppage time) but he provided just what Orlando needed to see the game out. With height, a talent for holding the ball, and a willingness to put his body on the line, he gave a nice boost to Orlando.

MF, Sebas Mendez, (64’) 6 — Coming on for Robinho, Mendez was a needed boost to the defense on the right side. He helped slow down the tempo of the game and eased some of the pressure off Johnson. Like most players last night, Mendez’s contributions were quiet and understated given how much defense was focused on.

I think that’ll do it! Who was your Man of the Match? Be sure to vote in the poll and let us know why in the comments!

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Uri Rosell61
Kyle Smith27
Kamal Miller23
Santiago Patino12
Will Johnson36
Other (tell us who in the comments!)1

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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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21 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

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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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