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Orlando City vs. FC Dallas: Final Score 2-0 as Lions Get First Ever Victory Against Dallas

Tesho Akindele scored against his old team and Carlos Ascues opened his MLS account to lead Orlando to victory.

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5 years ago

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Carlos Romero, The Mane Land

Tesho Akindele came back to haunt his old team and Carlos Ascues opened his MLS account as Orlando City (8-11-5, 29 points) got its first ever win (and goals) against FC Dallas (9-9-6, 33 points) in front of 22,479 at Exploria Stadium. The Lions played well defensively and got a timely goal in each half to finally beat the Texas side, moving to 1-3-1 in the all-time series.

With the three points, Orlando also has guaranteed it will finish with more points than the previous season, after putting up just 28 in 2018. It’s the first time in the club’s MLS history that it has amassed more points than the previous year.

“I thought that the mentality that the players showed was excellent,” Head Coach James O’Connor said after the match. “I think there were some outstanding individual performances.”

“It’s just a lot of mixed feelings,” Akindele said about scoring against his old teammates. “I played for that team for five years. I really love the club. I have a lot of respect from the ownership all the way down to the players, the academy. I was glad to be there. And I’m glad to be here. It was a mix of emotions. Hard to explain.”

Aside from not starting Nani, O’Connor’s match day squad for Dallas was a first-choice lineup.

Ruan was active in the attack almost from the jump. He drew an early free kick in the seventh minute, set up a shot by Dom Dwyer in the 10th minute, then set up the game’s first goal three minutes later.

The Brazilian cut inside from the right sideline and sent a perfect diagonal ball through the defense for Akindele to run onto. The former FC Dallas man slid his shot inside the back post past Jesse Gonzalez. The goal was Akindele’s eighth of the season, establishing a new career high for the Canadian. It was also the first goal Orlando has ever scored against FC Dallas after being shut out in all four previous meetings.

“I saw (Ruan) kind of cut inside and he was streaking through the middle,” Akindele said. “I checked and then went in behind and I didn’t really think he would see me, honestly, because it was pretty hard, but he saw me and played a great pass, I think with the outside of his foot. He just put it on a platter for me and I was finishing it.”

“I think for Ruan to come inside and play a fantastic weighted ball…but then you look at the quality of the finish from Tesho. It’s slotted right in the corner, outstanding finish,” O’Connor said. “It was a really good goal from our standpoint.”

Dallas started to get back into the game more after the goal, with Santiago Mosquera fizzing a ball through the area in the 16th minute and Edwin Gyasi firing a shot right at Rowe a minute later.

Akindele had a chance to put Dwyer in alone on goal in the 19th but put too much oomph on his pass. Orlando looked more content to counterattack and Dallas was forced to take some yellow cards to stop it. Reto Ziegler was booked for chopping down Ascues after being nutmegged by Dwyer.

Gyasi went off for Dallas after sustaining what appeared to be a groin injury and was replaced by Michael Barrios in the 30th minute. Dallas shifted from a 4-2-3-1 into a 4-3-3 and started seeing more of the ball.

Robin Jansson was forced into some good emergency defending in the 38th minute to concede a corner but prevent a scoring chance. Lamine Sané cleared the ensuing cross and Paxton Pomykal was booked for taking Dwyer down from behind on the counter.

The last good chance of the half came in the first minute of stoppage time when an Akindele cross took a deflection and Will Johnson sent it inches wide. The Canadian may have been distracted by Dwyer, who was tracking back for the ball and jumped over it to allow the shot.

Orlando took its 1-0 lead into the break with a 4-3 edge in shots (1-1 on goal). Dallas held 61% of the possession and the better passing accuracy (88%-83%).

Dominique Badji, who subbed on for Dallas at halftime for Brandon Servania, got the first shot of the second half, but he fired it over the Heineken sign in the south end and into the upper deck as a tribute to Orlando legend Carlos Rivas.

Dallas buzzed for the equalizer in the early part of the second half, with Mosquera serving as the danger man. He fired a free kick just wide in the 51st, then forced a Brian Rowe save in the 53rd after a corner kick that was set up when a Pomykal shot attempt deflected out off of Sané.

The visitors won a lot of corners after that, finishing with eight in the second half alone. But Orlando defended well all night. Despite seeing most of the possession, Dallas created few clear-cut opportunities as the Lions swarmed to the ball whenever it crossed into the defensive third.

Akindele nearly got a brace on a good play in the 70th. He sent the ball left to Ascues and the Peruvian returned it to him on the doorstep but Akindele’s shot hit Gonzalez in the chest and the score remained 1-0.

As the game moved into its final stages, there was a video review for a possible handball on Sané in the box. Lamine was tangled up with an opposing player and the ball did appear to glance off his hand but he was nudged by Badji as he jumped, spinning him a bit and no penalty was given.

Dallas started lumping more crosses and passes into the area in a final push to tie the game. The Lions threw their bodies in front of shots and did anything they could to shield Rowe’s goal.

“I think overall when you look at the commitment to defending, it was excellent,” O’Connor said.

Ascues put the game to bed in the 92nd minute. Second-half sub Nani centered the ball from the left, sending a ball to the top of the area to Ascues, who flicked on to Akindele — wearing the captain’s armband for the first time in his MLS career. Tesho laid off to second-half sub Sacha Kljestan, who found Ascues with a slick backheel pass. With Kljestan breaking into open space on his right, Ascues opted to shoot. Gonzalez got a piece of it but couldn’t prevent the Peruvian’s first MLS goal.

“It was a little layoff by Tesho. My first idea was to shoot, but I didn’t think I had a good angle,” said Kljestan. “So, I could see Carlos kind of in the blind spot of the defenders and I flicked it to him. And to be honest I expected him to pass it back to me for a tap-in. So, fortunately he finished it because if he hadn’t I’d have been very angry.”

With the assist, Kljestan moved into sole possession of eighth in the all-time MLS assist list. His 92nd career helper moved him past Cobi Jones, but the midfielder said he didn’t care about that so much as getting the three points.

From there it was a matter of seeing out the rest of the seven minutes of stoppage time, which Orlando was able to do.

Dallas led in most of the statistical categories, out-shooting the Lions, 10-9, although City had three on target to just two for the visitors. FC Dallas also led in possession, with 64.2%, corner kicks (10-2), and passing accuracy (86%-79%).

“We had better opportunities in the first half, apart from Tesho’s in the second,” O’Connor said. “But overall when you look at the way the game went and how difficult it was for Dallas to break us down, I think that was the thing we wanted to try to make sure — that we made it hard for them to attack — and then equally we needed to be on point when we attacked them. So it’s a pleasing performance for all the guys.”

The team can now turn its attention to the massive match coming up this week.

“We know (Tuesday is) probably the biggest game in our club’s short time, short history, so everyone’s excited,” Kljestan said. “I know it’s going to be a very big game.”

Orlando City’s next match is a gigantic one, as Atlanta United visits Exploria Stadium on Tuesday night in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. The Lions’ next league match will be next Saturday night in Toronto.

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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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17 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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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.

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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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