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Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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5 years ago

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Orlando City headed to Houston to take on the Dynamo in a must-win match. Despite scoring first, the Lions weren’t able to hold on and lost, 2-1. While not mathematically out of the playoffs, not winning a must-win match leaves Orlando with scant hope to see the postseason. Let’s see how the players graded out.

Starters

GK, Brian Rowe, 6 — Rowe had some big saves in this match to keep the Lions in the lead for much of it. He never had a chance on the two goals that Houston scored. In addition to his saves in the 32nd, 37th, and 72nd minutes, he had a well-played punch in the 66th minute. While his distribution wasn’t perfect, he did have a few nice throws that started counter attacks.

D, Kamal Miller, 5 — When Houston wasn’t able to move the ball through the middle of the field, they pushed out wide, and found success against Miller. Kamal had six clearances in the match, but often found himself on the wrong side of an attacker.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson may not have had his best game, but he was solid as usual. He had one block, one interception, seven clearances, and an 87% passing rate. He helped to clog up the middle to stifle Houston’s attack, and ranged up field effectively.

D, Lamine Sané, 6 — Along with Jansson, Sané was effective for most of the match, though he did commit the foul in the 37th minute that led to a free kick for Houston. He was also beaten in the 66th minute, but the shot wasn’t on target. Houston was forced to move the ball to the outside to beat Orlando City. He finished with one block, two interceptions, two clearances, and an 89% passing rate.

D, Ruan, 5 — Ruan tried to use his considerable speed up the right side, but the Lions weren’t able to convert any of his crosses. Unfortunately, once Houston started concentrating on the wings, he wasn’t as effective, though better than Miller on the other side. Ruan had one clearance, and an 80% passing rate. He got turned inside out on the second Houston goal. It wasn’t his best match, but he wasn’t alone in that.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 6.5 — Higuita was the defensive midfield linchpin for the Lions. He was directing traffic, helping Orlando to play out of the back, and generally keeping things organized. He earned the foul that led to Orlando’s goal, and also earned a yellow card for himself. Higuita finished with one tackle, one interception, three clearances, and a 97% passing rate on 37 passes. The biggest indication of how important Higuita was in this match is what happened after he was subbed off.

MF, Sebas Méndez, 5.5 — Sebas had a 96% passing rate on more than 60 passes, but many of those were just giving the ball back to whichever player passed the ball to him. Despite touching the ball a ton, he didn’t do much to help with the Lions’ attack, especially once the team was playing from behind.

MF, Will Johnson, 6 — Mr. Hustle put in his usual shift, working both the defensive and offensive sides of the match. Johnson had one shot in the 31st minute, but it sailed off to the left. Johnson had one interception, one clearance, and a 94% passing rate on 32 passes.

F, Nani, 6 — Nani wasn’t able to take over the match this week, and the Lions paid for it. While not as good as last week, he did earn the corner in 58th minute. He also took a free kick in the 77th minute, as Orlando struggled to get back into the match, but neither set piece was converted. Nani had no shots or assists this week, and had an 88% passing rate. He did still draw defenders when in the attack, but didn’t have the same sharpness as last match.

F, Dom Dwyer, 7 (MotM) —  For the second match in a row, Dwyer scored a goal. This header came from Mauricio Pereyra’s free kick, and put Orlando City up early. He had another good chance in the 20th minute, but it was saved. With five of Orlando’s seven shots, and all three of the shots on target, Dwyer had a good night. He also made a kick save of his own in 56th minute, and had an 83% passing rate. Dom did his usual work in the area to try to create chances, but he wasn’t able to find another goal to help out the Lions. Despite this, he gets my Man of the Match.

F, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — Pereyra continues to show his quality, and Orlando City wishes he was 90 minutes fit. It was his fantastic delivery on the free kick to Dom for the Lions’ goal in the sixth minute. Pererya had one interception, one clearance, and an 82% passing rate. He came off in the 63rd minute, and Orlando City missed his creativity.

Substitutes

F, Tesho Akindele (63’), 5.5 — Akindele was subbed on for Pereyra, and couldn’t replicate the creativity of Mauricio. Neither was he able to find the back of the goal. No shots taken, and an 82% passing rate might not sound great, but Orlando City was chasing the match soon after he came on.

MF, Carlos Ascues (64’), 4.5 — Ascues subbed in for slightly injured Higuita, and was not able to truly replace him. It wasn’t until Higuita was gone that Houston was finally able to break through. Ascues finished with an 86% passing rate on 14 passes. Frankly, he looked lost, and the center didn’t hold, though he did force a diving save late in the match on a decent shot.

F, Chris Mueller (85’), N/A — Despite coming on late, Mueller tried to be the super sub, but might have tried a bit too hard. He tried to dribble through most of the Houston defense, and it just didn’t happen. Mueller had seven touches and an 86% passing rate.

That’s how I saw things. What were your thoughts on the 2-1 loss to the Houston Dynamo? Who was your Man of the Match? Be sure to vote in the poll below!

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Dom Dwyer12
Mauricio Pereyra10
Nani0
Cristian Higuita14
Will Johnson1
Other4

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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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23 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.

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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