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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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5 years ago

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Orlando City started out hot in its last match of the 2019 MLS season as Tesho Akindele scored early. But the team fell apart in the second half and lost to the Chicago Fire 5-2 at Exploria Stadium. The Fire scored three goals in seven minutes in the second half to ultimately seal the win. Here’s how everyone individually performed in the tough loss at home.

Starters

GK, Brian Rowe, 4 — He probably should have done better with the first goal. Rowe led with his feet to try and clear the initial cross but missed, and it led to Kyle Smith’s own goal. Rowe made a good save in the 30th minute. Brandt Bronico sent a good shot on frame and Rowe made the diving, fingertip save to keep the score tied at one. I’m not sure what he was doing on the fifth Fire goal, which popped up off his hands then he stood and watched Przemyslaw Frankowski walk by and head it in. He finished with five saves, but the big number here is the five goals allowed. Not all of them were his fault, but he did not have a good match.

D, Kamal Miller, 4 — Miller attempted to defend Aleksandar Katai in the 17th minute. Katai was no match though, and literally spun Miller around, before sending a great ball to C.J. Sapong that resulted in the tying goal. Katai toyed with Miller on the third Chicago goal, working his way into position and freeing himself up for the shot. The rookie had just one tackle in the match and struggled defensively.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Just after the half hour mark, he went up to clear a ball. Sapong pushed Jansson while he was in the air and the defender collapsed onto Kyle Smith’s knee. The medical team immediately came onto the field, and Jansson had to be stretchered off the field. He finished with 14 touches, one tackle, and two clearances. The good news is our Michael Citro talked to him after the game and Jansson said he was OK.

D, Kyle Smith, 3.5 — Smith scored the second goal of the match, but in the wrong net. He attempted to defend Sapong but was on the wrong side of the forward. Smith got back into the correct position but wasn’t able to clear the ball and scored an own goal. On Chicago’s third goal, Smith defended awfully as Katai toyed with him before scoring. Minutes later he dove in but missed the ball completely as Przemyslaw Frankowski back heeled the Fire’s fourth goal. Still, he was tied for the most tackles on the team (three) and clearances (four).

D, Ruan, 6 — Ruan did what he did best in the 11th minute. He intercepted a pass in the defensive end and then burst onto the other side of the field. He glided by Nicolás Gaitán, but then Francisco Calvo came in with a hard tackle and Ruan stayed down on the field. After the trainers looked at him, Ruan was able to get back up and stay in the game. He had a typical night making runs and finished with three tackles and a clearance. Offensively though, he did not add too much.

MF, Uri Rosell, 6 — Rosell had a very quiet first half, although he did finish with the most touches out of both teams (46). He also had the most passes (45). He continued that production in the second half, finishing with 83 passes and an impressive 89% passing accuracy. He had three shots, one on target, and one key pass. Defensively, Rosell had one tackle, one interception, and two clearances. He was quiet on the night, but solid in the middle of the field.

MF, Will Johnson, 6 — Johnson did an excellent job defending in the 27th minute. Jansson pushed up but lost the ball, and Johnson expertly dropped into the back line. Frankowski got the ball over the top and Johnson fought for a goal kick. He finished with two shots, one on target. He was one of the best defenders for the Lions with four clearances and a tackle before being subbed out for Sacha Kljestan. He had a 91% passing accuracy — second highest in the game behind Chicago’s Johan Kappelhof.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — On the opening goal, Pereyra showed his vision and passing ability as he found Michel over the top, and was awarded an assist. In the 22nd minute, he gave a one touch pass from Nani that freed Akindele in the box. Akindele should have scored as it was a perfect pass from Pereyra. He had a fantastic dummy in the 42nd minute to feed the ball into Michel, a great play as there were three defenders around him. He had a brainless, lazy foul in the 69th minute but nothing came of the free kick. He ended the match with three key passes. His greatest ability is his vision and he was a key part of the match.

F, Nani, 4 — Orlando City started the match with plenty of energy and this was evident just seconds into the game when Nani committed a foul. He got a yellow card in stoppage time of the first half for yelling at the referee. He sent a perfect ball into Tesho in the 54th minute and the forward hit the post on the header, but was offside anyway. In the 93rd minute, he should’ve scored when one-on-one with Kenneth Kronholm but hit the right post. He had no key passes, just one shot on target, and was not a big factor in the match.

F, Tesho Akindele, 5 — He opened the scoring in the fifth minute. His shot hit the post, then Kenneth Kronholm’s heel, and trickled in the back of the net to get to 10 goals on the year — a career high. He should have had his brace in the 22nd minute. After a perfect pass from Pereyra, Akindele was one-on-one with Kronholm, but shot it right at the goalkeeper. That was about all he did in the match and was quiet the rest of the game. If not for his goal, his grade would be much lower. He finished with two shots, both on target, and two key passes.

F, Benji Michel, 7 (MotM) — The rookie made a good run in the second minute that ended with a tactical foul from Johan Kappelhof. He then immediately got into the box and just missed on the rebound. Minutes later, his tenacity played a part in the first goal. Later on, when he got his chance he put it in the back of the net. Kljestan played a great through ball and Michel beat Kronholm one-on-one to score. In the 85th minute, he should’ve score again but took one touch too many. Even when the match was well and decided, Michel still kept fighting, kept getting in good positions, and kept trying to find the back of the net. The rookie finished with five shots, four on target, three key passes, and was the most threatening player on the field.

Substitutes

D, Shane O’Neill (36’), 3 — The defender came on for Jansson and O’Neill didn’t have much work to do in the first half, his only defensive stats were two clearances. He did have 10 passes in those 10 minutes, all completed. His first true defensive action was in the 52nd minute. Frankowski had the ball inside the 18, and O’Neill did well to eliminate any real options and Frankowski could only shoot right at him. He should have done better on Sapong’s goal and he watched Frankowski score the fifth goal instead of challenging him on the goal line. The defender ended the match with four clearances and no tackles.

MF, Sacha Kljestan (55’), 5 — He missed a wide open goal just after coming on, albeit from a tight angle and just a couple of seconds after he’d threaded a perfect ball through the defense to Akindele. The ball came from his right and he took a left foot shot but hit the outside of the post. In 35 minutes he tied Pereyra and Michel for the team’s most chances created. He had a nice pass in the 74th minute and showed some clinical vision with a perfect assist to Michel. In addition to Kljestan’s three key passes, 19 total passes on 24 touches, and a 79% passing accuracy.

F, Chris Mueller (80’), N/A — A few minutes after coming on, he sent a cross from Kljestan back across the box to Michel with his head. Michel couldn’t finish but it was an excellent headed pass from Mueller. Still, Mueller was in alone and decided to pass instead of shoot. An odd decision from the second-year player. He had no shots and four passes on five touches.

That’s how I saw things. What did you think? Be sure to vote for your Man of the Match in the poll below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Will Johnson4
Mauricio Pereyra1
Benji Michel11
Uri Rosell12
Other2

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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.

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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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