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Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Fall to RSL for First Time

Odd starting lineup doesn’t pay off on the road.

Published

6 years ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

It took five tries, but Real Salt Lake finally got a win over Orlando City. The Lions decided to rest some starters and played a disjointed game, falling behind 2-0 before throwing Nani and Dom Dwyer onto the pitch to try to rescue something at Rio Tinto Stadium. It was too late, despite some late heroics from Nani.

Sam Johnson and Demir Kreilach put RSL up before the two Orlando stars came on, and by that time Real Salt Lake (2-4-1, 7 points) had wrapped up a home win over the Lions (2-3-2, 8 points). It snapped RSL’s four-game losing streak and gave the Lions their first-ever loss to the Utah club (2-1-2).

James O’Connor ran out an unusual lineup, opting to put all of his Designated Players on the bench, pushing Chris Mueller into the starting XI up top next to Tesho Akindele. Will Johnson returned to the midfield against his old team, alongside Sebas Mendez and Sacha Kljestan, with Ruan and Joao Moutinho as the wingbacks. The back line in front of Brian Rowe consisted of rookie Kamal Miller, Robin Jansson, and Shane O’Neill, with Lamine Sané getting a night off.

The Lions held a lot of the early possession, but couldn’t really do much with it. Orlando had trouble connecting in the final third, and when the Lions did get shots at Nick Rimando’s goal, they didn’t make good contact, making life easy for the veteran goalkeeper.

Orlando should have taken the lead in the 11th minute. Ruan got loose down the right and made a good cross in to a streaking Moutinho, but the Portuguese youngster got his header all wrong, and it ended up going well wide to the right and bounced over the line for a goal kick. Moutinho sent a shot right at Rimando two minutes later from just outside the top of the area.

Four minutes later, Real Salt Lake took the lead. The hosts took a restart quickly on a foul given by Chris Penso and ended up slipping a ball in to Sam Johnson in the penalty area. Johnson slipped, and it looked like an easy clearance for Ruan, but somehow he misplayed the ball in his feet and it popped out behind him. Johnson had just gotten up and was able to smash his shot past Rowe to make it 1-0 at the 17-minute mark.

Kljestan and Demir Kreilach exchanged shots in the 31st and 32nd minute, respectively, with Sacha slipping slightly and dribbling a weak effort in to Rimando and Kreilach firing just wide of goal from distance.

Johnson was played in down the right by Kreilach in the 39th minute but he skipped his shot wide of the far post.

That was about it for a bit of an ugly first half, and the hosts went to the break with a 1-0 lead. Orlando held a slight edge in shots, at 4-3 (3-1 on target), with RSL holding 53% of possession and a slightly better passing rate (79%-78%).

Instead of getting back into the game in the second half, it was Mike Petke’s RSL side that made the better adjustments, seeing more of the ball early in the second half and getting opportunities. The hosts finally took advantage of that just as O’Connor was preparing to send Nani and Dwyer into the game.

Jefferson Savarino was tormenting Orlando at the start of the second half, forcing Rowe into saves in the 52nd and 53rd minutes. Savarino then got down the right side and nobody tracked Kreilach as he made a run into the top of the area. The pass was on target and Kreilach made no mistake with the shot, giving Rowe no chance at a save and making it 2-0 in the 55th minute.

Nani and Dwyer were waiting to enter the game when the second goal went in, making the uphill battle that much tougher. Nani’s volley in the 61st minute was well saved by Rimando, who tipped the blast over the bar.

Mendez missed over the goal in the 64th as Orlando pushed numbers forward into the attack. RSL dug in deep and defended well, often cutting out the final pass or heading a dangerous cross away before it reached its intended target.

The Lions finally got on the board in the 81st minute. Dwyer drew a foul about 25 yards out in front of goal and he, Nani, and Kljestan all stood over the dead ball. It was Nani that fired through a hole in the wall and beat a diving Rimando, who got a hand to the shot but couldn’t keep it out. It was Nani’s third goal in the last two games and he’s now tied with Dwyer for the team lead in goals this season, with three.

The Lions got only a few half chances after the goal and RSL was able to see out the game. Orlando City dug a hole it couldn’t get out of in the thin air at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Orlando out-shot Real Salt Lake, 13-10 (5-5 on target) and held 56% of the possession, finishing with a slight edge in passing accuracy (78%-74%). But the Lions weren’t precise enough in the final third yet again and RSL made them pay for defensive lapses.

The big question is why both Nani and Dwyer sat to start the game when there is no midweek match. Additionally, Johnson hadn’t played in weeks due to his concussion, but was left to play the full 90 at altitude. Still, it wasn’t the starting forwards who dug the early hole and if the Lions can’t stop finding ways to concede weird goals early (like the odd bounce off Jansson’s head last week and the failed clearance by Ruan tonight), they’re in for a long year.

The Lions return home next Saturday to host the Vancouver Whitecaps at 3 p.m. ET.

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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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20 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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