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Orlando City vs. Montreal Impact, Preseason: Five Takeaways

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5 years ago

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Orlando City “got the dub” (as Benji Michel put it) on Saturday night against the Montreal Impact at Exploria Stadium in the team’s first public display under Oscar Pareja. While it would be foolish to try to make any assumptions about the team from one preseason game that likely lacked any game-planning or film study of any kind, there were some things on display in the Lions’ 1-0 victory that are worthy of discussion.

Here are some of the things that stood out to me from Saturday’s preseason win:

Formation is Fluid

It’s common for a formation to look different when the team has the ball vs. when the opponent has it, but it was clear on Saturday that fluidity is part of the system Oscar Pareja has brought to Orlando. The gaffer took advantage of Ruan’s speed and attacking prowess against Montreal and when the Lions had the ball, the back line was a three-man look for the most part, with Kamal Miller, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Antonio Carlos holding down the fort. Michel, who played mostly in an outside forward role on the right last year, was deeper on the field on the left side and the second-year Homegrown Player served in sort of a left wingback role to mirror what Ruan was doing on the right. The highest trio of players — Nani, Dom Dwyer, and Mauricio Pereyra — swapped positions on the field often, weaving together with short, quick passes in the final third.

The chemistry needs a little more work and time to completely come together, and the players still need to anticipate switching play when deep runners get open, but if (or when) things start to click, the attack will have a lot more teeth in it, as forwards and midfielders alike will start to pop in behind the defense.

“We’ll just keep going, keep building,” Pareja said of his team after Saturday’s game. “We just have 21, 22 (training) sessions and most of those have been with the fitness content, so we’ll keep building slowly. It’s a long journey.”

Athleticism on the Back Line

Carlos, Schlegel, and Miller are all quite mobile and agile and did well for the most part on defense. Ruan will always cheat forward and then use his speed to recover and track back, which he did on Saturday and was mostly successful at it with the exception of a couple of overly casual giveaways once he’d won the ball. Miller also had some dangerous giveaways on the left, so perhaps they just need more time in the system to clean that up. The center backs seem to have good movement, looked good in the air, and considering how little time they’ve spent together, they appeared to have some chemistry already. Robin Jansson was a great find last year, but his movement doesn’t compare favorably to that of Schlegel or Carlos. I would think Carlos is a favorite to be a first-team choice so it’s nice to know that if his partner ends up being Schlegel or Jansson, it provides a good depth player either way.

Pedro Gallese Looks the Part

He wasn’t called into action that often, but Gallese appeared to be the real deal in his first public outing for Orlando City. He made a couple of big saves but mainly what was impressive was his positioning and ability to read the play. The Peruvian international had command of his box and said he is already building chemistry with the defenders in front of him.

“The communication between me and Rodrigo and Antonio and the entire team is really good,” Gallese said through an interpreter. “I think it’s very important for us to get to know each other as a group, because that’s going to help us to build more confidence.

El Pulpo should be fun to watch this season but if the lack of chances Montreal generated is a sign of things to come (aside from when the Impact threw numbers forward late in the game against several substitutes in the midfield and at right back), it’ll be nice if his teammates don’t give him too much to do.

Emphasis on Movement

One thing that stuck out on Saturday in the tactics department was how quickly the Lions moved the ball. There was a lot of one-touch passing, particularly in the attacking third, and the ball was constantly on the move. It looked quite different from the way Orlando probed the perimeter last season.

“I wouldn’t say one-touch, but (Pareja says to) keep it simple and move the ball fast,” Michel said after Saturday’s game of the teams mindset in possession. “Just keeping the play as simple as possible.”

There will be some turnovers until the players become more attuned to where their teammates will be and where they like to receive the ball — Nani in particular had some ball security issues on Saturday — but Orlando can be a lot better in terms of possession in 2020 once that gets ironed out. Montreal did a good job of pressing in the midfield and anticipating shorter passes, so the Lions will need to vary their attack and take advantage of overly aggressive pressure to get the ball in behind.

Ball Winners Win Balls

Junior Urso and Uri Rosell were quick to pressure after turnovers to win the ball back and prevent Montreal’s counter from getting going most of the night. Orji Okwonkwo had one or two opportunities, and Miller did need to make a tactical foul to break up one counter after a Nani turnover, but for the most part the central midfielders did a good job of slowing down the Impact’s ability to transition or forcing things wide with the help of Carlos and Schlegel so that Ruan and Miller had time to track back to slow things down. Players like Michel and Pereyra were also able to quickly drop and help funnel Montreal’s possession out wide or to force the Impact to play balls backward. It’s only one game, and it’s unclear how good Montreal’s attack will be, but it was an encouraging sign that the Lions may be able to build on last year’s progress in developing as a defensive unit.

Those are the primary things I noticed on Saturday. I’m not overly concerned about the lack of chance creation as Montreal played a well-organized match and there was no real game-planning involved. Now that the fitness-building portion of preseason training is giving way to more emphasis on tactics and style of play, the chemistry and sharpness should improve. The Lions were inches from breaking in on goal several times but a defensive toe in the way, a ball slightly behind, or a bounce at just the wrong time prevented forwards from getting in 1-v-1 on Evan Bush on multiple occasions.

For those of you who turned out for the match, what stood out to you? Let us know in the comments below.

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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.

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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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